A cruise is the easy way to tick off your Asia bucket list
One day you're serenely sipping a White Lotus cocktail in the cool Bamboo bar of the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Bangkok, the next you're munching Cambodian fried spiders at a bustling city market in Sihanoukville. A day or so later in Vietnam, you take in the riot of colour, noise and traffic that is Ho Chi Minh City before enjoying the tranquil, otherworldly Ha Long Bay.
Next you're off to Hong Kong to savour plates of steaming dim sum and marvel at the city's high-rise skyline. Add to this such tourist must-sees as Thailand's reclining golden Buddha, Cambodia's Angkor temples, Vietnam's Cu Chi war tunnels and more, and one thing is certain: your postcards home are going to be truly epic.
It may sound like a classic backpacker's trip (perhaps minus the pricey cocktail), but if you prefer luxury every step of the way and everything organised for you, a cruise (in this case, Viking Cruises' Southeast Asia and Hong Kong itinerary) lets you tick off your bucket list in style. Instead of schlepping through airports, packing and unpacking umpteen times and negotiating maps and timetables, a cruise does it all for you. Unpack once and relax while you sail to your next adventure.
I opted to begin with a two-night pre-cruise extension at the swanky Shangri-La hotel in the heart of Bangkok. A panoramic guided tour of the city whisked our group to the Grand Palace and the venerated Temple of the Emerald Buddha, which houses a 66cm-tall jade statue that's treated to seasonal costume changes of gold and fine jewels.
Another highlight is the nearby Wat Pho Buddhist temple complex, where the tink-tink sound of coins dropping into metal blessing bowls creates the perfect backdrop for viewing its majestic 46m-long solid gold reclining Buddha. Elsewhere, modern Bangkok is awash with shops selling gold jewellery, 'genuine fake' handbag stores, street food that is by turns appetising and challenging, and incredible rooftop bars to take in the Thai sunsets.
The next day we escaped the hubbub of the city and drove an hour into the countryside to the lush Suphattra Land fruit farm in the Rayong province, where we breakfasted on honey straight from the comb and fresh coconut, snake fruit, jackfruit, mangosteen and durian. Mangosteen is said to be the queen of fruit in Asia, and the mighty durian the king. The spiky rugby ball-sized fruit's creamy, custard-like flesh is known for tasting like heaven, but smelling like hell. Luckily perhaps, it wasn't quite ripe enough on our April visit to confirm one way or another.
Settling into the beautiful Viking Venus, classed as a small ship with 930 passengers, it was time to set sail and enjoy the premium facilities which include a gorgeous Nordic spa (incongruously Scandi while in Asia), guest lectures and destination-inspired cuisine and entertainment.
The morning after departing Bangkok, we arrive at the Cambodian coastal city of Sihanoukville, home to the ornate Wat Krom temple, nestled on a hilltop overlooking the Gulf of Thailand, and the colourful Phsar Leu market, where sacks of fried insects are sold alongside fruit, rice and spices, plus piles of fake money to be burned as offerings at family graves. With several other excursions available, including trips to the Ream National Park with its coastal mangroves and, further afield, the Angkor temples and capital city Phnom Penh, our cruise unlocked no end of wanderlust potential.
Next up, Vietnam. Half a century after the end of the Vietnam War, the country has emerged as one of Asia's most popular holiday destinations. And it's not hard to see why.
A day in the frenetic Ho Chi Minh City – still widely called Saigon – offered a crash course in Vietnamese city life. Visiting a few weeks before the 50th anniversary of the country's reunification, it felt like everybody was gearing up for the celebrations. Every hour of the day felt like rush hour: parents and three children on one scooter; countless others loaded down with boxes of provisions; horns blaring, police officers blowing whistles. It was watch-through-your-fingers action at every set of traffic lights. With around 9.5 million inhabitants and an estimated 7.3 million motorbikes in Ho Chi Minh City, this is the time when you really appreciate your savvy tour guide.
