Thailand - Country of Diverse Sexualities - Global Gayz

Thailand is the world’s 51st-largest country in terms of total area. About 80% of the population is ethnically Thais, 10% is of Chinese origin, and 3% is ethnically Malay. Thailand is one of the most devoutly Buddhist countries in the world. The national religion is Theravada Buddhism which is practiced by more than 95% of all Thais. The highly revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej died in 2016 after reigning for more than 60 years, making him the longest reigning monarch at the time. He was succeeded by his son.
Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia that has never been ruled by a European power. The current 2010 political infighting has destabilized the country. The military had wielded political power since then.

There are no laws against gays or lesbians in Thailand. However, there are some Buddhist laws that prohibit openly gay men to enter monkhood. Transsexuals (known as kathoey) are tolerated in Thai culture as part of the working force. Thailand has an annual gay pride festival in Phuket–not in Bangkok. The health authorities work together with the gay community to promote HIV education and prevention.

Name: Thailand

Population: 63200000

Capital: Bangkok - Pop. 8160522

Area: 513115 sq. km/ sq. miles

Language: Thai

Religion: Buddhism

Status of Homosexuality: Legal

Telephone Country Code: 66

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Hua Hin, Thailand–Gay Life Beyond Bangkok

Hua Hin Thailand is a modest-sized city on the country’s southern peninsula that has become a popular vacation destination due to its balmy climate and long beaches. There is not a LGBT community there, rather only a couple of venues; one is a bar and the other a hostel.

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A Bridge and Memory Over The River Kwai

A casual visit to an historical WW II site became a moving experience when one of our tour group members revealed a powerful memory: he was a prisoner of war and helped to build the bridge. His story transformed my visit from a curiosity into a vital memorial to the men who suffered and died here.

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Being Homosexual in Southern Muslim Thailand

Living a life of contradictions–Being homosexual in southern Thailand can cause further isolation in the already divided communities Bangkok Post May 8, 2014 By Takato Mitsunaga Making a major life-changing decision is always a struggle. One has to think about the potential consequences of a choice before deciding on a particular path. Khoirunnaklee Yusoh, 31,

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A hidden issue: What Thai deaf gays now face

From: Prachatai English (http://www.prachatai.com/english) September 23, 2013 By Takato Mitsunaga Chaiwat Limprasertying, 33, knew he was gay when he was 12 years old, when he found himself different from others. But he is used to being different. He was born deaf. He couldn’t tell anybody about being gay at that time. “It was like being

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Thailand Food Feast (photo essay)

It’s hard to imagine anywhere in the world a city with more food offerings than Bangkok, Thailand. Street kitchens by the thousands, tiny pantries, hole-in-the-wall eateries, open air market food stalls, fast food chains, 7-11 stores snacks, elegant 5-star restaurants–open day and night, many until midnight, fewer all night with customers eating plates of rice,

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Thailand: Tears, Sex and Floods

By Richard Ammon GlobalGayz.com Updated November 2017 The beloved King Bhumibol Adulyadej (photo right) died at the age of 88, on 13 October 2016, after a long illness. A year-long period of mourning was subsequently announced. A royal cremation ceremony took place over five days at the end of October 2017. The actual cremation, which

Blog Culture Diversity Thailand

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No Gay Pride in Bangkok 2010

By Richard Ammon GlobalGayz.com December 7, 2010 Bangkok For the third year in a row there is no BKK Pride festival. Ask different people and get different answers: disinterest from local Thai activists; lack of police cooperation; no money; homophobia; frustration and withdrawal of foreign leadership. “There are just too many obstacles, resistance and petty

Blog Culture Diversity Homophobia Human Rights Thailand

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Homophobic Discrimination Against Straight Athlete

Westhampton, MA – September 4, 2009 Richard Ammon – GlobalGayz.com The Amateur Boxing Association of Thailand (ABAT) has discriminated against a straight boxer for posing suggestively for the cover of a gay magazine. This is a new take on homophobic discrimination: instead of acting prejudicially against a gay person, the ABAT has discriminated against a

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Gay Thailand 2015–Scene and Unseen

Gay life in Thailand is alive and well in half a dozen cities and towns, having survived six years of a homophobic prime minister. Now revitalized with more venues than ever, the scene continues to be as it was, both visible and invisible. Despite the glitter and spice of the nightlife, most LGBT citizens continue

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Gay Thailand–Phuket in 2007

The week I arrived in Phuket to research a new story about local gay life in Phuket, this story appeared in the Phuket Post. It nicely usurped my intentions and added, no doubt, more depth and undestanding than I might have found. I am pleased to present it here, written by reporter Aparna Raut Desai.

