Thailand’s same-sex marriage laws, scheduled to come back into effect in January 2025, could attract an extra 4 million tourists to the country per yr, in accordance with a report commissioned by the travel company Agoda.
The report published Thursday estimates the country’s marriage equality law may increase tourism arrivals by 10%, netting the country an additional $2 billion in tourism revenue per yr, inside two years.
Arrivals are expected to come back, not only from same-sex couples and their wedding guests, but from the broader LGBTQ community and beyond.
“Thailand is ready to draw a growing variety of travellers and expatriate staff who seek not only a vacation spot but a spot where they’ll feel truly accepted,” in accordance with the report, titled “The Economic Impact of Marriage Equality on Thailand’s Tourism Industry.”
Thailand’s recent laws is projected so as to add 76,000 full-time jobs to its tourism industry, while raising the country’s gross domestic product by .3%, in accordance with the report from the general public policy consultancy Access Partnership.
The brand new law will make Thailand the third place in Asia to permit same-same marriage, following Taiwan in 2019 and, on a more limited basis, Nepal in 2023. The law can be set to grant same-sex couples rights related to child adoption, health care and inheritance.
Calculating the impact
To calculate the potential economic impact of Thailand’s recent laws, the report examined the effect that same-sex marriage rulings had in other countries.
“Other markets, akin to Recent Zealand and the US, saw notable increases in same-sex weddings following introduction of marriage equality laws,” Timothy Hughes, Agoda’s vp of corporate development, told CNBC Travel.
Recent Zealand legalized same-sex marriage in 2013. By 2016, nearly all of same-sex weddings within the country were for visitors, the report said.
Australians made up greater than half (58%) of same-sex weddings in Recent Zealand from 2013 to 2017, in accordance with the report citing Statistics Recent Zealand. This figure fell to 26% in 2017, after Australia passed its own same-sex marriage law, it said.
Inside 5 hours flying of Thailand are greater than 3.6 billion people in markets that should not have marriage equality.
Timothy Hughes
Vice President of Corporate Development at Agoda
Agoda’s report also analyzed other aspects that influence international tourists, including the attractiveness of a destination, the affordability of travel, the benefit of entrance, and the perceived level of acceptance of LGBTQIA+ issues.
Assessing tourism impact of same-sex laws in Thailand
1.      Attractiveness: appeal as a travel destination
2.      Accessibility: ease of entering via visa-free deals
3.      Affordability: cost to travel in relation to other countries
4.      Availability of substitutes: proximity of other viable destinations
Finally, the report also considered the provision of viable alternative destinations for same-sex couples within the region.
“Inside 5 hours flying of Thailand are greater than 3.6 billion people in markets that should not have marriage equality,” said Hughes.
He highlighted the economic opportunity from Indian travelers, predicting Thailand will turn into a top destination “for Indian LGBTQIA+ couples and people able to have fun with them.”
A ‘unique strategic opportunity’
The planning, for some, has already begun.
Ann Chumaporn, a Thai rights activist and co-founder of Bangkok Pride, said her organization is arranging a mass wedding event for same-sex couples on Jan. 23, 2025 — the primary day that marriage registrations will be filed, she said.
“We have now over 300 couples registered, and our goal is to succeed in 1,000 couples nationwide,” she told CNBC Travel. “We have already got international couples registered.”
The Thai government also has its sights set on hosting WorldPride, a world pride event that netted Recent South Wales $185.6 million Australian dollars ($120 million) when Sydney hosted in 2023, in accordance with Agoda’s report.
Evidence from other markets shows couples do travel to get married abroad, even when the wedding is not legally recognized of their home countries, said Agoda’s Timothy Hughes.
Ezra Acayan | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Rainbow tourism, because it is thought, is valued at $200 billion worldwide, in accordance with the report.
In an era of fierce competition for tourists — especially whose who splurge on weddings and related celebrations — Thailand has a “unique strategic opportunity,” said Marcus Ng, a director at Access Partnership.
“While we cannot predict what other markets might do, what this report demonstrates is that there’s a clear economic profit to inclusivity for each the tourism sector and the broader economy.”