Later, at the Cu Chi war tunnels, 45km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City, we explored the underground system used by Viet Cong soldiers during the war. A distinct hush fell as we were guided around some of the access points to the immense jungle network, which once spanned around 250km. With no natural light and little ventilation, crawling down into the shallow, claustrophobic spaces offered a sobering glimpse into the conflict. Ho Chi Minh City's War Remnants Museum provided further harrowing insight into the war, and we rounded off the day with a welcome pit stop at the bar of the iconic Rex hotel, once a popular hangout for US reporters covering the Vietnam War.
A day in the northeast of the country soaking up the delights of the Unesco-listed Ha Long Bay was the perfect way to decompress and complete the Vietnamese section of our cruise. Boarding an authentic junk is the best way to experience this aquamarine lagoon of around 2,000 limestone islands, thought to have been formed by tectonic activity more than 250 million years ago. Legend tells that Ha Long Bay was created when dragons breathed jewels into the sea leaving towering cliffs and sculptural rock formations.
Then it was on to Hong Kong, where the Viking Venus docked overnight to allow us to experience every hour of this extraordinary city. We arrived at dawn and moored next to the famous Star ferry terminal, the perfect location to easily reach Victoria Peak, home to Asia's first funicular, and Aberdeen, a curious mix of the traditional and the ultra-modern where sampan boats putter around next to oligarchs' mega yachts.
At Hong Kong Island we enjoyed wonderful dim sum at the legendary Maxim's Palace, incongruously housed in the municipal City Hall Building, before later settling down to dinner and enjoying the renowned light-and-sound show which illuminates the island skyline every night at 8pm.
The 15-day itinerary had it all: ancient temples and ultra-modern architecture; urban commotion and rural relaxation; enrichment and indulgence. It's extraordinary how much you can pack into a relatively short time – and on a cruise, it's plain sailing.
Essentials
Nicole Carmichael was a guest of Viking Cruises (0800 319 66 69). The 15-day Southeast Asia and Hong Kong itinerary costs from £6,393pp, including return flights from selected UK airports and all onboard meals, plus wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner. The package includes six guided tours, gratuities, access to the ship's Nordic spa, evening entertainment and enrichment talks. (Price based on an October 30-November 13 2026 sailing).
The Southeast Asia and Hong Kong pre-cruise extension costs from £799pp, including two nights in a Bangkok hotel, guided tour, services of a Viking host and all transfers. Departing selected dates from April-October 2025.
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Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
'I stayed at world leading family resort next to a gruesome tourist attraction'
Think White Lotus with a kids' club – last year the resort was named Asia's Leading Luxury Family Resort at the World Travel Awards and it really works hard for the title. Located on Vietnam's largest island, 227.5 sq mi Phu Quoc, an hour's flight from Ho Chi Minh City, the resort is now the place to flop for families needing some R&R after completing the country's classic tourist trail. Vast infinity pools stretch endlessly into the Gulf of Thailand, king-size daybeds are shaded by giant palms, and white sands lead to waters warmer than your morning shower. With 459 rooms, residences, suites and villas, you might worry about crowds, but with four expansive pools and six restaurants and bars it manages not to feel like a mega-resort – we could always find a sunlounger. The hotel's largest restaurant, Sora & Umi, serves modern Japanese and Vietnamese classics such as bun cha pork meatballs and pho noodle soup. Our nine-year-old, Fred, preferred the laid-back vibe of Sea Shack, where you can enjoy world cuisine – think pad thai, cheeseburger sliders and tiki cocktails – with the sand between your toes, a band performing pop hits and table football. At sunset, head to INK 360. On the hotel's 19th floor, it's the highest rooftop bar on Phu Quoc, providing panoramic views of the island and sparkling ocean below. It feels like the sort of chi-chi gin joint Jack Sparrow might have opened had he kept the Treasure of Cortés for himself. The