The well-loved Thai capital of Bangkok is in the midst of its third Pride festival organised by the Bangkok Pride Coalition (BPC) that kicked off last Saturday with Pride in the Park. The weeklong event will culminate in a street parade on Sunday, Nov 16.

Founded in 2001 by local gay and lesbian business people, and community groups, the BPC has only built on the work of the Bangkok Gay Festival that began in the city in 1999. Last year's Pride, which is said to be the most successful to date, attracted some 350,000 people according to an official government figure. The event included a launch party in Lumphini Park, parties and a limited parade through the centre of the city.

Fast forward to 2003 - BPC co-chairman Paul Causey has confidently predicted more of the same: "We aim to better last year's success."

The government's "moral and social order" campaign - which has included police raids of gay saunas, bars and nightclubs where patrons have been forced to give urine tests - has had an impact on the gay community, but according to Causey, there was an almost unanimous will to ensure not only "Pride Week" went ahead but that "many members of the organisation believed in the need to be even more vocal."

Despite all the rhetoric from the authorities, the BPC is said to be making progress in its aim of creating better "understanding" of the gay community. Bangkok Pride did win governmental approval last year with the parade cleared by the Prime Minister's Office and is gaining enough economic clout to ensure it will be a perennial event.

According to the organisers of the Silom Walking Street project - a weekly festival on Silom Road that took various themes and was the location of last year's Pride - Pride 2002 was the single most successful event held and according to Causey, the "largest outdoor party ever to take place in Thailand".

This year's slogan, "Freedom - Diversity - Unity," "recognises the great diversity in Thailand's gay and lesbian communities and at the same time recognises our great need for unity," reads the web site.

Other events this year include Utopia Awards on November 14, which recognises the work of Thai Senator Jon Ungpakorn (Thailand) for promoting the political and public health rights of people living with HIV/AIDS, Taiwan's lesbian activist Wang Ping, Hong Kong's leading gay rights activist Chung To and former Thai boxing champion Parinya Jaroenphon for her exceptional courage and outspokenness for transgendered people; and the Silom Soi 4 "Over-time" Party on November 17.

For more details of this year's events, surf to www.bangkokpride.org.