News and Events
Phuket Pride week
PRESS RELEASE
Phuket Pride week
Monday 22nd April to Sunday 28th April 2013
The Biggest Pride Festival in Asia
25 events over 7 days
This week the Phuket Loves You club 
have launched their full details listing of Phuket Pride week 2013.
The 25 events are run all over Phuket and are open to anyone, Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, Straight, Undecided. Phuket Loves You Club would like as many people to come together and join the events. The Parade will be colourful as always and PLU would like to encourage everyone watching to join the end of the parade and follow it to the football pitch where the big stage event will include International DJ’s, Live shows and bands and will have many stalls which will offer great fund and will be family friendly.
The 25 events announced are:
Sunday 21st
Pre-Pride pool Party at CC Hideaway 4pm to 10pm
Monday 22nd
Gay Day Criuse to Raya Island
10 pin bowling competition 3pm to 6pm
Gay Quiz night at Rendezvous 8pm to 10pm
Soi Paradise Pride opening night street party 10pm to 11pm
Tuesday 23rd
All day Pool competition by Kiss Bar & Sundowners
Pre Grand Auction Thai bufet dinner at Connect 6pm to 7.30pm
Grand Charity Auction at Backstage 7.30 to 10pm
Soi Paradise Street party 10pm to 11pm
Bachelor Bingo at Zag Bar 11pm
Wednesday 24th
Volleyball tournament – morning and afternoon
Club One Seven Art festival. Cocktail reception from 1pm
Film screening of ‘Living with the tiger’ at Prince of Songkla University
Aquarius Foam Party 6pm to 9pm
The Newspaper Pride dining experience - wine tasting, dinner &
entertainment. 8pm to 10pm
Soi Paradise street party 10pm to 11pm
Mr Gay Fongkaew Phuket competition – heats start 11pm after street party
At My Way with parades in the street.
Thursday 25th
5-a-side football competition – afternoon
The Boat Bar ‘Sunset beach party’ at Iguana Beach 5pm to 9pm
Soi Paradise Pride closing party 10pm to 11pm
Mr Gay Fongkaew Phuket competition – Finals start 11pm after street party
At MyWay with parades in the street
Friday 26th
Big Stage Event at the football field Patong Beach
Park and booths open at 4pm stage entertainment from 6pm to 11pm
Saturday 27th
Grand Parade through the street of Phuket starts from Soi Tan at 4pm
Judging for ‘Best parade entry’ 3.30pm
Big Stage Event at the football field Patong Beach
Park and booths open at 4pm stage entertainment from 5pm when Parade
arrives to 11pm
Sunday 28th
Pride closing Tea Dance party in Soi Paradise with music from
Kiss bar and ‘hog roast BBQ’ from Bistro restauarnt 4pm to 8pm
The Ultimate Pride closing big club night at Boat bar, with international guest Dj’s, special appearances and show. 10pm to late.
Some of these events are still subject to change. The will this week be publishing the full details for all the events on their web site: www.phuket-pride .org and on there hugely popular face book site: Phuket Pride 2013.
Ian Philips the Chairman said “We are very proud that so many gay venues and business’s have offered to hold events during Pride week in this only our 2nd year of organising Phuket Pride week.
Last year we raised over 300,000 Baht for Phuket LGBT & HIV charities and created a fun week for everyone. With so many more events this year and continued support from many of last year’s sponsors and some very exciting new ones such as Chang Beer, The Bangkok Burger Company and Andaman Embrace resort, we are sure that we can far exceed the amount raised for Charity last year and ensure that we continue to promote the message of safe sex, whilst spreading this years Theme message that we are
‘Same same NOT different’ The theme for this year’s Pride week.
Men are different from women and children are different from adults. But we are all human beings and all deserve to have the same rights and be respected in the same way. Therefore, we are ‘Same same NOT different’.
Homophobia is rooted in the belief that Gay (LGBT) people are “different”, “alien” or “perverse”. This fear of being “different” and being seen as an outcast by society adds to the paranoia and even suicide of especially young people in accepting their sexuality and coming out to society.