design is inspired by the mythical Kraken octopus, so the whole place is enveloped in enormous steel tentacles, the table legs upturned suckered limbs. The mixologists have had fun with the drinks menu too. Sit back and watch the parasailing with a Fishing Boat in hand (VSOP Cognac, infused sesame, cucumber syrup, pineapple juice, lemon cordial and almond milk). As the sun sinks low it bathes the bar's gunmetal tentacles in a suitably golden glow. Once darkness falls, LAVA is the place to be. Tuck into red snapper and grilled squid while watching the night trawlers get to work by moonlight. Named Best Luxury Beach Front Restaurant in 2019 at the World Luxury Restaurant Awards, it serves haute cuisine without the UK price tag – three courses, with wine, cost us under £50 a head. I can vouch for the freshness of the seafood too – having taken a wrong turn while searching for the facilities, I found myself in a room lined floor to ceiling with fish tanks. The Harnn Heritage spa is world class – its bamboo treatment suites 'float' over a lake dotted with lotus pads, reflections of palm trees and climbing vines. Treatments are inspired by the five elements philosophy (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) and incorporate native ingredients such as black pepper and pearl. A therapeutic bamboo massage targets tight muscles using rolling heated canes on areas of tension, while the radiance facial uses a delicate pearl scrub (from the country's ubiquitous oyster farms) to leave you glowing. True relaxation somewhere this special requires forward planning. At check-in I discovered all slots were full for four days, and I couldn't get a massage for love nor money. Unwilling to miss spending time here, I booked a private family yoga session in one of the spa's vaulted studios. It left us feeling virtuous, despite a telling-off for going straight there from breakfast. If you prefer to ditch the little ones before you chill, Planet Trekkers kids club (for four- to 12-year-olds) will keep them busy with kite-flying, cooking lessons, art classes and magic shows. You'll have to drag them away from the fabulous Splash Pool first though (Fred didn't have to ask twice to get me to join him on the flume water slide). Teens, meanwhile, won't be able to resist The Hideout, where they can play games, watch movies or jump on the PlayStation. To explore Long Beach, which spans nine miles of coastline, bicycles are available without charge. Itching to go further afield? There's a shuttle service to the night market in Duong Dong, 25 minutes away, where you can haggle over nón lá (conical sun hats) and get a taste for Vietnamese street food. Just don't risk saying yes to pate in your banh mi (a baguette with meat, fresh herbs and pickles) – even locals advised us they wouldn't eat it for fear of 'repercussions'. Twenty minutes in the opposite direction is Coconut Tree Prison, built by the French in the 1950s and once home to 32,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong PoWs. It's fascinating, but gruesome, so you should probably book younger children into Planet Trekkers beforehand. For activities with better holiday vibes, take a snorkelling tour or head for the Hon Thom Cable Car, which spans the five miles from Phu Quoc to Hon Thom Island and gives great views of the archipelago.
Metro
11 hours ago
- Metro
I went to the world's wettest Pride parade where everyone gets soaked
I'm sitting in the police station soaking wet, still clutching my super-soaker as I drip on the tiles and wait for the officer to finish typing up my report. Not exactly how I'd expected my first day in Bangkok to end. I'd come to Thailand 's capital for Songkran, the traditional Thai New Year festival that turns the streets of the city into a giant water fight every April. I'd hoped I might dry off on the ride over, but sitting on the back of the motorbike only made me a moving target. That's the thing about Songkran, nobody is off limits. Police officers, Buddhist monks, the elderly and small children – I'd seen them all targeted with rapid-firing squirt guns and freezing buckets of water. It seems that there really are no exceptions. If you step onto the street, you're consenting to getting wet. That's why I'd put all my things into a waterproof bag. Squirting strangers as I ducked and dodged and sought out my next victim, I let my guard down only to realise I'd just become a victim myself. Feeling my bag snag on something, I turn to