January 23, 2025 was a momentous day for Thailand – a new law was passed allowing LGBTQ+ couples over the age of 18 to marry in the south-east Asian country, while also giving same-sex couples the same legal rights as heterosexual couples, including adoption, inheritance, and medical decision-making. It’s a game changer that transforms Thailand into an up-and-coming wedding destination for LGBTQ+ travellers.
For any wedding, Thailand is an ideal choice given the value for money it offers in comparison to European wedding destinations, such as Italy and Greece, but Thailand is particularly suited to same-sex ceremonies given its inherent culture of inclusivity.
This is not just a legislation that has been imposed upon a country. In fact, 12 years ago my wife and I were civil partnered in the UK and enjoyed our wedding ceremony at the Katathani Hotel in Phuket.
With my family in Britain and hers in New Zealand, Thailand made sense geographically for our guests, but even before same-sex marriage was legalised, Thai people were incredibly welcoming and accepting of us.
The on-site ‘Dream Makers’ at the Katathani have decades of experience in planning and delivering unforgettable wedding ceremonies tailored to the needs of the couple and their guests. As it was so warm when we were married, the resort provided our guests with traditional wooden scented fans to keep cool.
We enjoyed the ceremony in the resort’s gardens overlooking the beach, and afterwards, the resort organised a party with live music and a buffet serving traditional Thai cuisine. We got married at the same time as Loy Krathong, so the resort blessed us with some beautiful floating lanterns in the pool and a sand ceremony – it was truly a scene from a movie!
There is also massive value to be found in Thailand compared to other LGBTQ+ wedding hotspots, such as Bora Bora. At the Four Seasons Koh Samui wedding packages begin from 175,000 Thai baht (roughly £4,100), and allow a maximum of 50 guests, meanwhile a similar package at the Four Seasons Bora Bora costs 780,000 CFP francs (£5,400), and only allows up to eight guests.
Some of my more cost-conscious guests stayed at the Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket, and this is also a good value option offering Western, Thai, Chinese and Indian weddings as well as vow renewals from 76,000 baht (roughly £1,780). Newlyweds can score fine dining experiences and other couples’ activities such as massages for a fraction of the price, too.
Most importantly, understand what makes your clients tick. Not all couples will want the classic beachfront wedding that Phuket, Krabi or Koh Samui might offer. The InterContinental Chiang Mai offers the Sweetest LGBTQ+ Wedding package, and the mountainous city provides unparalleled access to three national parks as well as an incredible hiking and trekking trail, while Bangkok is home to a bustling LGBTQ+ community which would suit a younger, more metropolitan couple.
Assuming couples will want to be wed in dry conditions, November through April are the best months, but couples and their guests can secure better rates in rainy season, and given the tropical climate, all Thai wedding organisers have plans in place for the rain. Rain on your wedding day doesn’t need to put a dampener on things, and at the Katathani Phuket the ceremony can be moved to the Seacret Restaurant or the Palm Bar, or under a covered area facing the ocean.
That being said, make sure to find out how important weather is to your clients, but manage expectations and reassure them of local expertise in delivering unforgettable weddings come rain or shine.
At Flight Centre, we’ve yet to see the impact of this new law on bookings, but we’re confident that once word gets out about the beautiful ceremonies that can be arranged in Thailand for LGBTQ+ couples, we will see that spike in demand – it’s somewhere we feel very confident in recommending.
