Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin joined thousands on June 1 in celebrating the Bangkok Pride Festival 2024, presiding over the opening ceremony of this major event under the theme “Celebration of Love: Celebrating Marriage Equality.” The festival, a vivid display of commitment to LGBTQIAN+ rights, took place on Rama 1 road in Pathumwan district, turning the area into a dynamic, rainbow-colored celebration of diversity and inclusion.
Organized jointly by the government, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, and various civil society and private sector partners, the event drew an impressive crowd of over 170,000 participants. Among those in attendance were notable figures such as Sermsak Pongpanich, Minister of Tourism and Sports; Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Chairperson of the National Soft Power Strategy Committee; and Chadchart Sittipunt, Governor of Bangkok.
During the event, Srettha participated in the parade aboard the “Marriage Equality (Love Wins)” float, engaging with the community and showing his support for the advancement of the Marriage Equality Bill and broader LGBTQIAN+ rights. The parade comprised five main themed floats, including “Identity (Love for Identity),” “Human Dignity (Love for Dignity),” “Peace (Love for Peace & Earth),” and “Freedom (Love for Freedom),” culminating at the CentralWorld celebration stage.
In a show of support for equality and the legal recognition of LGBTQIAN+ rights, the premier also distributed Pride Month flags to representatives from 19 provincial networks, officially signaling the start of nationwide Pride Month celebrations. (NNT)
