Thailand’s LGBTQ+ community draws tourists from China looking to be themselves

By YUCHENG TANG
Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — Xinyu Wen traveled to Thailand in June, planning a two-week vacation around Bangkok’s Pride parade. But the 28-year-old ended up staying a month and a half, soaking up the Thai capital’s thriving LBGTQ+ community. Like Wen, LGBTQ+ people from China who are frequently scorned and ostracized at home are coming to Thailand in droves. They’re drawn by the freedom to be themselves. Bangkok is only a 5-hour flight from Beijing, and Thailand’s tourism authorities actively promote its status as among the most open to LGBTQ+ people in the region.