find the pockets zipped wide open – my second passport, money and credit cards all stolen. I glance around the crowd of saturated revellers, but whoever had taken them had already disappeared. I try my best not to let it dampen my spirits – the money was minimal, my bank cards were immediately cancelled, and my primary passport was tucked away dry in the hotel safe. But then I realised they'd taken something infinitely more valuable. My second passport had my US visa in it – my only ticket to entering the United States. This may not seem like all that big of a deal, but with a new visa likely taking months, it was about to unravel all my carefully laid plans. This year, I'm on a journey to experience Pride all over the world, and having already booked flights to San Francisco – the birthplace of Pride – and World Pride in Washington DC, I realised it was now unlikely I'd be able to go to either. But this year is also what brought me here to Thailand. On the second day of the festivities, the LGBT+ community come together to get soaked in the Songkran Pride Parade. Being robbed the night before didn't exactly fill me with joy, but if I've learned anything on this journey, it's that the queer community always know how to lift my spirits. A hidden gem Finding the parade presented a new challenge in itself. While Pride events are usually heavily documented, for this one, I struggled to find any information at all. In fact, I started to question whether it actually existed. I didn't have a start time, or an exact location, all I knew was that it took place somewhere along Silom Road. For the uninitiated, that's the beating heart of Bangkok's queer scene, but during Songkran, it becomes the centre of the party for everyone. It's easy to understand why – the queer community spill out of the bars to party in the streets, pop up stages are erected, and spontaneous K-pop choreography catches like wildfire. The raucous spectacle speaks to Thailand's acceptance of the community. The queer party is t he party, and everyone wants to be involved. Though with such wide-sweeping acceptance, queer spaces can sometimes become diluted, making us once again the minority. That's why a pride parade here is so important, it reclaims the space and tips the balance back towards centering queerness. Despite the lack of information online, it doesn't take long for me to find the festivities. I'd assumed it would be a small parade – given the fact that the streets are already so crowded – but I was pleasantly surprised to find it was quite the opposite. A dozen floats are lined up ready to depart, bubble cannons firing in all directions, rainbow fabric drenched in water and sweat as dancers perform in the sweltering heat. One drag queen has fashioned an outfit out of super-soakers, while another's make-up streams down her face as she performs on the back of a truck. The current Miss LGBT+ Thailand poses for a photo with the winners of the past four years, while Mr Bear Bangkok is soaked by his countless admirers. There's a tremendous sense of camaraderie here, and even though I'm travelling solo, I quickly feel I'm amongst friends. People approach to chat – or to attack me with their water pistols – one boy even pulls me in for a kiss after I turn his white shirt see-through. Pride Around the World Calum McSwiggan, author of Eat Gay Love, is a man on a mission. He plans to spend 2025 exploring how the LGBT+ community is celebrated everywhere on Earth: 12 months, 7 continents, 20 Prides. In an exclusive Metro series, Calum will journey from the subzero climes of Antarctica to the jewel-toned streets of Mumbai, telling the story of Pride around the world. Follow his journey on Metro, in print and on our socials to learn how Pride is celebrated around the world. Next up? A different sort of Pride, behind closed doors in Malaysia. A place for everyone It quickly becomes apparent that it isn't just the Thai community that's come to celebrate either. There are queer people from all over. There's a float decked out in Filipino flags, and one in Taiwan 's colours too. I meet people from India, Cambodia, Japan, China and Korea. I even meet some who've travelled from Malaysia, where LGBT+ identities are still considered criminal. For some, Songkran is another excuse to party, but for others, it's a form of escapism, one of the only times of year when they can truly be themselves. 