Purple Dragon pioneered Gay Travel in AsiaThe Purple Dragon Story

Our story began in 1997 with the founding of our original company, which pioneered gay and lesbian travel to Southeast Asia. It was an alternative to sex tourism and active in community development and HIV programs. The company was dissolved in 2006 when two of the three original partners moved on to other pursuits. Under the direction of founding partner Douglas Thompson, Purple Dragon continued the business under a new name.

We currently have operations in Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China and India. Our local staff of nearly 60 people work directly and exclusively for us, which helps us to insure the quality of our guests' experience.  We think our programs are pretty unique, partly because of our private English-speaking guides.  Our guests often describe their experience as something more like traveling with a local friend. We also recognize that all of our guests do not share the same interests, so we offer programs for adventure-lovers, couples, people who love cooking, beaches, and history, and even people who need to assist nature with a little cosmetic surgery.

Although we are primarily an internet-based travel business, our offices in the Tarntawan Place Hotel in Bangkok, Club One Seven in Phuket and Figo in Siem Reap (Angkor Wat) are usually able to serve guests who want to make last-minute reservations. We prefer to confirm your holiday plans before you arrive, as space is sometimes limited and our efficient staff is often at full throttle. So please make advance reservations for our fantastic tours and packages to avoid disappointment.

Join Club Sanook today for specially-priced "members only" programs that do not appear elsewhere on the Purple Dragon website, occasional e-postcards from one of the fascinating places in our enchanting world, and a bi-monthly newsletter full of information about travel in Southeast Asia. Membership is free. Members can accumulate points toward future travel awards.

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