Thailand set to receive $2 billion boost in LGBTQ+ tourism

The legalisation of same-sex marriage in Thailand is projected to generate $2 billion (£1.58 billion) for the country through a rise in LGBTQ+ tourism, according to travel experts.

Thailand will make history as the first nation in Southeast Asia to recognise same-sex marriages when they become legal on January 22, 2025.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn enacted the bill legalising same-sex marriage on September 24, after its approval by Thailand’s senate in June.

According to ‘MSN’, this landmark decision is expected to bring in approximately $2 billion in revenue from “rainbow tourism,” as reported by travel platform Agoda. The law is also anticipated to create 152,000 full-time jobs and increase the country’s gross domestic product by 0.3 percent.

The new legislation revises Thailand’s Civil and Commercial Code to define marriage as a union between two individuals, rather than solely a man and a woman. It will enable LGBTQ+ couples in Thailand to adopt children, access marital tax benefits, enjoy property rights, and make medical decisions for their partners in cases of incapacitation.

So far this year, approximately 30 million tourists are believed to have visited Thailand, putting the government on track to reach its goal of 36.7 million.

Timothy Hughes, the vice-president of corporate development at Agoda, noted that “while already a popular destination for LGBTQIA+ travellers, this move is expected to further solidify Thailand’s reputation as an inclusive holiday option.”

Thailand becomes the third Asian country to legalise same-sex marriage, following Taiwan, which was the first in 2019, and Nepal last year.

In November, Iceland was recognised as the safest destination in the world for travel in 2025.