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I read this BBC article the other day about a northeastern Thai school’s third bathroom facility – for transsexuals. (Note about me: Almost my entire family is in Thailand and I go home to Bangkok every two years. I also speak Thai pretty fluently with my parents and coworkers.)

The 3rd toilet sign; I almost think it should be purple?

Wikipedia states that transsexuality is most prevalent in Thailand than in any other country in the world – a statement that not only confirms my past experiences there, but also forces me to clarify my own understanding of transsexuality in Thailand. Because I’ll admit, I’m never really prepared when someone responds to my “I’m from Thailand” factoid with, “Did you know that Thailand is known for its quality, lower-cost sex reassignment surgery?” Um..yes I did, thanks. I mean, I’ve come to expect the usual reaction – “I LOVE Thai food, omgz aslkgja;wlkrjga!” – so my discomfort probably comes from lack of information on the topic.

The Thai word, “kathoey” (“ladyboy” in English), can refer to either a transgender male who identifies as a female (who may or may not have gotten sex-change surgery), or an effeminate gay male. Growing up, I’ve heard and used the word countless times. From my experience, the term isn’t used in an insulting or derogatory manner so much as it announces a sighting or a giggly revelation that the woman walking by is/was biologically a man. Rather, Thai transsexuals are something of a spectacle – neither completely excluded from the community nor completely accepted.

It makes sense, then, that Thailand is known for its transgender cabarets in Pattaya (a popular beach/tourist city). Actually, my mom’s friend’s father owns one of the two most famous cabaret shows – Alcazar – which bills itself as “The 8th Wonder of the World.” Right – spectacle. In the two times I’ve seen Alcazar, the performers (all transsexual males, many of whom have had genital reassignment surgery) have all stunned me with their beauty and femininity. A literal I-can’t-believe-my-eyes kind of moment.

Kathoeys performing in Alcazar in elaborate Thai costume/set (they also have a song set dressed up as The Supremes

Sometimes I want to object that these shows unfairly employ the kathoeys as freaks in a freak show. But after considering the role of transsexual individuals in Thai culture, the fact remains that these cabarets help propel kathoeys onto the national and international scene. They’ve become a part of the Thai image, which helps increase visibility and tolerance of transsexuality. Several individuals have used the cabarets as launching pads for greater fame as transgender rights campaigners, singers, boxers, and beauty pageant winners. So no, I don’t consider transsexuality in Thailand to be a freak show – instead, it seems to be about furthering acceptance; by assuming their expected roles as cabaret performers, they can begin to reshape these identities for themselves.

Tanyarat Jirapatpakon, winner of Miss International Queen 2007, a Thai transgender beauty contest