Katoey

There is a bar in Bangkok where there is a front and a back stage. On the front stage, the tall and beautiful women dance provocatively in various states of undress. In the stage in the back, the ugly girls are relegated to ply their trade of dancing, gyrating, and trying to catch the eye (and wallet) of a falang (Westerner).

Well, the place mentioned above doesn't actually exist. Its a canard, an illusion as seen through the eyes of a hormone crazed falang male. In reality something very different is going on. Oh, there are certainly unattractive women gyrating in the back, and that the performers in the front might accurately be described by many as stunning. If you peek behind the curtain, or in this case the g-string of the beauties dancing in the front, the illusion will be shattered, blown away into millions of tiny pieces.

You see that underneath the g-string are not the womanly parts that one might expect on a such an apparent model of feminine beauty. No instead, if you lift the veil, you will see the naughty parts of a boy. That's right, the dancers in front are not women, but rather are katoeys.

A katoey, also known as a ladyboy, is a transgender Thai male who as most transgender males do, poses as a women. You could say there is a different level of commitment among katoeys. What I mean is that some ladyboys are really just gay men who cross dress and wear makeup. Those are not the type dancing in shows and fooling watchers as to their gender.

Others have taken more drastic measures to embrace their inner femininity. Many have artificial breast implants and take estrogen hormones. Some even go so far as to have surgery to change their actual sex organs. Apparently Thai surgeons have become adept at using the tissue of a penis to form a vagina. They say that it is very difficult for a man to tell that the person was not always a woman when they have had such surgeries. There are katoey who even add to the illusion by having their Adams apple surgically shaved.

While Thailand is certainly not unique in having transgender people, there are a number of things that set them apart in Thailand. One of the first things is the beauty of some of these individuals. There are katoey who when clothed look like very attractive women. In some ways they have advantages over "real" Thai women in that they are generally taller, and have larger breasts. Many a john in Thailand has been surprised when the "lady" he brings back to his room can effortlessly pee while standing.

Certainly not all the katoeys are difficult to distinguish. Its not at all uncommon when I go to a mall or grocery store to spot a katoey. Of course, the fact that I can spot them means they are not some of the more beautiful ones. Its very easy to tell by looking at the face of some ladyboys that they are/were in fact men.

One thing that is different than in the U.S. is that the katoey are relatively accepted in Thai culture. I know some attribute it to the accepting nature of the Buddhist population, but I think the prominence of the sex trade here has also increased the number of katoey and led to their greater acceptance. Thai people don't treat katoey poorly, and I haven't heard of any violence targetted agains them. People in polite Thai society do not turn their head in disgust at the sight of a katoey. They largely accept them for who they are.

While katoeys are "accepted", they are certainly not treated as one of the guys. Katoey are generally hired in roles largely staffed by women, including the sex industry. I seriously doubt that you would see a katoey serve as a plant manager at a factory, or as a police or fireman.

A lot of katoey engage in prostitution to make their living. They can make more money by selling their bodies than they can doing more "traditional" work. Some of the more attractive ones may star in cabaret shows starring an entire cast of ladyboys. Tim and I went to one of these shows in Phucket about ten years ago, and it was amazing. It was one of those times that you are glad you knew they were men ahead of time so you didn't say anything to really embarrass yourself. Other occupations commonly held by ladyboys include hair dressers and waitresses.

Even though Thai's treat their transgender brethren more kindly than do many other people, life for a katoey certainly cannot be easy. I'm not sure what the prolonged effects of estrogen hormone treatment on a man are, but my guess is they are not positive. A lot of katoey are also drug users, and those earning their daily bread in the sex industry are often engaging in the least safe sex.

Another issue for katoey is that they do not have an official legal status. They are still men. If they are convicted of a crime, they serve their sentence in a men's facility. Once there, the likelihood of rape or abuse is probably fairly high.

Okay, you've read what katoeys are about. Here are some pictures of katoey.

The ladyboy band Venus Flytrap is above.