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Gay Rights in Thailand 2007

In searching for human rights activity in Thailand it’s easy to be distracted by the sexy flash and booming discos of Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and Chiang Mai, which to many visitors and reporters appear to present an exciting ‘liberated’ face of homosexuality in Thailand. However, the reality is quite different the longer one stays or

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Bangkok’s Third Gay Pride Festival November 2001

Also see: Gay Thailand Stories Gay Thailand News & Reports 2000 to present Gay Thailand Photo Galleries By Richard Ammon November 2001 (981 words) Glitter and Change Fringed by a huge storm cloud thundering in the high horizon, Bangkok’s third annual Gay Pride Parade nevertheless kicked off (dry) on time and in place November 4th.

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Bangkok’s First Gay Pride Festival – October 1999

Also see: Gay Thailand Stories Gay Thailand News & Reports 2000 to present Gay Thailand Photo Galleries By Richard Ammon November 1999 Across the world gay thresholds continue to be crossed, venturing into new social and cultural territory, breaking open, or at least peeking into, centuries of cultural darkness regarding homosexuality. Taiwan, Tokyo, Manila, Hong

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Gay Thailand 2017: Varieties of Life and Love

By Richard Ammon GlobalGayz.com November 2017 Fantasy Life As I wrote this story, Thailand was glued to a royal funeral ceremony via millions of TVs, radios and live in central Bangkok. For eight hours, since 0700 on a Saturday in November 2017, monks and ancient horns filled the solemn air with prayers and chants as

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Lesbians in Thailand

Intro: Lesbians present a different scene than the men. More modest in their sexual expression, there are no lesbian saunas where women walk around in towels cruising each other, although there are lesbian bars. Various reasons have been offered to explain this difference, from men’s more predatory nature to feminist distaste for imitating male habits to women’s natural nurturing subjective demeanor versus men’s penchant for objectifying sex—or powerful social traditions that shape and limit women’s roles in society.

Never knew PRIDE like this before – Thailand Pride Festival 2022: Pride for Unity and Diversity, 2023/Feb/28

‘More work needed’ to eradicate Aids by 2030, 2022/Dec/22

Thailand Pride Festival 2022, 2022/Dec/14

LGBTQ+ RIGHTS Organisation APCOM Receives Funding From Canadian Government, 2022/Aug/10

LGBTQ+ RIGHTS ORGANISATION APCOM RECEIVES FUNDING FROM CANADIAN GOVERNMENT, 2022/Aug/10

How Thailand Is Blazing Trails on Gay Rights, Legalizing Marijuana, 2022/Jul/21

Thailand’s Cabinet approves bills granting legal status to same-sex unions, 2020/Jul/09

Thailand Leads Way in Southeast Asia With Same-Sex Union Bill, 2020/Jul/08

LGBTI activists in Thailand submit petition for gender rights panel, 2019/Jun/20

Thailand elects first transgender member of parliament, 2019/Mar/25

All aboard Bangkok’s first pride cruise, 2019/Feb/24

Asia’s largest ever LGBTI art exhibition to open in Bangkok, 2019/Jan/11

Thailand cabinet approves the first draft of same-sex civil union bill, 2018/Dec/25

Thailand Considers Same-Sex Partnership Bill, 2018/Dec/05

2018 Asia Pacific HERO Awards celebrate LGBTI advocacy, 2018/Dec/02

Thailand’s lesbian tennis player wins big, 2018/Nov/06

Thailand marching towards recognizing same-sex unions by the end of 2018, 2018/Nov/06

This Is What It’s Like To Travel As A Gay Asian Man, 2018/Jun/06

Thailand introduces landmark same-sex civil partnerships bill, 2018/Apr/26

This Amazing Commercial Uses Gay High School Drama To Sell Lip Balm, 2017/Dec/25

No one is worth more or less than another. We are all equal as humans., 2017/Dec/21

