Gay Thailand: disver everythg travelers need to know - KAYAK

Contents:

• THE MOST LGBT-FRIENDLY PLAC TO VIS THAILAND PATTAYA BAR STREET | © RICHARD/FLICKR IONA PROEBST 20 SEPTEMBER 2017 COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT THAILAND IS WILY NSIRED A GAY PARADISE AND FOR GOOD REASON. HOT ON THE GLOBAL LGBT TRAVEL STATN LIST, THAILAND IS A WELG UNTRY FOR GAY TRAVELLERS. WE’VE PUT TOGETHER OUR FAVOURE LGBT IENDLY PLAC TO VIS THE LAND OF S. VIEW ALL TRIPS BANGKOK BANGKOK IS NOT ONLY THAILAND’S PAL IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE ‘GAY PAL OF ASIA.’ BANGKOK’S NIGHTLIFE IS TENSE AND MAGIL. THERE ARE ALSO NUMERO ACTIVI AND ATTRACTNS FOR GAY AND LBIAN TRAVELLERS TO EXPLORE. FOR A POOL WH A VIEW STAY AT THE LC AMARA BANGKOK HOTEL. TAKE A SP TO FD YOUR PERFECT SMALL-GROUP TRIP STATN PASSPORTS READY? YOUR NEXT STATN IS... VIEW TRIP SP SOUTH AI ICELAND TURKEY THAILAND GREECE INDIA CROATIA BALI MOROC MEXI SPA JAPAN EGYPT ECUADOR BANGKOK SKYLE | © SWAMATHAN/FLICKR PATTAYA PATTAYA IS NOT ONLY FAMO FOR S NIGHTLIFE, ALSO HAS TWO OF THAILAND’S MOST POPULAR GAY BEACH, DONGTAN BEACH AND JOMTIEN BEACH. PATTAYA’S GAY SCENE IS ALIVE AND LOURFUL, CHECK OUT BOYZTOWN DISTRICT FOR GAY BARS, MASSAGE SHOPS, RTRANTS AND ACMODATN OPTNS. IF YOU ARE TRAVELLG WH YOUR PARTNER OR LOOKG FOR SOMEONE NEW, YOU’RE BOUND TO HAVE A FANTASTIC TIME PATTAYA. DONGTAN BEACH, PATTAYA CY, BANG LAMUNG DISTRICT, CHON BURI, THAILAND EPIC MOROCCO FROM ANCIENT CI TO THE SAHARA, EMBRACE CULTURAL RICH AND ENCHANTG LANDSP NORTH AI. VIEW TRIP JOMTIEN BEACH, หาดจอมเทียน, CHON BURI, THAILAND PATTAYA BAR STREET | © RICHARD/FLICKR PHET THAILAND’S SEND MOST POPULAR STATN FOR GAY TRAVELLERS IS THE TROPIL ISLAND PARADISE OF PHET. PATONG IS NSIRED THE GAY HUB OF THE ISLAND WH PLENTY OF BARS AND CLUBS TO PARTY THE NIGHT AWAY. WH DIRECT TERNATNAL FLIGHT LKS, PHET IS ALSO VERY EASY TO GET TO. BEE A CULTURE TRIPPER! SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER TO SAVE UP TO 40% ON OUR UNIQUE TRIPS. SIGN UP SEE PRIVACY POLICY. PALAI BAY, PHET | © EDW.11/FLICKR KRABI FOR BEACH AND NATURE LOVERS, KRABI IS THE PERFECT STATN FOR A RELAXG HOLIDAY. AO NANG AND RAILAY BEACH ARE PARTICULARLY POPULAR WH STUNNG BEACH AND FUN NIGHT LIFE. FOR THOSE LOOKG FOR A LTLE MORE ADVENTURE, KAYAKG, SNORKELG, SCUBA DIVG, ROCK CLIMBG OR EXPLORG NEARBY ISLANDS ARE FUN WAYS TO SPEND THE DAYS. HONG ISLAND, KRABI | © NILAS VOLLMER/FLICKR KOH PHANGAN KOH PHANGAN IS MOST FAMO FOR S FULL MOON PARTI THAT ATTRACT GAY TRAVELLERS OM ALL AROUND THE WORLD. THE FULL MOON PARTI ATTRACT THOANDS OF PEOPLE AND ARE HELD EVERY MONTH ON HAAD R BEACH. KOH PHANGAN