'Songkran is one of the most diverse and inclusive events I've ever attended,' Taiwanese personal trainer Patrick Chen tells me as he shields his boyfriend from an incoming bucket of water. 'It's something everyone should experience at least once.' Vietnamese influencer Milton echoes this sentiment. 'It's one of the best memories I've ever made. A place where everyone – regardless of religion, language barrier, or sexual orientation – comes together to have fun and get wet. You don't need alcohol or drugs, you'd be amazed how many friends you can make by just splashing water in their faces.' Talking to people from right across the Asian diaspora helps me realise how important it is to have this space in Asia, where there are comparatively fewer spaces for the LGBT+ community. Songkran also coincides with GCIRCUIT, Asia's largest LGBT+ dance festival, giving extra incentive for people to make the journey to come here. 'We wanted to create a safe space where our community can come together from all over Asia,' Tom Tan, who founded GCIRCUIT with his partner, explains. 'From our earlier years, where sponsors weren't interested in gay events, to now having the endorsement of big brands, it's evident to see the shift in perception of our community. We're proud to keep pushing for that while championing visibility, acceptance and inclusion.' Travel Proud research shows that 63% of LGBT+ travellers prioritise destinations where they can be their authentic selves – and that's exactly what Bangkok delivers. It doesn't just welcome queerness, it soaks it in unashamed joy. Inclusive and proud There's an enormous emphasis on the trans community here, too. Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia to have never been colonised, and as a result, its centuries old practise of trans inclusion has been preserved. While legal rights for trans people are still far from perfect, Thailand is now leading the world in areas like gender affirming care, with people travelling from all over the globe for treatment. Still, this visibility comes with a dark side. Kathoey is the term traditionally used for transfeminine people in Thailand, but the use of the westernised ' l a***oy' slur has become commonplace. While some reclaim the word, or brush it off as harmless, for others it's deeply offensive, and only contributes to segregating them further from society. With sex tourism on the rise, trans people are often objectified and fetishised, sometimes with horrifying consequences. In April, trans woman Woranan Pannacha was violently mutilated and murdered by a Chinese tourist after she refused to have sex with him. That's why it's so important to see such loud and proud trans representation in the parade. Some march for sex worker rights, with signs that read 'my pussy, my business,' while others wave flags and gleefully soak the crowd with water canons. It's still very much a celebration, but there's an undertone of protest too – and that combination, for me, is exactly what Pride everywhere is all about. By the time the parade is over, I've all but forgotten about the robbery from the night before. New friends invite me to dinner, and I remind myself that this is what this journey was always about. It's too early to say whether or not the robbery has completely derailed my plans for the rest of the year, but no matter what happens, I have no regrets in coming here. Songkran Pride is one of the best things I've ever experienced, I'm already planning on coming back. Travel guide to Bangkok Pride Getting there Thai Airways offers return fares from both London Heathrow and Gatwick starting at £683 return. Things to do (beyond Pride) S20 Festival: Combining sky-high water canons with EDM for the wettest party on Earth. Yunomori Onsen: To celebrate the water festival in a more relaxed environment, this serene bathhouse lives up to Japanese standards and is very popular with the LGBT+ community. Chatuchak Market: For super soakers, waterproof bags, and other Songkran supplies, this is one of the largest weekend markets in the world, and filled with LGBT+ owned stalls. Where to stay Ibis Styles (£) Amara Hotel Capella Bangkok (£££) These hotels all proudly display the Travel Proud badge after completing LGBT+ inclusivity training. Where to eat and drink Little Bao: A concept by LGBT+ chef and advocate May Chow, this eatery brings a modern twist to traditional Chinese comfort food. Luka Sathorn: LGBT+ owned bohemian brunch spot in the heart of Silom. Patpong Night Market: For late night eats, just steps from the queer scene.