Coming to terms, 2017/Nov/20

Gay Chinese tourists flock to Thailand for fun, acceptance, 2017/Nov/10

Staggering amounts of US LGBT discrimination revealed, 2017/May/03

Bangkok plans to ban all street food by year’s end, 2017/Apr/18

Circuit Parties Began Fading in North America a Decade Ago—Why Are They So Hot in Asia?, 2017/Mar/31

Gay couple win high-profile surrogacy battle in Thailand, 2016/Apr/26

Review: First Queer Voices from Thailand by Peter A. Jackson, 2016/Apr/05

Tangerine Walk-In Counselling, 2016/Mar/21

Thailand Opens Clinic For Transgender People, 2016/Feb/22

A New Gay Webseries That is Worth Your Health, 2016/Feb/09

A Dream Deferred: A Look At Transgender Discrimination In Thailand, 2015/Dec/04

Queer Southeast Asia: Recognition, Respect & Legitimacy, 2015/Nov/28

How Thailand Became a Global Gender-Change Destination, 2015/Oct/26

Two-Faced Thailand: The Ugly Side Of ‘Asia’s Gay Capital’, 2015/Oct/20

Queer Southeast Asia: Recognition, Respect & Legitimacy, 2015/Sep/28

Thailand’s equality laws come into effect, 2015/Sep/10

A man in full, 2015/Aug/09

Bangkok’s first Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, 2015/May/29

Junta to pass law banning homosexuals from monkhood, 2015/Mar/03

World’s First Three-Way Gay Marriage Takes Place In Thailand, 2015/Mar/03

Families must end LGBTI violence and improve rights in Asia, 2015/Feb/24

The bitter truth behind Thailand’s gay-friendly image, 2015/Jan/23

Thai Constitution’s Draft Would Protect LGBT Rights, 2015/Jan/16

Thailand to recognize ‘third gender’ in new constitution: panel, 2015/Jan/15

Thai junta’s surrogacy bill to ban LGBT and singles from having their own children, 2014/Oct/30

More support for gay and transgender communities needed in Thailand, 2014/Oct/25

More support for gay and transgender communities needed in Thailand, 2014/Oct/25

Thailand entices gay men for HIV testing through parties, 2014/Oct/08

Mayor blesses marriage of Thai gay couple, praises their good example, 2014/Aug/04

Nearly half of young gay men in Bangkok not using condoms consistently acquire HIV within five years of starting sex, 2014/Aug/01

Bangkok HIV Foundation launches new social campaign to support gay men with HIV in Thailand, 2014/Jul/29

Commemorating LGBT Pride Month amid the chaos, 2014/Jun/21

Welcome to TestBKK, 2014/May/05

Thai marriage equality bill unable to proceed due to political crisis, 2014/Apr/12

Thailand’s Intolerance of Its Own LGBT Community Will Surprise You, 2014/Mar/07

In Thailand, a Tough Life for Burma’s Male Sex Workers, 2013/Dec/13

LGBT: What is a marriage but for ourselves?, 2013/Nov/26

The two faces of Thai tolerance, 2013/Sep/11

How Thailand and Vietnam are moving on same-sex ‘marriage’, 2013/Aug/30

On the road to legalising same-sex relationships: Thailand and Vietnam, 2013/Aug/30

Thai university introduces two LGBT courses, a first in the ASEAN region, 2013/Jul/08

Fifty shades of pink, 2013/Jul/06

HIV and Syphilis Infection Among Men Who Have Sex with Men — Bangkok, Thailand, 2005–2011, 2013/Jun/28

Same-sex union bill no cause for celebration The Nation, 2013/May/28

LGBT Thai teens forced to become monks by parents to turn them straight, 2013/May/26

Overlooked, ignored, forgotten? No longer: Groups call for an end to transphobia in Asia Pacific, 2013/May/17

Same-sex union bill no cause for celebration–Editorial, 2013/Apr/28

Thai media features same-sex couples as parliament considers civil unions, 2013/Apr/11

Largest ever LGBTI conference in Asia elects new representatives and chooses Taiwan for next conference in 2015, 2013/Apr/10

Building On The Past, Looking To The Future: APCOM Re-Launched, 2013/Mar/25

Thailand holds public hearings to consider civil union bill, 2013/Feb/10

A lesbian perspective on Thailand, 2012/Dec/18

Thai government drafting same-sex civil partnership law, 2012/Dec/17

Transgender couple in Thailand speak, 2012/Nov/05

Queering the pitch, deliberately, 2012/Oct/18

The ASEAN declaration – Good news or bad news?, 2012/Oct/09

Thai lesbian movie ‘Yes or No 2’ hits theatres, 2012/Sep/07

Gay Policy In Thailand: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Care”, 2012/Sep/02