IS ALSO A STUNNGLY BETIFUL ISLAND TO EXPLORE OR JT RELAX ON A CRCENT WHE SAND BEACH. MOST BEACH ARE GAY-IENDLY WH BOTTLE BEACH, SALAD BEACH AND HAAD YAO BEACH BEG AMONGST THE MOST POPULAR. THERE ARE ALSO TWO GAY BARS ON THE ISLAND, FOR YOU AND ALVE, ALONG WH A HOST OF BEACH-SI BARS. FOR YOU, 145/1 MOO 1, KOH PHANGAN , SURAT THANI 84280, TAMBON KO PHA-NGAN, AMPHOE KO PHA-NGAN, ST 84280, THAILAND HAAD R, BAN TAI, KO PHA-NGAN DISTRICT, SURAT THANI, THAILAND FULL MOON PARTY, KOH PHANGAN | © MARíA GABRIELA LUCERO/FLICKR KOH SAMUI RORT SHARE ADD TO PLAN COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT © STEPHANIE KRS/FLICKR KOH SAMUI KOH SAMUI OFFERS S GAY TRAVELLERS A MORE CHILLED, RELAXED HOLIDAY ATMOSPHERE THAN S NEIGHBOUR KOH PHANGAN. KOH SAMUI IS RENOWNED FOR S LUXURY ACMODATN OPTNS AND BETIFUL BEACH. CHOOSE TO STAY AT THE ABSOLUTE SANCTUARY TO NOURISH MD, BODY AND SOUL. THIS STUNNG WELLNS RORT IS ALSO ONLY SIX KILOMETERS AWAY OM BO PUT, THE CENTER OF THE ISLANDS GAY SCENE.ABSOLUTE SANCTUARY, KOH SAMUI KOH SAMUI | © STEPHANIE KRS/FLICKR KOH KUT LOOKG FOR AN EXCLIVE HONEYMOON OR ANNIVERSARY GETAWAY? KO KUT’S VIBE IS EXOTIC, TROPIL AND ROMANTIC, ALL THE NECSARY GREDIENTS FOR AN UNFETTABLE HOLIDAY. KOH KUT | © THAILANDPL -ประเทศไทย พอ/FLICKR CHIANG MAI CHIANG MAI, WHICH IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE ‘JEWEL OF THE NORTH’, HAS A THRIVG AND DIVERSE GAY SCENE. CHECK OUT THE CI GO-GO BARS, BARET VENU, GAY-IENDLY NIGHTCLUBS, SNAS AND MASSAGE SHOPS. CHIANG MAI ALSO HAS A BUNCH OF EXCG SIGHTSEEG AND ACTIVY OPTNS WAG TO BE EXPLORED. CHIANG MAI BARET SHOW | © CONNIE/FLICKR VOLNIC ICELAND EPIC TRIP MEET OUR LOL INSIR HANNA HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE? 2 YEARS. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB? IT'S THE PERSONAL NTACT, THE PERSONAL EXPERIENC. I LOVE MEETG PEOPLE OM ALL OVER THE WORLD... I REALLY LIKE GETTG TO KNOW EVERYONE AND FEELG LIKE I'M TRAVELG WH A GROUP OF IENDS. WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST? I HAVE SO MANY PLAC ON MY LIST, BUT I WOULD REALLY LOBE TO GO TO AI. I NSIR MYSELF AN “ADVENTURE GIRL” AND AI FEELS LIKE THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE! EVERY CULTURE TRIP SMALL-GROUP ADVENTURE IS LED BY A LOL INSIR JT LIKE HANNA. SEE OUR CULTURE TRIPS KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?
• THE BTER TTH BEHD THAILAND'S GAY-IENDLY IMAGE
• GAYS THAILAND: IS A LGBT IENDLY UNTRY FOR TOURISM?
• GAY THAILAND TRAVEL GUI
• THAILAND GAY TRAVEL
• GAY THAILAND RORTS YOU HAVE TO STAY AT
• BANGKOK GAY NIGHTLIFE
• GAY BANGKOK
• GAY PHET
• GAY THAILAND: THE ULTIMATE TRAVEL GUI

