Pullman Bangkok King Power - Luxury hotel - Celebrate Pride Month Bangkok 2025

The Best Place to Celebrate Pride Month in Bangkok

For the LGBTQ+ community —lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and many more—“Pride” symbolizes rights, equality, self-affirmation, dignity, and increased visibility. Every June, the LGBTQ community celebrates love, diversity, equality, and acceptance of their culture and identity with parades, parties, and festivals. Bangkok is one of the places that both we Bangkokians and visitors of all sexes and genders celebrate “Pride Month in Bangkok”.

What is Pride Month?

In opposition to shame and social stigma, a common view of homosexual people under the oppression before the 1970s, “Pride” is a symbol of liberty over their sexual orientation and gender identity that could affirm both “self” and “identity” Here, the Pride Month is then a month-long observance commonly held in June of every year to celebrate LGBTQ “pride”, their culture, and their community.

The history of Pride Month could trace back to June 28, 1969, in New York City when the NYPD raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village. While the raid on homosexual bars was a legal norm at that time, that day became a historical turning point as the police were being overwhelmed by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons and turned to a riot against the general repression of LGBTQ rights for several days. It then starts the chain of gay liberation demonstrations in the U.S. and the proposal for an annual march for “Gay Liberation”.

A year later, the Christopher Street Liberation Day was organized in New York City to mark the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots, with an estimated attendance of about “fifteen city blocks” and also a simultaneous event in Chicago and Los Angeles. In 1971, an event spread to Boston, Dallas, Milwaukee, London, Paris, West Berlin, and Stockholm. Events then spread later to major cities, and June became recognized as Pride Month in the United States with official recognition in 1999. Meanwhile, the day of the Stonewall Riot, June 28, also became the International LGBT Pride Day.

In addition to Pride Month, there is another major event called “WorldPride”, a series of international LGBT pride events every two years hosted in conjunction with local LGBT pride festivals by InterPride – the International Organization of Pride Organizers. Its core events include opening and closing ceremonies, a pride parade, and an LGBT human rights conference. The host cities are selected through bids voted on during InterPride’s annual general meetings, and Bangkok is one of the bidders for the 2030 WorldPride events.

The History of Pride Month in Bangkok

While the LGBTQ scene of Bangkok has been “visible“ since the mid-1980s, its first pride event had to wait until 1999 when the “Bangkok Gay Festival” was held over Halloween weekend. The event was then both Thailand’s first gay parade and one of the first in Asia. The event was described as “energetic and chaotic when marchers, dancers and floats weave their way through moving buses, cars and motorbikes”. Thus, the event continued for a few years before it eventually stopped in 2006.

The Pride event returned to Bangkok in 2022 following the introduction of the “Bangkok Pride” event, held by Naruemit Pride (later renamed to Bangkok Pride) on the first Saturday of June. Inspired by the Student Democracy Movement between 2020-2021, the event has been organized to drive for gender equality and legalized same-sex marriage in Thailand, in addition to being an annual party of the LGBTQ community.

The result of the event was a success, following the openness to the LGBTQ community was significantly increased compared to a decade earlier, and also its recognition by officials, including the current Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, who has officially recognized both Pride Parade and Pride Month since its inception. The parallel events also occurred in Pattaya and Chiang Mai, but on a smaller scale.

The success of the Bangkok Pride event has become not only a permanent annual occasion that has become the largest LGBTQ Pride Event in South East Asia, but the event itself has become a demonstration of the support of gender rights in Thailand. Leaders of both the government and the opposition party – Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Pita Limjaroenrat attended the post-election events of 2023, then-Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin participated in 2024 events, and the 2025 event will be a celebration of legal same-sex marriage after the approval by the parliament in January.

Things to do in Bangkok Pride Month

For the 2025 version of Happy Pride Month in Bangkok, a flow of events and activities to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community spread throughout the last week of May to the last week of June. Here are some recommendations for the major events under Bangkok Pride Month 2025.

May 30 – June 1: Bangkok Pride Forum

The first events by Bangkok Pride, the key organizer of Bangkok Pride Month, begin with the Bangkok Pride Forum 2025. Held for the second year in a row with six major themes – Economic and Business, Well-being and Medical, Technology, Environmental, Human Rights, and Education, the addition for 2025 is the special forum by THACCA on the “Pink Economy” and Inclusive Business.

May 30 – June 1: Drag Bangkok Festival

Also, for the second year in a row, the Drag Bangkok Festival is going to be held at Parc Paragon @ Siam Paragon. The key event is Thailand’s Drag Star 2025, the first and only drag star competition in Thailand and South East Asia. In addition, Drag Bangkok will provide their parade on June 1 under the theme of “Thaituristic Drag Scene”.

May 31: Bangkok Pride Awards

The newest addition for Bangkok Pride Month 2025 is the Bangkok Pride Awards, also organized by Bangkok Pride. The inauguration features 26 awards across 11 categories, voted for by the public and experts to honor and praise individuals and organizations that support the rights and equality of the LGBTQ+ community.

June 1: Bangkok Pride Parade 2025: Born This Way

Then comes the largest event for the Bangkok Pride Month, the Bangkok Pride Parade. The 2025 inauguration will be under the theme “Born This Way” to highlight the ongoing fight for identity recognition following the recent legalization of same-sex marriage. The rainbow flag will be raised starting from noon at the National Stadium, then the march will go along Rama I Road to the Ratchaprasong Intersection, where the main event will be held until 10 pm.

In addition, several events and parties to celebrate Prime Month are waiting for your visit, citywide starting from May 24, for which you can find more information online at sites such as BK and TimeOut Bangkok.

The Best Place to Stay during Pride Month in Bangkok

As Pride Month Bangkok 2025 approaches, Pullman Bangkok King Power invites everyone to join in honoring the LGBTQ+ community’s diversity and spirit. If you’re looking for the best gay hotel to stay in Bangkok to celebrate Pride Month this June, Pullman Bangkok King Power is your top destination, as we have reintroduced the hotel into the vibrant hub of Pride, showcasing our dedication to inclusivity and the LGBTQ+ community with festive decorations and welcoming events for all. For the highlight event, don’t miss our standout Pride Night, an evening of entertainment, music, and unity, celebrating diversity and equality of LGBTQ+. At Pullman Bangkok King Power, we are steadfast in our commitment to fostering a welcoming environment for all our guests, staff, and community members.

Happy Pride Month from all of us at Pullman Bangkok King Power!