Metro
20 hours ago
- Metro
I went to the world's wettest Pride parade where everyone gets absolutely soaked
I'm sitting in the police station soaking wet, still clutching my super-soaker as I drip on the tiles and wait for the officer to finish typing up my report. Not exactly how I'd expected my first day in Bangkok to end. I'd come to Thailand's capital for Songkran, the traditional Thai New Year festival that turns the streets of the city into a giant water fight every April. I'd hoped I might dry off on the ride over, but sitting on the back of the motorbike only made me a moving target. That's the thing about Songkran, nobody is off limits. Police officers, Buddhist monks, the elderly and small children – I'd seen them all targeted with rapid-firing squirt guns and freezing buckets of water. It seems that there really are no exceptions. If you step onto the street, you're consenting to getting wet. That's why I'd put all my things into a waterproof bag. Squirting strangers as I ducked and dodged and sought out my next victim, I let my guard down only to realise I'd just become a victim myself. Feeling my bag snag on something, I turn to find the pockets zipped wide open – my second passport, money and credit cards all stolen. I glance around the crowd of saturated revellers, but whoever had taken them had already disappeared. I try my best not to let it dampen my spirits – the money was minimal, my bank cards were immediately cancelled, and my primary passport was tucked away dry in the hotel safe. But then I realised they'd taken something infinitely more valuable. With thousands of members from all over the world, our vibrant LGBTQ+ WhatsApp channel is a hub for all the latest news and important issues that face the LGBTQ+ community. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications! My second passport had my US visa in it – my only ticket to entering the United States. This may not seem like all that big of a deal, but with a new visa likely taking months, it was about to unravel all my carefully laid plans. This year, I'm on a journey to experience Pride all over the world, and having already booked flights to San Francisco – the birthplace of Pride – and World Pride in Washington DC, I realised it was now unlikely I'd be able to go to either. But this year is also what brought me here to Thailand. On the second day of the festivities, the LGBT+ community come together to get soaked in the Songkran Pride Parade. Being robbed the night before didn't exactly fill me with joy, but if I've learned anything on this journey, it's that the queer community always know how to lift my spirits. Finding the parade presented a new challenge in itself. While Pride events are usually heavily documented, for this one, I struggled to find any information at all. In fact, I started to question whether it actually existed. I didn't have a start time, or an exact location, all I knew was that it took place somewhere along Silom Road. For the uninitiated, that's the beating heart of Bangkok's queer scene, but during Songkran, it becomes the centre of the party for everyone. It's easy to understand why – the queer community spill out of the bars to party in the streets, pop up stages are erected, and spontaneous K-pop choreography catches like wildfire. The raucous spectacle speaks to Thailand's acceptance of the community. The queer party is t he party, and everyone wants to be involved. Though with such wide-sweeping acceptance, queer spaces can sometimes become diluted, making us once again the minority. That's why a pride parade here is so important, it reclaims the space and tips the balance back towards centering queerness. Despite the lack of information online, it doesn't take long for me to find the festivities. I'd assumed it would be a small parade – given the fact that the streets are already so crowded – but I was pleasantly surprised to find it was quite the opposite. A dozen floats are lined up ready to depart, bubble cannons firing in all directions, rainbow fabric drenched in water and sweat as dancers perform in the sweltering heat. One drag queen has fashioned an outfit out of super-soakers, while another's make-up streams down her face as she performs on the back of a truck. The current Miss LGBT+ Thailand poses for a photo with the winners of the past four years, while Mr Bear Bangkok is soaked by his countless admirers. There's a tremendous sense of camaraderie here, and even though I'm travelling solo, I quickly feel I'm amongst friends. People approach to chat – or to attack me with their water pistols – one boy even pulls me in for a kiss after I turn his white shirt see-through. Calum McSwiggan, author of Eat Gay Love, is a man on a mission. He plans to spend 2025 exploring how the LGBT+ community is celebrated everywhere on Earth: 12 months, 7 continents, 20 Prides. In an exclusive Metro series, Calum will journey from the subzero climes of Antarctica to the jewel-toned streets of Mumbai, telling the story of Pride around the world. Follow his journey on Metro, in print and on our socials to learn how Pride is celebrated around the world. Next up? A different sort of Pride, behind closed doors in Malaysia. It quickly becomes apparent that it isn't just the Thai community that's come to celebrate either. There are queer people from all over. There's a float decked out in Filipino flags, and one in Taiwan's colours too. I meet people from India, Cambodia, Japan, China and Korea. I even meet some who've travelled from Malaysia, where LGBT+ identities are still considered criminal. For some, Songkran is another excuse to party, but for others, it's a form of escapism, one of the only times of year when they can truly be themselves. 