Central Pattana, the real estate developer and operator of Central malls, is joining hands with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) in Thailand, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), Galderma Thailand, Muse by Metinee, Bangkok Pride and Tiffany's Show Pattaya Co to promote the Thailand Pride Celebration 2023.
The event is an effort to spur the economy and Thai tourism in the second quarter, being held under the concept of "Pride For All" from June 1-30 at Central malls nationwide.
"Central Pattana is ready to spearhead the effort with partners from all sectors for Thailand's Pride Month celebrations. We want Thailand to be the first nation in Asia to host World Pride 2028, help stimulate the country's economy in the second quarter, and attract tourists from all over the world," said Nattakit Tangpoonsinthana, executive vice-president of marketing at CPN.
Mr Nattakit said the festival aims to create a global impact, highlighting Thailand as one of the landmarks for Pride celebrations and attracting visitors from around the world, comparable to NYC Pride in New York, EuroPride 2019 & Pride Week in Vienna, Tokyo Rainbow Pride in Japan, and Taiwan LGBT Pride.
"With the Pride festival, Central Pattana aims to elevate Thailand to become one of the world's best Pride destinations for the celebration of equality for LGBTQIAN+ [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual and Non-binary] people from around the world, creating a global impact to highlight that we are an organisation of diversity that provides a creative space for everyone in our society under the vision of 'Imagining Better Futures for All', striving to create a sustainable future for all," he said.
Mr Nattakit said the festival aims to seize on the trend of a "rainbow economy" and is in response to the BMA's "Good Economy" policy to establish a creative economy and stimulate the country's economy.
He said that in a "genderless era", the LGBTQIAN+ group has shown a higher proportion of spending on goods and travel than other groups.
"Many people in this group are executives with high income and good taste, as they generate huge amounts of money in industries such as tourism, movies, music, entertainment and the medical industry," said Mr Nattakit.
According to recent estimates, there are 486 million LGBTQIAN+ people around the world, with 288 million in Asia and 4 million Thais. Their average income is 50,000-85,000 baht per person.
"Thailand's Pride Celebration 2023 aims to create a nationwide Pride sensation throughout June," Mr Nattakit said.
Among the highlights are the Pride Fashion Parade in CentralWorld on June 1, featuring Muse by Metinee, Metinee Kingpayom, and more than 500 artists and students. In addition, Thailand's Pride Celebration 2023 also features a pride talk with UNDP, a pride competition, pride exhibition, pride market and pride concerts from popular artists during the month.