Their web site: www.phuket-pride.org has a section where this theme is explained in more detail, but it is hoped that by bringing together all types of people, Gay, Straight, undecided, Thai and Farang to celebrate and enjoy Phuket Pride week, that this message will be better understood by everyone.
For more information or to get involved in Phuket Pride week or become a much valued Sponsor or volunteer please email:
For up-to-date information about Phuket Pride week visit our web site: www.phuket-pride.org And follow us on face book: Phuket Pride 2013
Life Home Project Foundation is a charity supported by Phuket Pride. There is a great article about them from the Phuket Gazette: read it here.
Daoroong ‘Joojee’ Rodsamnam, project manager for the Life Home Project Foundation, a shelter for HIV-positive mothers and their children, talks about HIV in Phuket, the goals and challenges of the Foundation and what motivated her to work there.
Press Release – World Aids Day
World Aids Day was celebrated by the gay community in Patong Beach
The Phuket Loves You club joined together with the bars and gay businesses in the Paradise complex to mark World AIDS day on Saturday 1st December. They adopted the world Health organisation’s world theme of “Getting to Zero” which they identified 3 main areas to focus on over the coming years:
- Zero New infections from HIV
- Zero Deaths from HIV
- Zero Discrimination of people with HIV
The day started with a screening of the Thai film ‘Living with the tiger’ an intimate and moving story about a group of HIV infected orphans in Thailand that have been abandoned by society.
In the evening there was a street party in Soi Paradise, which included a street parade by My Way bar carrying giant red Worlds AIDS day ribbons throughout the street and street shows by some of the bars. At 11.30pm there was a candle light vigil, with over 200 people holding candles in the street, all the bars turned off their music and main lights to allow everyone to remember those that have died from HIV and to think about those who live with HIV. This was followed by a helium balloon release with 200 red balls being released into the sky.
All the businesses in Soi Paradise were decorated with red cloths and balloons and everyone was wearing the World AIDS Day ribbons from which donations made for these, plus the other events on the evening, raised over 30,000 Baht for HIV Charities.
During the evening a large group of volunteers from Andaman Power were in the Soi giving out free condoms and leaflets on Safe sex and HIV. Along with some street games there was also a ‘red balloon pop’ game, held at James Dean & friends bar, which for a small donation people popped a balloon and won prizes from free bottles of beer to hotel stays, one hour massages, and meals for 2, all of these top prizes were donated by local businesses, including Aquarius Guest House & Sauna, Adonis Guest House, Fong Kaew Mansions, Blue Dolphin Massage, My Way bar, Rendezvous Hotel, Sundowners Group and Bistro restaurant.
The whole day’s events costs were sponsored by cash donations from Boat Bar, Absolute Vodka and the Tangmo group
Ian Philips the Chairman said “I am delighted that so many people attended and took part during the day, the coming together of all the Gay businesses in Patong, clearly demonstrated the commitment we all have to getting Phuket to Zero”
For pictures of the event see our gallery: World AIDs Day 2012. You can download a copy of the press release here
Getting to Zero
World AIDs Day – December 1st : Getting to Zero
December 1st is world AIDs day.
By working together as a community, through understanding, education, and support Phuket joins the rest of the world in its target for ZERO.
See below for details of World AIDs day events in Phuket.
The Straits Games
The Straits Games (TSG) started as a friendly annual sports event between LPG – Leadership Programme Graduates of Malaysia and MAW – Men after Work of Singapore. “Straits” refers to the Straits of Malacca. The TSG goal was to foster friendship and promote a healthy lifestyle in the GLBT communities.
This was the eleventh series of annual games with more than 100 participants from 8 counties; Thailand, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, USA here in Phuket to take part in badminton, volley ball, beach volleyball, tennis, swimming and bowling.
You can see pictures from many of the events in our slideshow below – click on any image for a larger view