THE MOST LGBT-FRIENDLY PLAC TO VIS THAILAND PATTAYA BAR STREET | © RICHARD/FLICKR IONA PROEBST 20 SEPTEMBER 2017 COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT THAILAND IS WILY NSIRED A GAY PARADISE AND FOR GOOD REASON. HOT ON THE GLOBAL LGBT TRAVEL STATN LIST, THAILAND IS A WELG UNTRY FOR GAY TRAVELLERS. WE’VE PUT TOGETHER OUR FAVOURE LGBT IENDLY PLAC TO VIS THE LAND OF S. VIEW ALL TRIPS BANGKOK BANGKOK IS NOT ONLY THAILAND’S PAL IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE ‘GAY PAL OF ASIA.’ BANGKOK’S NIGHTLIFE IS TENSE AND MAGIL. THERE ARE ALSO NUMERO ACTIVI AND ATTRACTNS FOR GAY AND LBIAN TRAVELLERS TO EXPLORE. FOR A POOL WH A VIEW STAY AT THE LC AMARA BANGKOK HOTEL. TAKE A SP TO FD YOUR PERFECT SMALL-GROUP TRIP STATN PASSPORTS READY? YOUR NEXT STATN IS... VIEW TRIP SP SOUTH AI ICELAND TURKEY THAILAND GREECE INDIA CROATIA BALI MOROC MEXI SPA JAPAN EGYPT ECUADOR BANGKOK SKYLE | © SWAMATHAN/FLICKR PATTAYA PATTAYA IS NOT ONLY FAMO FOR S NIGHTLIFE, ALSO HAS TWO OF THAILAND’S MOST POPULAR GAY BEACH, DONGTAN BEACH AND JOMTIEN BEACH. PATTAYA’S GAY SCENE IS ALIVE AND LOURFUL, CHECK OUT BOYZTOWN DISTRICT FOR GAY BARS, MASSAGE SHOPS, RTRANTS AND ACMODATN OPTNS. IF YOU ARE TRAVELLG WH YOUR PARTNER OR LOOKG FOR SOMEONE NEW, YOU’RE BOUND TO HAVE A FANTASTIC TIME PATTAYA. DONGTAN BEACH, PATTAYA CY, BANG LAMUNG DISTRICT, CHON BURI, THAILAND EPIC MOROCCO FROM ANCIENT CI TO THE SAHARA, EMBRACE CULTURAL RICH AND ENCHANTG LANDSP NORTH AI. VIEW TRIP JOMTIEN BEACH, หาดจอมเทียน, CHON BURI, THAILAND PATTAYA BAR STREET | © RICHARD/FLICKR PHET THAILAND’S SEND MOST POPULAR STATN FOR GAY TRAVELLERS IS THE TROPIL ISLAND PARADISE OF PHET. PATONG IS NSIRED THE GAY HUB OF THE ISLAND WH PLENTY OF BARS AND CLUBS TO PARTY THE NIGHT AWAY. WH DIRECT TERNATNAL FLIGHT LKS, PHET IS ALSO VERY EASY TO GET TO. BEE A CULTURE TRIPPER! SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER TO SAVE UP TO 40% ON OUR UNIQUE TRIPS. SIGN UP SEE PRIVACY POLICY. PALAI BAY, PHET | © EDW.11/FLICKR KRABI FOR BEACH AND NATURE LOVERS, KRABI IS THE PERFECT STATN FOR A RELAXG HOLIDAY. AO NANG AND RAILAY BEACH ARE PARTICULARLY POPULAR WH STUNNG BEACH AND FUN NIGHT LIFE. FOR THOSE LOOKG FOR A LTLE MORE ADVENTURE, KAYAKG, SNORKELG, SCUBA DIVG, ROCK CLIMBG OR EXPLORG NEARBY ISLANDS ARE FUN WAYS TO SPEND THE DAYS. HONG ISLAND, KRABI | © NILAS VOLLMER/FLICKR KOH PHANGAN KOH PHANGAN IS MOST FAMO FOR S FULL MOON PARTI THAT ATTRACT GAY TRAVELLERS OM ALL AROUND THE WORLD. THE FULL MOON PARTI ATTRACT THOANDS OF PEOPLE AND ARE HELD EVERY MONTH ON HAAD R BEACH. KOH PHANGAN IS ALSO A STUNNGLY BETIFUL ISLAND TO EXPLORE OR JT RELAX ON A CRCENT WHE SAND BEACH. MOST BEACH ARE GAY-IENDLY WH BOTTLE BEACH, SALAD BEACH AND HAAD YAO BEACH BEG AMONGST THE MOST POPULAR. THERE ARE ALSO TWO GAY BARS ON THE ISLAND, FOR YOU AND ALVE, ALONG WH A HOST OF BEACH-SI BARS. FOR YOU, 145/1 MOO 1, KOH PHANGAN , SURAT THANI 84280, TAMBON KO PHA-NGAN, AMPHOE KO PHA-NGAN, ST 84280, THAILAND HAAD R, BAN TAI, KO PHA-NGAN DISTRICT, SURAT THANI, THAILAND FULL MOON PARTY, KOH PHANGAN | © MARíA GABRIELA LUCERO/FLICKR KOH SAMUI RORT SHARE ADD TO PLAN COPY LK FACEBOOK EMAIL TWTER PTERT © STEPHANIE KRS/FLICKR KOH SAMUI KOH SAMUI OFFERS S GAY TRAVELLERS A MORE CHILLED, RELAXED HOLIDAY ATMOSPHERE THAN S NEIGHBOUR KOH PHANGAN. KOH SAMUI IS RENOWNED FOR S LUXURY ACMODATN OPTNS AND BETIFUL BEACH. CHOOSE TO STAY AT THE ABSOLUTE SANCTUARY TO NOURISH MD, BODY AND SOUL. THIS STUNNG WELLNS RORT IS ALSO ONLY SIX KILOMETERS AWAY OM BO PUT, THE CENTER OF THE ISLANDS GAY SCENE.ABSOLUTE SANCTUARY, KOH SAMUI KOH SAMUI | © STEPHANIE KRS/FLICKR KOH KUT LOOKG FOR AN EXCLIVE HONEYMOON OR ANNIVERSARY GETAWAY? KO KUT’S VIBE IS EXOTIC, TROPIL AND ROMANTIC, ALL THE NECSARY GREDIENTS FOR AN UNFETTABLE HOLIDAY. KOH KUT | © THAILANDPL -ประเทศไทย พอ/FLICKR CHIANG MAI CHIANG MAI, WHICH IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE ‘JEWEL OF THE NORTH’, HAS A THRIVG AND DIVERSE GAY SCENE. CHECK OUT THE CI GO-GO BARS, BARET VENU, GAY-IENDLY NIGHTCLUBS, SNAS AND MASSAGE SHOPS. CHIANG MAI ALSO HAS A BUNCH OF EXCG SIGHTSEEG AND ACTIVY OPTNS WAG TO BE EXPLORED. CHIANG MAI BARET SHOW | © CONNIE/FLICKR VOLNIC ICELAND EPIC TRIP MEET OUR LOL INSIR HANNA HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE? 2 YEARS. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB? IT'S THE PERSONAL NTACT, THE PERSONAL EXPERIENC. I LOVE MEETG PEOPLE OM ALL OVER THE WORLD... I REALLY LIKE GETTG TO KNOW EVERYONE AND FEELG LIKE I'M TRAVELG WH A GROUP OF IENDS. WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST? I HAVE SO MANY PLAC ON MY LIST, BUT I WOULD REALLY LOBE TO GO TO AI. I NSIR MYSELF AN “ADVENTURE GIRL” AND AI FEELS LIKE THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE! EVERY CULTURE TRIP SMALL-GROUP ADVENTURE IS LED BY A LOL INSIR JT LIKE HANNA. SEE OUR CULTURE TRIPS KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

