Bangkok Pride 2004 Celebrates, 14 – 21 November

[RobinTh]

The 6th Bangkok Pride celebration of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transsexual communities (GLBT) is scheduled to kick off on 14 November with a whole series of events, parties, celebrations, sports, awards, and the famed parade. This year Bangkok Pride, with the theme of “Fresh”, takes place from 14 – 21 November. The annual event is held to promote diversity, awareness and tolerance in Thai society, and for each citizen to live in harmony regardless of their sexual preferences. This year’s theme reflects the numerous and colorful entities who exist in Thailand’s GLBT communities and have contributed to Thai society in many different ways.

The opening event, the annual Pride In The Park @Lumpini Park, will take place on Sunday November 14, and will be a whole day packed with activities including exhibitions, volleyball tournament, swimsuit contest, and lucky draws. Other activities during the week include badminton, bowling and tennis tournaments, picnics, site visits and a dinner cruise. The highly regarded Utopia Awards will be handed out on Friday, November 17, to honor prominent individuals and groups who have worked tirelessly for the GLBT communities. There will also be many parties hosted by the various entertainment venues who are proud sponsors of Bangkok Pride 2004. All Bangkok Pride 2004 details can be found at www.bangkokpride.org.

The weeklong celebration will be concluded with the renowned and colorful Pride parade, a unique extravaganza rarely seen in this part of the world and one which has attracted many visitors from all over the world to view and to participate in over the past few years.

Bangkok Pride Coalition, organizer of Bangkok Pride, is a not-for-profit, all volunteer membership organization that, produces entertainment and informational events to promote a positive image of the gay and lesbian community in Thailand, and raises money for needy Thai charities. The English language equivalent of the Bangkok Pride Thai language theme is “Freedom, Diversity, Unity”, and recognizes the great diversity in Thailand’s gay and lesbian communities. Information on Bangkok Pride Coalition and Bangkok Pride 2004 can be found at http://www.bangkokpride.org.

For further information please contact:

Thai language contact:

Somporn Amnuaysirikul,

Co-Chair

Bangkok Pride Coalition

Tel: 01-827-7669

[email protected]

English language contact:

Lee Harris,

Co-Chair

Bangkok Pride Coalition

Tel: 01-667-3012

[email protected]

or

Tom Van Blarcom / Surat Tantanawiwat

TQPR Thailand

Tel: 02 260-5820

Fax: 02 260-5847/8

Email: [email protected]

[Ijustwannateach]

Is this year's going to be a large, well-organized, properly sponsored, city-supported event worth seeing like the event two years ago, or is it going to be a poorly-organized, tiny, badly-thought-out mess with few participants like last year's?

"Steven"

[RobinTh]

Is this year's going to be a large, well-organized, properly sponsored, city-supported event worth seeing like the event two years ago, or is it going to be a poorly-organized, tiny, badly-thought-out mess with few participants like last year's?

"Steven"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Better or be the same is up to how many gay people in Thailand will help or ignore this gay community.

[Ijustwannateach]

Let me be more specific: 2 years ago the parade was held in the afternoon; the streets were closed; there were almost 2 streets full of floats and groups, including international visitors, and there was a huge appreciative crowd watching.

Last year, it started 2 hrs late, the roads were not officially closed, there were only a few floats and groups (and one of them was to promote some stupid horror movie) that were barely enough to fill up one street and even that group didn't seem to know where it was going- and these all had to fight with the various buses and taxis which were still running up and down the street. Lots of people came to watch and patiently waited, but we were very disappointed.

I don't know exactly what caused the difference between these two years, but if there's a way to make it like the one two years ago, I strongly advise it!

"Steven"

[Ijustwannateach]

Went to the events today in the park (booths, swimsuit contest, etc.) and though it was small it seemed pleasant and well-organized. Kudos! Hope the parade next week goes just as well!

"Steven"

[ajarntrade]

I went to the event in the park also. For a city of 10 MILLION people the gay pride events here are a sad...sad joke. I've given up. Bangkok will never be able to get it's act together to put on a world class event for the gay community. Thai people are so isolated that they have little or no interest or concept that anything else goes on outside of their country. For a city this large they should have a huge and well organized world class gay pride month. The Thai people in Bangkok have a samll village mentality and don't know enough to change it.

sorry for the negativity but that's my opinion.

ajarntrade

[ChrisP]

You would think that for all the money taken in by Gay Business in BKK during the year that it would be a better organized event.

Just go to Fridae.com and see what's happening in Singapore..

Nation '03 Nation '04

Snowball

Ok, they're really huge 3-day circuit parties, but they are very visible.. and attended by a lot of International travellers.

Anyone know if Pattaya or Phukey Gay Pride Festival are any better..?

ChrisP

[Ijustwannateach]

I still would like to know- why was the festival here TWO years ago so darn good, and the one LAST year so bad? Is there any way to repeat what happened TWO years ago?

"Steven"

[Ijustwannateach]

Well, here I am with one of the best seats to the parade- that is, inside an aircon internet cafe with a computer and something to do for the 2-3 hours it will inevitably take to HAVE the parade (which theoretically started at 4, right?). As I was walking up Rama IV a taxi with several feather-bedecked ladyboys inside drove by, and the "Balcony" truck float pulled onto Silom, balloons and all, headed for Soi 4. It looks like a repeat of last years- no attempt seems to be made to stop traffic, and we'll be lucky if we see anything happening by 6:30.

To be honest, it's hardly a "gay" parade anyway- more like a "moneyboy and tourist" parade. The real gay Thais of Thailand are working today, just as they do every Sunday, with no chance for a day off to celebrate their difference. And the richer gays (read: the Chinese Thai) are all too afraid their grandmothers will see them on TV and make them publicly lose face over what everyone in their families already knows anyway.

Sorry for the cynicism, and hope it will go well in spite of the hurdles.

"Steven"