Bangkok gears up for Asia’s longest Pride parade on June 30
More than 100 private companies, including retail giants, will join state agencies to bring Pride Month to a stylish end
The rainbow-hued Pride Month will wrap up in style in Bangkok, as more than 100 private companies join government agencies to organise Asia’s “longest” Pride parade on June 30.
Supaluck Umpujh, the Mall Group’s chairperson and deputy chair of the private network organising Pride events, made this announcement at a press conference on Wednesday.
She said the event will be held in cooperation with some 100 companies and the Tourism and Sports, Interior, Commerce, Social Development and Human Security, as well as Culture ministries. Also lending a hand will be the National Soft-Power Development Committee, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the Sports Authority of Thailand.
Supaluck said the parade will be 6 kilometres long and should be joined by at least a million people, especially members of the LGBTQI+ community, tourists and Bangkokians.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin will preside over the ceremony launching the parade from the Suphachalasai National Stadium at 4pm and people will march along Rama I Road, passing Pathumwan intersection, Siam, Ratchaprasong, Ploenchit, Asoke and Sukhumvit areas to Benchasiri Queen Park.
The end of the march will be marked with a concert inside the park at about 6.30pm, Supaluck added.
This parade, she said, is expected to leverage Bangkok’s image as Asia’s entertainment hub and the capital of activities. The parade will also make Bangkok more LGBTQI+ friendly and attract more tourists from this group, she said.
Supaluck added that the organiser also hopes to use the parade to back Bangkok’s bid to host World Pride 2030, which should bring a lot more foreign tourists to Thailand.
Partners of the June 30 event include retail giants like Central Group and Siam Piwat Group, as well as financial institutes like Bangkok Bank and Siam Commercial Bank. Also joining are Thai Beverage, Boon Rawd Brewery, Dusit Thani, Japan Airlines, Viet Jet, Jaspal and Major Cineplex.