The Thai Government has approved a same-sex civil partnership bill to crease the legal rights of gay and lbian upl, and Bangkok’s top private hospal, Bumngrad, opened a clic specifilly for LGBTQ+ patients 2021. Homophobia still exists, of urse, as do every untry, but is rare Thailand, and beg ls mon as young Thai people are reared a natn that’s creasgly clive of gay and lbian people. The wispread warmth Thailand towards the gay and lbian muny was highlighted April 2021 after a Thai gay uple received ath threats om Indonian ter ers for postg photos of their weddg.

THE BTER TTH BEHD THAILAND'S GAY-IENDLY IMAGE

This explas why Thailand has bee a hugely popular tourist statn for gay and lbian travelers the last 20 years. As well as acceptance, the untry has a lively LGBTQ+ social scene wh every major Thai cy and beach rort home to many gay and lbian venu. Bangkok’s Silom district, which teems wh gay bars and nightclubs, is wily nsired the largt gay entertament area Asia.

Although the ma gay scene is ncentrated Bangkok, the equally betiful getaways Phet, Koh Samet, and Pattaya are also worth a vis for LGBTQ travelers.

If you’re travelg to Thailand as a gay uple, wh your gay iends, or by yourself, you n expect a fun, welg atmosphere and loads of great parti. While gay travelers will generally have no issu travelg here, LGBTQ rights Thailand for lols rema a work progrs.

GAYS THAILAND: IS A LGBT IENDLY UNTRY FOR TOURISM?

Silom Soi 2 is where you’ll fd gay clubs and parti, and Silom Soi 4 is where you’ll fd more relaxed bars and dg optns.

Silom Soi 2 is home to most of Bangkok’s gay clubs, and the whole street is almost like a club plex, so you need to pay to get to the street self. There aren’t any gay-specific bars and clubs, but there are numero gay-popular spots where you n meet LGBTQ travelers and lols.

