Thai Tourism Authority Targets High-Spending LGBTQ+ Travelers

[Gaybutton]

Under Trump, the USA is trying to take away gay rights, freedoms, and recognition. Thailand is doing precisely the opposite and I applaud Thailand for it and consider myself extremely lucky to be living here.
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Thai Tourism Authority Targets High-Spending LGBTQ+ Travelers with Exclusive Experiences

By Kittisak Phalaharn

12 February, 2025

Thailand, February 11th, 2025 – Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, Deputy Governor for Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), announced the launch of Amazing Thailand Out There as part of the Amazing Romance Month campaign.

The initiative, celebrating the Amazing Thailand Grand Tourism and Sports Year 2025, aims to attract couples and LGBTQ+ travelers throughout February.

Since 2012, TAT has actively promoted Thailand as an LGBTQ+ Friendly Destination through campaigns like Go Thai Be Free. This effort has gained momentum following the country’s recent legalization of same-sex marriage in January.

LGBTQ+ travelers, recognized for their high spending power—30-40% more per trip than average tourists—continue to view Thailand as a top destination. On average, international tourists spend around 50,000 baht per trip, while LGBTQ+ visitors typically spend about 70,000 baht.

To further strengthen this market, TAT is hosting the Out & Proud Media Fam Trip 2025 from February 9th to 16th, inviting travel industry representatives to explore three key routes: Bangkok-Pattaya, Koh Samui-Koh Tao, and Chiang Mai.

The Amazing Thailand Out There initiative is a major step in positioning Thailand as a Top LGBTQ+ Friendly Destination, reinforcing its global leadership in inclusive tourism and enhancing the Amazing Thailand brand for sustainable growth.

https://thepattayanews.com/2025/02/12/t ... periences/

[Dodger]

Maybe if TAT was more proactive in regards to protecting the LGBTQ community they could actually attract more LGBTQ tourists. Just a thought.

By "protecting" the community I mean; 1) bolster efforts to legalize prostitution, 2) pressure the authorities to stop the BIB raids at the gay venues where staff and customers alike are constantly hassled, and 3) stop the corruption - by preventing the BIB from strong-arming gay venues for tea money.

If these types of improvements were made I could see an increase in gay tourists as time moves forward, but to suggest that the legalization of gay marriage in-and-by-itself is some sort of major attraction that will lure hordes of gay tourists is just laughable IMHO.

[Jun]

By "protecting" the community I mean; 1) bolster efforts to legalize prostitution, 2) pressure the authorities to stop the BIB raids at the gay venues where staff and customers alike are constantly hassled, and 3) stop the corruption - by preventing the BIB from strong-arming gay venues for tea money.

I've never been directly hassled by the police. However, I've had the inconvenience of them closing bars and no doubt the tea money is added to my bill.
I've seen them close all of Jomtien Complex during the daft Covid restrictions, whilst a noisy and crowded straight bar was open within earshot of the police station.

Despite corruption being the number 1 problem with the Thai economy, fixing it doesn't seem to be on the agenda.

I wonder what percentage of high spending gay tourists will even hear about the TAT campaign?

I wonder if they ever ask tourists what attracts them to a location?

What I like about Pattaya:
Boys
Gay bars
Affordable accommodation
Good quality coffee
Warm and dry during winter season

What I dislike:
Transport
Infrastructure
Pollution
Food
Overcrowding

The boys and gay bars are the only reason I come to Pattaya. It's way ahead in that area.
Plenty of places compete well on other criteria.
For example: Nha Trang, Hua Hin, various other Thai towns.

[Dodger]

What I like about Pattaya:

Boys
Gay bars
Affordable accommodation
Good quality coffee
Warm and dry during winter season

What I dislike:
Transport
Infrastructure
Pollution
Food
Overcrowding.

Your "likes" and "dislikes" are identical to mine. That's why I selected Bang Saray over Pattaya for my retirement residence.

I selected Bang Saray based on me living alone not knowing what the future would hold. If I became single again I would have lodged in PTY on the weekends for boy fun and slipped back to Bang Saray during the week to enjoy the rest of my "likes" in a healthier environment - while avoiding an overdose of my "dislikes".

The Best of Both Worlds!

[Gaybutton]

Dislike the food? What's the problem about the food?

[Dodger]

Dislike the food? What's the problem about the food?

