Is Thailand the next big queer wedding destination?

By Paul Heney, TravelPulse (TNS)

Last month, Thailand celebrated the landmark passage of the Kingdom’s marriage equality bill. The bill was officially announced on September 24th and will take effect in January 2025. This legislation is a historic milestone for equal rights in the country and solidifies Thailand’s reputation as a progressive and inclusive destination.

According to Mario M. Lopez, president, Destination Weddings Expert, LLC, in Hollywood, Florida, Thailand has long been a go-to destination for couples looking to experience one of the most naturally beautiful destinations in the world.

“This is so exciting, and we’re thrilled for the people of Thailand, as well as couples looking for a destination wedding in the country, to finally be able to legalize their commitment to each other,” he said. “This definitely opens the path for us to create a truly unique and stunning experience for our amazing couples and their guests.”

Kirsten Palladino, co-founder and editorial director of Equally Wed, an online LGBTQ wedding magazine, and author of “Equally Wed: The Ultimate Guide to Planning Your LGBTQ+ Wedding,” said that she expects Thailand to see a surge in destination weddings with queer couples. However, she noted that for destination weddings, it’s not so much about the marriage license in the wedding destination. She said that most couples opt to get their marriage license at home and have a symbolic wedding abroad, because it is complicated for non-citizens to navigate the legal system.

“With Thailand’s legal recognition of same-sex marriages, it is making a profound statement to society that our marriages are to be treated with equal respect,” she said. “Now, just as we’ve seen in the United States, that acceptance and respect did not happen the instant we received federal marriage equality, but businesses who did believe in marriage equality — or at the very least weren’t actively fighting against it — began being more open about their inclusive values. I think we’ll see this in Thailand, too. It will be easier to identify the LGBTQ-inclusive wedding vendors and venues now that it’s been deemed legally acceptable to work with LGBTQ weddings.”

Thailand temples

Matt Mitchell, creative director and founder of Mitchell Event Planning in Atlanta, just completed a wedding, and that groom/groom couple is headed to Thailand for their honeymoon. He said that the King’s signature of the marriage equality bill will only add to the potential for Thailand to become a major player in the LGBTQ destination wedding scene. And he noted that when speaking with couples who are looking for their destination wedding locations, they are often looking for similar criteria:

Is it a safe and accepting location?

Are the vendors/businesses LGBTQ-owned or allies?

Can we offer our guests an experience?

“Thailand certainly checks all these boxes!” Mitchell said. “They have always been known as an accepting country, but now are placing themselves as the leader in this space, as they are the first country in Southeast Asia to recognize LGBTQ unions. While it is hard to say the exact breakdown of how business owners identify in Thailand, it will not be hard to find businesses that are either LGBTQ-owned or welcome, accept, and embrace LGBTQ couples. As far as experiences go, Thailand has it all — from the mountains of Chiang Mai to the bustling city of Bangkok to the scenes of paradise along the coasts and islands.”

Destination wedding trends

There are definitely some things that couples look for in destination weddings that Thailand as a destination dovetails with.

“In my experience, many destination wedding couples are looking for amazing weather, food, and views — think the Greek Islands, Mexico, Hawaii, Italy, etc. Thailand offers all of these things at an unbeatable price,” said Mitchell.

And Lopez noted that his company has had the pleasure of planning quite a few queer destination weddings, and Thailand will provide opportunities for more personalization to couples’ experiences.

“We’ve experienced classic and elegant and also bold and dynamic approaches to the wedding weekend with our couples. With Thailand opening its doors to the LGBTQ community, we’re so excited to see some of the more breathtaking designs that will come of this,” he said. “It’s an opportunity for something truly unique. Being that the destination is a further travel experience than some others for the typical U.S. traveler, we expect to see a number of elopements and small-group (5-10 rooms) travel to come from this.”

Lopez also noted that while his company has not received any new inquiries for Thailand, they do expect that as the word spreads, things will change.

“Once we get to start experiencing the amazing hospitality and dynamic culture that a Thai wedding is sure to deliver on, we will see an increase in interest to this picture-perfect destination!” he said.

Mitchell also thinks that Thailand will be landing on plenty of lists for LGBTQ couples soon, noting that the law will go into effect on January 22nd, and there are already plans to have a mass wedding for more than 1,000 LGBTQ couples, organized by the co-founder of the Bangkok Pride movement.

“I think an event like this will only add to the excitement of this historic moment and have others feeling FOMO,” Mitchell said. “As for true destination weddings, I see this as a gradual build-up versus an explosion of demand. On average, a flight to Thailand from the U.S. takes 21 hours and 50 minutes. I think the daunting travel is the only thing limiting Thailand at this point. I can’t wait to watch them build their brand as a top LGBTQ destination wedding location for years to come!”

The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) New York Office created Go Thai Be Free in 2013, a portal, social community, and team dedicated to the preferences and needs of LGBTQ travelers. It includes information on LGBTQ travel to Thailand, inclusive travel inspiration, first-hand stories from LGBTQ travelers, and LGBTQ-friendly hotels and experiences.