Thai uni allows trans grads to wear female gowns, 2012/Aug/20

Most young Thai MSM define as heterosexual, even if they mainly have sex with men, 2012/Aug/10

New Regional Community Youth Leader And Policy Briefing Paper Announced, 2012/Jul/02

On ’100% Thai manliness’ and the reality of LBGT in Thailand, 2012/Jun/07

Thailand: Trans woman becomes the first to win elections to public office, 2012/May/30

Lady Gaga Meets Thailand’s ‘Lady Boys’, 2012/May/25

Windows into domestic gay Thailand, 2012/Apr/04

Burmese rights group to broadcast LBGT news online, 2012/Feb/21

Thai NGO advocates safe sex in Bangkok red-light districts, 2012/Feb/14

Flying the flag for ladyboys: Thai airline takes on transgender flight attendants, 2012/Feb/06

Thailand found over 10,000 new HIV/AIDS patients in 2011, 2012/Jan/10

Transgender airline staff make inaugural flight in Thailand, 2012/Jan/04

The truth about tolerance, 2012/Jan/03

‘Without equality, tolerance is just a myth’, 2011/Oct/24

Gay Thailand News & Reports 2011, 2011/Apr/08

Gay Thailand News & Reports 2010, 2010/Mar/10

Gay Thailand News & Reports 2009, 2010/Mar/08

Gay Thailand News & Reports 2008, 2010/Mar/06

Gay Thailand News & Reports 2007, 2010/Mar/02

Gay Thailand News & Reports 2004-06, 2010/Mar/01

Gay Thailand News & Reports 2000-03, 2009/Jan/01

Photos News Stories

Bangkok City Photos, November 2012

Bangkok city is like no other with its complex mix of modern skyscrapers, super-engineered SkyTain (and subway) and many exotic old world Buddhist temples and adoration of the King. Up-scale life is abundantly visible in the countless Mercedes cars (and an occasional Rolls Royce) and 5-star high-rise luxury condo towers. Low-scale life is visible in

Photos News Stories

Random Images of Bangkok, Nov 2010

Bangkok is a city with many faces, many lives and very diverse styles of living. Here are random images of day and night life in this city of royalty, prosperity and poverty.

Photos News Stories

Chaing Rai City

Chaing Rai is the capitalof Chaing Rai province, Thailand’s most northern territory. It was once notorious as the center of the Golden Trangle (conjoining Thailand, Laos, Burma) where illegal drug trading flourished. Today the trade (most of it) is gone replaced by tourists. It’s a modest commercial hub with temples, street markets and curbside kitchens

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Jomthien Beach in Pattaya

Jomthien Beach (or Jomtien Beach) is located about 2 kilometers south of Pattaya. This beach area has become popular for swimming, water sports and residential living because it has a long scenic coastline and there is less boating activity in the area than at Pattaya Beach. There are many good hotels, bungalows, guest houses and

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Thailand – King’s 50th, Ko Samet

Thailand is a constitutional monarchy with His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, or King Rama IX, the ninth king of the Chakri Dynasty, as the present king. The King has reigned for more than half a century, making him the longest reigning Thai monarch. His Majesty the King is recognised as the Head of State, the

Photos News Stories

Thailand – Ko Samui, Kwai. Thai Gulf

Ko Samui Island (photos 1-9) is Thailand’s third largest island, with an area of 228.7 km2 and a population of over 50,000 (2008). It is rich with natural resources, white sandy beaches, coral reefs and coconut trees. Bridge at River Kwai (photos 10-17) commemorates the 92,000 civilians and prisoners of war, including a number of

Photos News Stories

Thailand – Bangkok Gay Festival 1999

Thailand is one of the most strongly Buddhist countries in the world. The national religion is Theravada Buddhism which is practiced by more than 95% of all Thais. This partially accounts for the high tolerance level of gay life in Bangkok. Buddhism does not overtly condemn homosexuality as do Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Gay Bangkok

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Thailand – World AIDS Day Bangkok Dec ’06

To view World Aids Day 2006 Bangkok gallery (not on GlobalGayz) – click here.