'Songkran is one of the most diverse and inclusive events I've ever attended,' Taiwanese personal trainer Patrick Chen tells me as he shields his boyfriend from an incoming bucket of water. 'It's something everyone should experience at least once.' Vietnamese influencer Milton echoes this sentiment. 'It's one of the best memories I've ever made. A place where everyone – regardless of religion, language barrier, or sexual orientation – comes together to have fun and get wet. You don't need alcohol or drugs, you'd be amazed how many friends you can make by just splashing water in their faces.' Talking to people from right across the Asian diaspora helps me realise how important it is to have this space in Asia, where there are comparatively fewer spaces for the LGBT+ community. Songkran also coincides with GCIRCUIT, Asia's largest LGBT+ dance festival, giving extra incentive for people to make the journey to come here. 'We wanted to create a safe space where our community can come together from all over Asia,' Tom Tan, who founded GCIRCUIT with his partner, explains. 'From our earlier years, where sponsors weren't interested in gay events, to now having the endorsement of big brands, it's evident to see the shift in perception of our community. We're proud to keep pushing for that while championing visibility, acceptance and inclusion.' Travel Proud research shows that 63% of LGBT+ travellers prioritise destinations where they can be their authentic selves – and that's exactly what Bangkok delivers. It doesn't just welcome queerness, it soaks it in unashamed joy. There's an enormous emphasis on the trans community here, too. Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia to have never been colonised, and as a result, its centuries old practise of trans inclusion has been preserved. While legal rights for trans people are still far from perfect, Thailand is now leading the world in areas like gender affirming care, with people travelling from all over the globe for treatment. Still, this visibility comes with a dark side. Kathoey is the term traditionally used for transfeminine people in Thailand, but the use of the westernised ' l a***oy' slur has become commonplace. While some reclaim the word, or brush it off as harmless, for others it's deeply offensive, and only contributes to segregating them further from society. With sex tourism on the rise, trans people are often objectified and fetishised, sometimes with horrifying consequences. In April, trans woman Woranan Pannacha was violently mutilated and murdered by a Chinese tourist after she refused to have sex with him. More Trending That's why it's so important to see such loud and proud trans representation in the parade. Some march for sex worker rights, with signs that read 'my pussy, my business,' while others wave flags and gleefully soak the crowd with water canons. It's still very much a celebration, but there's an undertone of protest too – and that combination, for me, is exactly what Pride everywhere is all about. By the time the parade is over, I've all but forgotten about the robbery from the night before. New friends invite me to dinner, and I remind myself that this is what this journey was always about. It's too early to say whether or not the robbery has completely derailed my plans for the rest of the year, but no matter what happens, I have no regrets in coming here. Songkran Pride is one of the best things I've ever experienced, I'm already planning on coming back. Getting there Thai Airways offers return fares from both London Heathrow and Gatwick starting at £683 return. Things to do (beyond Pride) S20 Festival: Combining sky-high water canons with EDM for the wettest party on Earth. Yunomori Onsen: To celebrate the water festival in a more relaxed environment, this serene bathhouse lives up to Japanese standards and is very popular with the LGBT+ community. Chatuchak Market: For super soakers, waterproof bags, and other Songkran supplies, this is one of the largest weekend markets in the world, and filled with LGBT+ owned stalls. Where to stay Ibis Styles (£) Amara Hotel Capella Bangkok (£££) These hotels all proudly display the Travel Proud badge after completing LGBT+ inclusivity training. Where to eat and drink Little Bao: A concept by LGBT+ chef and advocate May Chow, this eatery brings a modern twist to traditional Chinese comfort food. Luka Sathorn: LGBT+ owned bohemian brunch spot in the heart of Silom. Patpong Night Market: For late night eats, just steps from the queer scene. MORE: I found the perfect European destination to escape the UK heatwave MORE: My unexpected love affair with Switzerland's 'most boring' city MORE: Christian group threatens Westminster Council over 'indoctrinating' pride flags
