Sexual Behavior, Risk Perception and Motivations for Sexual Risk Taking among Foreign Gay Tourists in Thailand

Thailand is portrayed globally as a haven for gay tourism. Tourism Authority of Thailand has been actively promoting the image of Thailand as a gay paradise. It is estimated that the country has witnessed a growing number of foreign gay tourists. This study aims to investigate sexual behaviour, risk perceptions and motivations for sexual risk taking of foreign gay tourists while traveling in Thailand on their vacation. A questionnaire consisting of four parts was designed. The first part of the questionnaire was to gather the information about the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents. In the second part, the respondents were asked to rate on a 5-point Likert scale with respect to the degree of risks associated with various specific sexual activities and to indicate whether they had or had not experienced a particular sexual activity while in Thailand. The third part of the questionnaire employed the 5-point Likert motivation scale for sexual-risk taking adopted from Berdychevsky and Gibson (2015). The fourth part of the questionnaire consisted of questions seeking to determine the awareness of the availability of places where tourists could have HIV counseling or HIV tests and the awareness of PrEP and PEP, the HIV prevention strategies. A questionnaire survey technique was used. The data were collected via gay smart phone mobile applications and at the establishments such as gay pubs or clubs, gay saunas and massage spas. A total number of 197 foreign gay tourists participated in the survey. Descriptive statistics such as mean score and standard deviation were used to identify the degree of perceived risks associated with various specific sexual activities and the degree of motivations for sexual risk-taking. Independent sample t-tests were conducted to test the difference perceptions between the gay tourists with and without actual experience with particular actual sexual activities. The study results provided the empirical evidence for understanding risks in tourism among foreign gay tourists in Thailand. Out of the total 24 sex-related activities, no activities were perceived as highest risk. 10 activities were perceived as high risk with the mean scores in the range between 3.41 to 4.20. The respondents referred to having anal sex with and unsteady/casual partner without condom as the most risky (mean score = 3.93, SD = 1.260). For the motivation results, the motivational capacity of the Fun and Less Inhibition dimension is higher than Anonymous Experimentation factor and Safe Thrills and Empowerment dimensions.