Bangkok will be hosting the three-day Bangkok Pride Festival 2025, which is expected to include Asia’s largest Pride parade and to be among the top ten most attended Pride events in the world.
The festival will run from May 30 until June 1 and will turn Rama I Road into “a rainbow boulevard of equality and celebration,” according to a press release.
The theme of the festival is “Born This Way”, which symbolises how the Thai LGBTQ community embraces and celebrates their identities, leading to their advocacy for the passing of the draft Gender Recognition Bill, following the success of the Marriage Equality Act last January.
Meanwhile, Waaddao Chumaporn, the event organiser, says that Bangkok Pride 2025 aims to position the city as a global Pride destination and will mark the official launch of a bid to host World Pride 2030.
Mentioning the draft Gender Recognition Bill, which was rejected by parliament in February last year, Waaddao told Thai PBS World that passing the bill is a crucial step towards the goal of Thailand hosting World Pride 2030.
Waaddao Chumaporn, Bangkok Pride organiser during the interview with Thai PBS World at Bangkok Pride press conference
The draft bill, which includes protections for gender-diverse individuals, would allow LGBTQ+ individuals to choose honorifics that align with their gender identity.
PM’s Office minister Jiraporn Sindhuprai, meanwhile, reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to advancing the gender recognition bill, alongside broader LGBTQ+ rights.
These include improving labour rights for sex workers and integrating inclusive and diverse content into student textbooks.
“Under this administration, Thailand is moving forwards in terms of rights, freedoms, equality and cooperation, with respect for human dignity, which is a fundamental foundation of a democratic system,” Jiraporn said.
The event is expected to draw over 300,000 attendees, following a record of more than 250,000 participants in Bangkok Pride Festival 2024 parade.
Now in its fourth year, the Bangkok Pride Festival will feature Pride fora, Pride awards and a 3km Pride parade, including seven major colour-themed processions, each highlighting different facets of LGBTQIAN+ identity and experience, including “Born Again - Led by Bangkok Pride: A celebration of identity reborn and Born to Be Loved – Red: Love without shame, in honour of marriage equality.”