GAY THAILAND TRAVEL GUI

Jt unr 2 hours om Bangkok by r, Pattaya is a popular beach rort statn wh a few excellent hotspots for gay travelers. Don’t miss out on Thailand’s biggt New Year’s gay ftival, Whe Party Bangkok, which is also one of the largt LGBTQ gathergs the world. Baan Souy Rort is one of the only official gay hotels Pattaya (of urse, straight people are also wele), and s staff n give you sir tips on the cy’s gay scene.

Pattaya Pattaya is not only famo for s nightlife, also has two of Thailand’s most popular gay beach, Dongtan Beach and Jomtien Beach.

THAILAND GAY TRAVEL

Pattaya’s gay scene is alive and lourful, check out BoyzTown district for gay bars, massage shops, rtrants and acmodatn optns.

Koh Phangan Koh Phangan is most famo for s Full Moon Parti that attract gay travellers om all around the world. Koh Samui Rort © Stephanie Krs/Flickr Koh Samui Koh Samui offers s gay travellers a more chilled, relaxed holiday atmosphere than s neighbour Koh Phangan.

Then there’s Bangkok, the hectic, glor, crowd pal cy, known worldwi as one of the most gay-iendly ci on the pla.

GAY THAILAND RORTS YOU HAVE TO STAY AT

It’s partly this reputatn of Bangkok’s that brgs gay travellers here drov – but what is the real suatn wh LGBT rights Thailand?

Although there have been attempts to legalize gay marriage the past, they have always stalled (most recently 2014).

There is a huge difference between the perceptn of the untry among gay tourists and the realy of the social suatn of LGBT rights Thailand. Although the Tourism Board has actively urted gay tourism, reports have shown that LGBT groups face regular discrimatn. Many gay men and women hi their sexual orientatn at work as is felt lims their opportuni more ‘nventnal’ reers.

BANGKOK GAY NIGHTLIFE

A 2015 poll, rried out the same year the anti-discrimatn laws were fally passed, found that nearly 89% of Thais would accept LGBT lleagu, 80% would not md if a fay member was LGBT and 60% were favour of legalizg gay marriage.

For gay travellers, they n go and have an amazg time whout worryg about the plex suatn for LGBT rights Thailand.

Asia’s gayt cy is a fast-paced phony of amazg food, iendly people and the wilst gay nightlife travellers are likely to experience. For those lookg for a slightly more low-key optn (this uld be only very slightly), Pattaya offers great nightlife and gay beach, tropil Phet is somewhere to lie by the sea durg the day and dance on the beach all night; and of urse, there are plenty more geo beach and islands to hop around on that are more off the beaten track. For those travellers who prefer the mountas to the beach, Thailand’s send-biggt cy Chiang Mai the North has a spirual atmosphere and stunng scenery, although the gay scene is somewhat subdued.

GAY BANGKOK

Generally speakg, Thailand there should be no problems wh fdg welg and fortable gay-iendly acmodatn the areas mentned above. In Bangkok, there are naturally plenty of gay hotels and hostels, mostly near where the gay nightlife scene is. As well-tablished gay playgrounds, there are gog to be plenty of rorts, hotels and hostels terg to LGBT travellers.

For LGBT travellers who want to tap to the gay scene Thailand more, then we would of urse remend several nights out Bangkok. Gay travellers should do some rearch before gog to ensure they are open to foreigners and relatively salubr; and travellers should be aware of the high prevalence of HIV Thailand and take rponsible preutns. We have put together a list of our favoure gay hook up apps to e while travelg, but you might also want to bsh up on your gay sna etiquette if you want some simple, steamy fun….

There are plenty of upmarket hotels on Sunrise Beach, as well as more budget-iendly optns and even a gay-owned guthoe.

GAY PHET

Gays and lbians have been allowed to serve openly the ary sce 2005 and many piec of anti-discrimatn legislatn have been troduced sce 2015.

Bangkok ed to have a pri event om 1999 until 2009, but was disntued bee of a mix of distert om lol Thai activists, lack of fundg and homophobia om the police and ernment.

GAY THAILAND: THE ULTIMATE TRAVEL GUI

Chakgai Jermkwan and his partner Sean L’Estrange -own the popular venue, which is loted on a narrow soi led wh gay bars. Thailand wel lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr (LGBT) visors: s tourism thory targets the LGBT market, and Bangkok is often the only Asian cy clud on lists of gay-iendly tourist statns around the world. Among Thais between 15 and 24 years old, 56 per cent thk homosexualy is wrong, acrdg to recent rearch by Khon Thai Foundatn, a non-prof anisatn.