Thailand: Ladyboys

Over the last fifty years, Thailand has become known for its Kathoeys or "ladyboys." These men who dress and act like women are fully integrated into Thai society. Unlike in America, there doesn't appear to be a drive among those who identify as transgender to transform themselves into a spectacle to prove they're proud of who they are. Kathoeys mostly wear the same clothing as other Thai women and work regular jobs. 

They are permitted to begin cross-dressing as teenagers and some high schools have even installed special bathrooms for people who don't associate as male or female. 

Transgender Bathroom Sign

Despite the acceptance of Kathoeys, there is still a high demand for them in the entertainment industry. Particularly in Chiang Mai, there are a large number of transgender clubs. There's a famous dance show every evening in the night market at 9 p.m. 

               


The reason Kathoeys are more accepted in Thailand than America can be explained by looking at the history of sexuality in both countries. Androgyny can be traced back to the 1800's when Westerners first established relations with Siam (Thailand's former name). When Edmund Roberts, the first American envoy to the Far East, visited Bangkok for an event in 1832 he noted, "I cannot tell a Siamese man from a woman, when numbers are seated together, so it is out of my power to say whether any females were present [amongst the audience].... The hair of the Siamese women is cut like that of the men; their countenances are, in fact, more masculine than those of the males." Identification as male or female was never considered important in Thailand until Westerners introduced their beliefs that gender ambiguity is uncivilized. While there was a brief period after World War II that the Thai government tried to impose gender roles for diplomatic reasons, it obviously did not have a lasting impact. Today, more Europeans, Australians and Americans travel to Bangkok than anywhere else in the world to have sex changes.