I have many favorite places in Thailand to spend weekends and holidays like Songkran. None of which have any "gay resorts" or guesthouses etc.

here's a short list.

1) Kanchanaburi

2) Krabi (Ao Nang or Raileh)

3) Koh Samet (though arguably you could call TubTim "gay")

4) Koh Phangngan

5) Kao Yai

6) Koh Chang

All places I have been in the last year at least once and have returned to or will within the year ...

When we travel we don't try and "stay gay" all the time but frankly in any of these places I would not mind having a gay guesthouse or restaurant or resort because we are often there long enough to look for the random conversation with other couples/singles

I have many favorite places in Thailand to spend weekends and holidays like Songkran. None of which have any "gay resorts" or guesthouses etc.

check this site , maybe you can find it

http://www.utopia-asia.com/tipsthai.htm

thought I would revive this .....

Of the MYRIAD possibilities in Thailand for a gay resort (where no other gay businesses exist) where would people like to see one?

When discussing resorts targeted at a specific demographic it's important to know that target market. There's an interesting study released today in Canada that is quite startling in its description of "gay" purchasing power and how the Canadian tourism industry is capturing gay tourists. Lot's of lessons for the tourism authority in Thailand;

- Study released by Canadian Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and underwritten by

by tourism boards in Toronto, Whistler, Halifax and Niagara and by companies, including Via Rail and Starwood Hotels & Resorts (A smart hotelier it seems)

-gay travellers tend to spend more

- Approx. 1.8 million gay and lesbian travellers in 2006 in Canada spent on average C$1,166 per trip vs C$627 for str8s

- Est. size of the gay travel market in Canada C$5.4-billion

- Canadian gay travellers spend C$2.4-billion in the U.S. and $1.7-billion elsewhere.(Wonder how much of that Thailand gets)

- Tourism off by 18% in Canada due to loss of US tourists ( sound familiar???)

- Goal of study was to see how Canada can tap gay travel market to compensate for above.

- Tourism is important to Canadian economy, est 500,000 workers directly employed in the C$66.9-billion tourism industry. (Imagine what it is for Thailand)

- Canadian gay community, has an estimated buying power of more than C$75-billion , according to Marketing Magazine. (That's a chunk of change and everyone knows that Canadians make good visitors.)

- Gays 2X as likely to go on vacation or leisure trips than the general public.

- 4/5 of gay respondents believe Canada "goes out of its way" for gay travellers and Canada ranked highly along with Netherlands, Australia, Great Britain and France in the study. (Again, a lesson for the local tourist trade. Thailand isn't mentioned. Is it possible someone has missed a very profitable market segment?)

"Gay travellers travel more frequently, spend more per trip and are more likely to travel in the off-season than the mainstream market," said Bruce McDonald of the Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.(Can you say, gold? lifeblood? salvation to the lowseason doldrums?)

I didn't know that one of the largest gay pride events in the world is in stodgy conservative Toronto???? Toronto's annual Pride Parade attracts almost 1 million people and brings an estimated $80-million into the local economy.

Now just think if someone did his/her marketing research in Thailand and targeted the right demographic group.

How about down in the "restive" south. Yala for example.

Somewhere in Central Thailand.

How about down in the "restive" south. Yala for example.

If I can book you for the room for a month each year I'll consider it!!

Bruce, we have looked a lot at Kanchanaburi.

I have many favorite places in Thailand to spend weekends and holidays like Songkran. None of which have any "gay resorts" or guesthouses etc.

here's a short list.

1) Kanchanaburi

2) Krabi (Ao Nang or Raileh)

3) Koh Samet (though arguably you could call TubTim "gay")

4) Koh Phangngan

5) Kao Yai

6) Koh Chang

All places I have been in the last year at least once and have returned to or will within the year ...

When we travel we don't try and "stay gay" all the time but frankly in any of these places I would not mind having a gay guesthouse or restaurant or resort because we are often there long enough to look for the random conversation with other couples/singles

HAT YAI