With three parties over three days in Kalim Beach, Patong and Surin Beach this weekend, Glow Phuket 2013 is reportedly one of the first gay events to receive sponsorship from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), according to The Phuket News.

The tourism authority has been running a campaign ‘Go-Thai. Be Free’ mainly targeted at the North American LGBT market, to improve the awareness of Thailand’s welcoming and accepting nature towards the LGBT community, for several years.

The Glow event is said to be "final, rather flamboyant and flawless swan song" of for the Director of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket office, Chanchai Duangjit moving to Bangkok to work as the director of the HR department of the TAT headquarters. He had been the director in Phuket for 13 months, according an earlier report in The Phuket News. He added that Phuket will now be focusing on "high yield" markets such as the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) segment alongside the wedding, yachting and marina, and medical tourism market.

Glow organiser Laurent Ross told the paper how the event came about: "I’ve worked in China for many years. When I came to Phuket five years ago I instantly recognised a need to bring qualty Chinese tourism here. There are many people [from the gay community] who want to start coming to Phuket and partying and enjoying the freedom that perhaps they don’t have here."

Events

FRIDAY - October 18, 2013 20:00
POOL PARTY @ KALIM BEACH
Indochine
Kalim Beach, Phuket

SATURDAY - October 19, 2013 22:00
NIGHTS PARTY
X Club, Banglar Road
Patong, Phuket

SUNDAY - October 20, 2013 22:00
GLOW FULL MOON BEACH PARTY
Diamond Beach Club
Surin Beach, Phuket