Andee and Hugo are regular visitors to Thailand, and it’s easy to why, when they spend time in hotels like these.
We asked Andee to share his favorite hotels in Thailand. But we made it tricky and ask for just one hotel in each destination – Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Samui, and Pattaya.
How many times have you been to Thailand?
It is really hard to keep up because we frequent Thailand so much. Pre-pandemic, we travelled to Thailand almost 3 to 4 times in a year. And we just realised that since the borders have opened, we will have travelled to Thailand 3 times this year within a span of 6 months. This is how much we love Thailand – it is almost our second home.
Why do you keep going back?
We love the people, the food, and just how welcoming and inclusive we feel every time we are in Thailand. There’s a wide variety to what Thailand has to offer. It could be the tranquil beaches, exotic cuisine, amazing parties, magnificent temples and scenery, colourful history, or cultural and archaeological sites.
There is so much to appreciate and savour here that is unique and different – as long as you are willing to explore.
Another main reason is the friends we’ve made through our Thailand trips. We’ve built some really close friendships we cherish so it is always nice to catchup with our friends while we are there.
Fun fact: We’ve also recently picked up Thai language. I can now successfully order food and coffee in Thai and it feels really close to heart.
Why do you think Thailand is so popular for gay travelers?
Thailand is not only deem as an inclusive nation for LGBTQ+ folks, they literally walk the walk here. While there are many roads to pave when it comes to transgender rights in Thailand, the community as a whole is widely accepted and in some ways celebrated. The popular opinion of trans people is extremely favourable and trans individuals are well represented in pop culture and Thai television.
As a gay man, we can live our best true selves unapologetically when we are in Bangkok (or other parts of Thailand). I have been to quite a few countries in Asia, and in no other have I seen homosexuals live their sexual orientation so openly. It is almost like you don’t have to prove yourself being gay. It is truly liberating!