Thailand’s Marriage Equality Act Set to Boost Tourism by 4 Million Annually.

Bangkok: Research indicates that Thailand is poised to see a significant boost in its tourism sector, with an anticipated increase of 4 million tourists annually due to the enforcement of the Marriage Equality Act. This legislative change is expected to be implemented in January and is projected to generate over 60 billion baht in revenue while creating over 76,000 jobs specifically within the tourism industry. According to Thai News Agency, Ms. Sasikarn Wattanachan, deputy government spokeswoman, highlighted findings from Agoda, a digital tourism platform, assessing the economic impact of the same-sex marriage law set to take effect on January 22, 2025. This move will position Thailand as the first nation in ASEAN to legalize same-sex marriage and the third in Asia, following Taiwan and Nepal. The research suggests that the law will attract an additional 4 million foreign tourists each year, which equates to a 10% increase, and is expected to generate tourism revenue nearing 2 billion US dollars, or 69 bill ion baht, within two years of the law's enactment. This surge will benefit various sectors such as accommodation, food and beverage services, shopping, and domestic travel. Moreover, the enforcement of the Marriage Equality Act is expected to support the creation of 152,000 new permanent jobs. Of these, 76,000 will be directly related to the tourism sector, while the remaining 76,000 will benefit other areas of the Thai economy. The overall impact on Thailand's gross domestic product (GDP) is projected to be an increase of 0.3%. The Thai government is also pushing for the country to host 'WORLD PRIDE 2030,' a global event celebrating gender diversity. The 2023 event held in Sydney, Australia, generated approximately 185.6 million Australian dollars, or around 4 billion baht. Ms. Sasikarn stated that the government is committed to supporting gender equality and diversity as part of its tourism strategy, with the official enforcement of the same-sex marriage law expected to significantly boost economic income .