Bangkok Pride Festival marks a grand Pride month celebration in Bangkok’s bustling Rama 1 Road and Siam area
Bangkok Pride Parade marked Bangkok’s grand celebration of Pride Month and marked a major milestone for Thailand to become the first Southeast Asia country to legalize same-sex marriage. The rainbow parade attracted more than 200,000 attendees and spectators and spanned along the bustling Rama 1 Road.
Bangkok Pride Parade is hosted by Bangkok Pride and The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) in collaboration with numerous public and private sectors. Siam Paragon, Siam Center and Siam Discovery also co-host many activities all through June 2024. The Bangkok Pride Festival kicked off on 31 May 2024 at Parc Paragon, Siam Paragon followed by the grand Bangkok Pride Parade on 1 June 2024. The event brought together the LGBTQIAN+ community and supporters of diversity, filling Rama I Road.
Thailand Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin joined the opening and the parade. This marked the country’s first time a Prime Minister joined the Bangkok Pride Parade. Notable attendees were the Leader of Pheu Thai Party Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Minister of Tourism and Sports Sermsak Pongpanit, Minister of Social Development and Human Security Varawut Silpa-archa, The Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Thapanee Kiatphaiboon. Warmly welcoming the distinguished attendees were the President and Founder of Narumit Pride and host of the Bangkok Pride Arun Chumaporn, Deputy Governor of Bangkok Sanont Wangsrangboon along with diplomatic corps members, various LGBTQ+ community networks, government officials, private and independent organizations such as Siam Piwat CEO Chadatip Chutrakul and diverse individuals from Thailand and abroad. The event reinforced Thailand’s positioning as a top tourist destination, especially for the LGBTQ+ community, and boosted major industries like tourism and the economy.
Arun Chumaporn, President and Founder of Narumit Pride and host of the Bangkok Pride Festival 2024, stated, “This year is significant for the LGBTQIAN+ community in Thailand as the equal marriage law will take effect by the end of 2024. The Bangkok Pride Festival 2024 is a celebration of this success and a countdown to the implementation of the law. This year, we feature the longest Pride flag in Thailand, at 200 meters, and a pride parade presenting 5 main themes and definitions of love. This event elevates our Pride celebrations to the global standard and enlists Bangkok in bidding to host WorldPride 2030, marking a crucial step towards creating an equal and safe society in Thailand.”
This year’s Siam Piwat Group, a leading real estate and retail developer, the owner of Siam Paragon, Siam Center, Siam Discovery and a joint-venture partner of ICONSIAM, ICS, and Siam Premium Outlets Bangkok is reinforcing.
The company supports diversity, equality, and inclusion in collaboration with Bangkok Pride. The activities under the campaign “The Celebration: Right to Love” will run from May 31 to June 30, 2024.
Saruntorn Asaves, Deputy Managing Director of Siam Piwat Co., Ltd., said, “Bangkok has a very high potential to welcome tourists of various lifestyles and interests, including the LGBTQIAN+ community. Organizing Pride Month celebrations will stimulate the country’s economy and tourism. Siam Piwat supports the “Bangkok Pride Festival 2024,” and the Bangkok Pride Parade, with Siam Paragon, Siam Center, and ICONSIAM hosting events under the campaign The Celebration: Right to Love. We will also organize continuous activities throughout the month.”
Siam Paragon supports the Bangkok Pride Forum 2024, organized by Bangkok Pride, featuring over 30 sessions from May 31 to June 4, 2024, at SCBX Next Tech, 4th floor, Siam Paragon. Topics include “Embracing Understanding: Supporting Children of Diverse Genders Under Good Mental Health,” “Hormones and Life: Potential to Become a Hormone-Producing Country,” and “Policy Driving ‘Rainbow Economy’: Thailand as a Hub for Transsexuals.”
Siam Paragon also supports the Drag Bangkok Festival 2024, a vibrant event featuring drag artists from around the world, at Parc Paragon from May 31 to June 3, 2024. Highlights include the DRAG ARENA International Lip Sync Battle on June 2.
Siam Center presents world characters Teletubbies, as Pride Ambassadors and they also joined the parade. Siam Center also hosts Siam Center x Teletubbies ‘Big Hugs Big Love,’ which features Teletubbies Experience Space by Take Toys x Beautilab and Wacoal X Teletubbies Café, Asian first Teletubbies’ Pride-themed café on the G Floor.
Siam Discovery, in collaboration with Mister International Thailand 2024, will hold the Road to On Runway activity in June 2024.
ICONSIAM and ICS will run the campaign ‘ICONSIAM Pride Out Loud: Shine Your Proud Heart’ throughout June, featuring exhibitions honouring LGBTQIAN+ role models and art toy displays. The Pride Market and fashion show “Pride Out Loud presents: Thai Pride x ICONCRAFT” will occur on June 8-9, 2024.
ONESIAM SuperApp will have a Gamification theme “The Celebration: Right to Love,” with games and special prizes. Siam Piwat Group also plan to support venues for same-sex marriage wedding ceremonies at Paragon Hall, Siam Paragon, and True Icon Hall, ICONSIAM.
This year’s Pride Month celebration showcases the united efforts of all parties committed to supporting LQBTQIAN+ communities, making the Bangkok Pride Festival a global attraction, drawing tourists to Thailand in June annually, and highlighting Thailand’s readiness ‘Road to Bangkok WorldPride 2030.’
Press Release
