![]() We walked inside and grabbed seats at the far right of the venue, as close to the front as we could get. Tickets were 200 baht (about $5) and included a free soda or beer. Ladyboys walked in front of the Cabaret venue, dancing in high heels and inviting tourists to come see the show. Luckily, I got my chance on our very first night in Chiang Mai, at the Night Bazaar. I was really excited to see a Cabaret show in Thailand, as they are said to be some of the best in the world. ![]() For a country that prides itself on progressiveness, the United States really falls behind Thailand in terms of acceptance. The worst treatment that a kathoey will get is a jeer. In this way, I can see why it is more intuitive for Thailand to make a comfortable shift into recognizing people for the genders that they identify as, instead of genders that are assumed by physical appearance.Ī guest speaker in our Humanities class while at Chiang Mai University briefly mentioned that there are no hate crimes in Thailand against those who identify with non-binary genders. For example, if I say “hello,” I must say, “sawatdee-kah,” but if a man wishes to say hello, he must say, “sawatdee-krop.” Pronouns in Thai to describe someone other than yourself are entirely gender neutral. In this way, people can identify their own gender immediately, within the first sentence. Alternatively, in Thai, we use “krop” or “kah” to describe ourselves. In English, we typically use “he,” “she” to describe someone we are talking about. The Thai language doesn’t use pronouns the way the English language does. Now that I have learned more through living in Thailand, I am a bit more confident in my understanding of the culture. The best way I can think to describe a Kathoey/ladyboy in ways that a United States resident can understand is “Not exactly a transgender woman, not exactly a dragqueen, not exactly a cross-dresser, but a combination of all three.” Some tourists use transgender and ladyboy interchangeably, but that is not the case, as some women in Thailand identify as “transgender,” and resent being called Kathoey/ladyboy. Now that my insight has increased, it is my current understanding that there really is no way of describing the gender to an English speaker with the American mindset. ![]() However, asking my friends in Gender Studies courses/majors didn’t produce any straightforward results. I had heard of a third gender being widely accepted in India, and wondered if the same non-binary culture applied in Thailand. ![]() With increased discussion happening all over North America about acceptance of the LGBTQPDIA+ community, I was really curious about what defines a Kathoey, and what the acceptance levels are in Thailand. ![]() There is even an Anthony Bourdain travel episode where he interacts with some lovely Ladyboys at a colorful cabaret. I attend one of Thailand’s famous Cabaretsīefore coming to Thailand, I had seen a lot of mention on Travel Blogs and websites regarding “Ladyboys.” Some articles had merely mentioned the term in passing, while others had gone so far as to write condemning “How to spot/avoid a T***ny in Thailand” articles. ![]()
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