Most of the farang I know are more than content with the restaurants in Pattaya, but honestly the ones I thought were the best are all shuttered now, e.g:

Volterra Italian Restaurant (the best): Soi Yensabai
White Knight (best desserts in town): Sunee
Simon's Fish & Chips: Jomtien Complex
Bruno's: Jomtien
Two Faces: Jomtien Complex (known for their belly-buster western breakfasts)
Shenanigan's (best ribs in town): Jomtien Complex
Zum Zimple (German): Near Walking St.
Dolce' Vita: Jomtien Complex (when Eric was running the kitchen)
And others.

I find the restaurants now to be mediocre at best, except for the Indian restaurants which are usually great.

[Jun]

Dislike the food? What's the problem about the food?

The selection and location of vegetarian restaurants is poor. Particularly with few Thai vegetarian restaurants compared with other cities.
The western restaurants seem to have menus written in about 1970 and usually don't cater for diversity.

The places I've been to which beat Pattaya for food include Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani and Hua Hin.
In Nha Trang, Vietnam, there were more decent options within a 10 minute walk of my hotel than all of Pattaya.

Bear in mind, I'd like to eat out for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For a holiday lasting over 3 months.

So something like the excellent Thai veggie food in the Bangkok MBK centre for 70 baht is perfect.
This beats some pretentious farang restaurant that wants to charge me 500 baht for an inferior salad, where if I'm really lucky, they might remember to delete the fish.
I don't mind paying more for a nicer meal. However, the 70 baht veggie in Bangkok tastes way better than anything from certain farang restaurants in Jomtien.

Then, the best Thai veggie restaurant in Pattaya is near to the northern bus station and awkward to get to without your own transport. I usually walk, but there's not much shade around lunch time.

I like a couple of the Indian restaurants, such as Tarka near Boyztown and also the one by Rompho Market

I come to Pattaya for the boys, not the food.
Admittedly, the coffee is also very good.

[Gaybutton]

I disagree with both of you about the food, although I know many of the best restaurants can be difficult to get to without your own transportation. Several excellent restaurants are on "The Dark Side" and I usually stick with them or do my own cooking at home. I'm a bit surprised at Dodger's opinion because some truly excellent seafood restaurants are right there in Bang Saray where he lives.

But let's not turn this topic into a debate about food. If anyone wants to continue about that, please start a new topic, preferably on the "Restaurant Reviews and Recipe Exchange" forum, and stick to the subject on this topic.

[Jun]

I disagree with both of you about the food

I'll suspect that if you lived as a tourist, with no car, no kitchen and required vegetarian food for a month, you might understand where I'm coming from. Pattaya is below average for veggie food.

Now back to the topic.

As for high spending LGBTQ+ travellers, do we have any of those here ?
If so would they like to add some on topic input?

A few residents and moderate spending travellers are going to be estimating what the high spenders want.
Or discussing what we want......

[Dodger]

TAT's been shooting at a moving target forever and will probably continue doing so for eternity.

It was the Director of TAT who first spawned the idea of transforming "The Extreme City" into a "Family Vacation Destination" which of course failed miserably. You can still see some of the remnants of this failed campaign along Jomtien Beach where they installed several playgrounds for young children to play - which are now occupied by stray dogs and the occasional band of wayward ladyboys playing on the swings in their mini-skirts while simultaneously applying eye shadow. Just too funny!

This calamity of a marketing campaign was followed almost immediately by a myriad of other hair-brained campaigns focused on attracting the "Rich & Famous"...and now the LGBTQ tourists using the legalization of marriage as the lure. When will they learn?

I've always believed that if you want to open a successful restaurant... focus on the "Food" not the money. Because if you focus solely on the money you'll be out of business in a year. And this is where I believe TAT is failing the most. Instead of focusing on ways to create something that doesn't exist - they should be focusing on the core competency of Thailand (which is its exotic offerings) and let the market come to them. Instead they try to sprinkle magic dust in people's eyes with all these bullshit scams.

Wealthy LGBTQ tourists want the same things that every other LGBTQ tourist wants when they come to Thailand: Exotic nightlife...HOT Boys...HOT Boy Shows...HOT Boy Gogo's...and More HOT Boys. If they want crystal-clear turquoise water and 5 star accommodations they can go to Bali.