A Valentine’s Day story to make hearts melt: Same-sex couple wins Agoda’s Dream Honeymoon to go on first-ever trip abroad

Bangkok, 14 February 2025 – Newlyweds Wisuttinee and Phatteera are the winners of the Agoda Dream Honeymoon competition, digital travel platform Agoda revealed on Valentine’s Day. The winning couple will take off for Tokyo on their first-ever trip abroad during Japan’s upcoming Sakura Season.  They are the winners of the 350,000 THB prize as part of a competition that was launched to celebrate the enactment of same-sex marriage in Thailand.

The #AgodaLoveWins competition invited same-sex couples to share their love stories and dream honeymoon destinations for a chance to win a holiday voucher worth up to 350,000 THB. With dozens of heartwarming submissions, the committee in charge of selecting the winners were faced with a tough challenge.

Pitichoke Chulapamornsri, Senior Director at Agoda said: “After last month’s landmark legislative change, the honeymoon season for Thailand’s same-sex couples has officially kicked-off. We wanted to celebrate this moment with our #AgodaLoveWins competition and were honored to receive many touching submissions. It was incredibly difficult to select a winner, but out of the many heartwarming love stories, the story of Wisuttinee and Phatteera stood out the most.”

The story of the winning couple, Wisuttinee from Korat and Phatteera from Lamphun, began ten years ago through a K-POP fan club, where they connected despite never meeting in person. Their bond grew as they supported each other through long-distance challenges and personal struggles, eventually leading to a heartfelt proposal. Their journey taught them that true love is about being there for one another during imperfect times. Their dream honeymoon in Japan includes experiencing the cherry blossom season, enjoying the thrills of Tokyo’s theme parks, and taking part in a traditional tea ceremony.

Wisuttinee says: “When we heard we were the winners, we couldn’t believe it. We have never traveled outside Thailand before and now we’re flying business class on Thai Airways to Japan and will stay in a luxury hotel in Tokyo. We even had to apply for passports! This is an amazing year for the LGBTQIA+ community in Thailand and I feel like we are the luckiest couple of all.”

The dream honeymoon of Wisuttinee and Phatteraa will take place during the popular Sakura season in Japan and will span more than a week in Tokyo, allowing them to take in all the city’s sights and cultural experiences.

Chulapamornsri said: “At Agoda, we believe that everyone deserves a honeymoon. We are here for couples across Thailand, and beyond, to find the best deals on accommodation, flights and activities to plan the trip of a lifetime.”

Agoda launched the competition after commissioning a study which revealed that Thailand’s landmark marriage equality legislation is set to deliver an additional 4 million international visitors per year and increase tourism revenues by nearly USD2 billion annually – within two years after it is enacted.

The Economic Impact of Marriage Equality on Thailand’s Tourism Industry study measured the projected economic opportunity presented by Thailand’s move to adopt marriage equality from 22 January 2025. As the first jurisdiction in Southeast Asia to  enact same-sex marriage, and Asia’s third after Taiwan in 2019 and Nepal last year, the initiative positions Thailand to capture a larger slice of the global rainbow tourism market, valued at over USD 200 billion annually.