free html hit counter Asia Pacific’s first LGBTQ+ digital health platform launches in Thailand – My Blog

Asia Pacific’s first LGBTQ+ digital health platform launches in Thailand

Asia Pacific’s first LGBTQ+ digital health platform launches in Thailand | Thaiger
Asia Pacific’s first LGBTQ+ digital health platform launches in ThailandLegacy

Asia Pacific’s first LGBTQ+ digital health platform launches in Thailand | Thaiger

As we inch closer towards inclusivity in healthcare, PrideHealth, Asia Pacific’s first LGBTQ+-centric digital health platform, has officially launched in Thailand. PrideHealth is designed to bridge the gap in healthcare access for LGBTQ+ and marginalised individuals, who remain disproportionately underserved in traditional healthcare systems across the region.

PrideHealth was founded by medical industry executive Bruce Li (CEO & CTO), award-winning marketeer Shawn Loo (Chief Brand Officer), and internal medicine physician and leading social LGBTQ+ advocate Dr Kang Ariyatash (Chief Medical Officer).

Backed by a regional panel of LGBTQ+-affirming doctors and therapists, the platform offers comprehensive services, such as telehealth, tailored e-commerce offerings, and expert-led care across key areas including sexual health, mental wellness, HIV treatment and prevention, and gender-affirming services.

Dr Kang, Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer at PrideHealth, emphasises that the platform represents a significant step in tailored care for the estimated 430 million LGBTQ+ individuals in Asia.

“This isn’t just a health platform, it’s a movement. LGBTQ+ people in the Asia Pacific routinely face barriers to accessing safe, informed care. PrideHealth removes these barriers and replaces them with empowerment, dignity, and equity.”

Responding to critical gaps in LGBTQ+ healthcare

The need is urgent, and queer health remains a vital need globally. According to Open for Business, over 70% of LGBTQ+ individuals in Asia face barriers to care due to stigma, lack of trained professionals, or outright discrimination.

The shortage of LGBTQ+-affirming doctors across Southeast Asia exacerbates this, particularly in rural and conservative communities. Even in Thailand, often viewed as LGBTQ+-friendly, access to affirming healthcare is inconsistent, particularly for trans individuals, those ageing with HIV, and mental health patients.

PrideHealth overcomes these limitations by pooling LGBTQ+-competent clinicians from Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, and the Philippines onto a single, accessible platform, ensuring that patients can access affirming care regardless of geography or income level.

PrideHealth’s senior advisory team and medical roster reflect the diversity it serves, including:

  • Dr Kang Ariyatash, Chief Medical Officer and co-founder of Pride Health, and a leading advocate for inclusive healthcare and PrEP access in Thailand.
  • Dr Kriang Tungsanga, Chair of the Ethical Committee at Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health, former president of the Nephrology Society of Thailand and research fellow at John Hopkins Hospital with over 230 peer-reviewed publications.
  • Dr Varocha Mahachai, leading gastroenterologist and owner of Serene Hospital, Director of the National Gastric Cancer and Helicobacter Pylori Research Centre, and former President of the Gastroenterologist Association of Thailand.

Asia Pacific’s first LGBTQ+ digital health platform launches in Thailand

PrideHealth for LGBTQ+ business and economic health

PrideHealth’s launch also reflects the growing economic case for LGBTQ+ inclusion. According to a 2024 report from Open for Business, poor health outcomes due to LGBTQ+ discrimination cost economies in the region (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) up to 1.24% of GDP per annum.

In Thailand, for example, LGBTQ+ depression alone costs the economy an estimated 14.9 billion Thai baht due to disability and lost wages.

Conversely, platforms like PrideHealth that help kickstart inclusion support economic growth. As cited by Open for Business:

  • Cities with strong LGBTQ+ inclusion see up to 2.6% stronger GDP performance.
  • Companies with high LGBTQ+ transparency scores are 2.3 times more profitable than those with lower scores.

To this end, in line with PrideHealth’s commitment to addressing these gaps, the platform provides corporate Pride Packages, allowing companies to provide their workforce with access to a range of services and products from telehealth consultations and prescription medications to supplements and coaching.

Bruce Li, PrideHealth CEO and Co-founder, further added to the need for inclusive care and its implications for the overall societal growth.

“LGBTQ+ healthcare needs have long been treated as niche, when in fact they represent a major public health and business opportunity. With over 430 million LGBTQ+ individuals across Asia Pacific, the need for inclusive care is urgent. Inclusion is not just a social good; it’s smart business,

“By championing equity in health, we unlock innovation, productivity, and economic growth.”

Asia Pacific’s first LGBTQ+ digital health platform launches in Thailand | News by Thaiger
PrideHealth application

Built in Thailand, designed for Asia

Following Thailand’s historic marriage equality laws in 2025, the country’s leadership in LGBTQ+ tourism, culture, and advocacy makes it the natural launchpad for PrideHealth. Where 10% of Asia-Pacific’s population identifies as LGBTQ+, the platform intends to expand across Asia in 2025, with localised offerings that address a market that is not only underserved but is also massively undervalued.

According to PrideHealth’s internal analysis, LGBTQ+ healthcare represents a US$5.3 billion market (approximately over 173 million Thai baht), and major needs centred around mental health, sleep health, gender-affirming care, ageing and preventative health that still go largely unaddressed.

PrideHealth is the first platform to recognise this intersection of market need and offer one-stop integrated healthcare tailored specifically to LGBTQ+ needs.

You can find out more on their website.

Press release

The story Asia Pacific’s first LGBTQ+ digital health platform launches in Thailand as seen on Thaiger News.

About admin