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A kathoey or katoey (in Thai กะเทย) is a male-to-female transgendered person in Thailand. They are sometimes referred to as ladyboys or as the third sex in Thailand.
Virtually all kathoey cross-dress and undergo hormone replacement therapy; most have breast implants; some also undergo sex reassignment surgery to remove their genitals and form female ones and other surgical procedures.
Kathoey often start to cross-dress, take female hormones and undergo various surgerical procedures at quite a young age. Their makeup, dress and figure is usually very feminine, so much so that the most stunning females in Thailand are frequently kathoey. They can often be found in entertainment and tourist centers, working as dancers, in cabaret shows or as prostitutes; kathoey working in regular occupations are however not uncommon. There are also persistent reports of groups of kathoey working as pickpockets in tourist areas.
Compared to Western countries, where transgender and transsexuals are just beginning to become visible (and demand their rights), kathoey are much more visible and more widely accepted in Thai culture. Some believe this is due to the nature of the surrounding Buddhist culture, which places a high value on tolerance. Yet, families (and especially fathers) are typically disappointed if a son becomes a kathoey. Legal recognition of kathoey also is non-existant in Thailand: even after sex reassignment surgery, they are not allowed to change their legal gender. (Compare Legal aspects of transsexualism).
Kathoey in Thailand appear to be more common than transgendered persons in Western societies. One possible explanation is their relative cultural acceptance, combined with the fact that open masculine homosexuality is a much more recent and less visible phenomenon. Becoming a kathoey might thus be a solution for a number of male homosexuals. However, kathoey generally seek sexual partners who are heterosexual and don't identify themselves as gay. The life as a kathoey is not without strains: their suicide rate is significantly higher than that of the general population.
In 1996, a kathoey education student murdered a young woman. This was followed by negative coverage of kathoey in the Thai press; the Rajabhat Institutes (teacher training colleges) then closed their doors to all kathoey. The decision had to be reversed after protests of gay, lesbian and feminist groups.
Popular Thai models, singers and movie stars are kathoey. Thai newspapers often print photos of the winners of female and kathoey beauty contests side by side.
In 1996, a volleyball team composed mostly of kathoey, known as the "Iron Ladies", won the Thai national championship. The Thai government, concerned with the country's image, then prevented the team from competing internationally. This story underlies the successful 2000 movie The Iron Ladies and the 2003 sequel The Iron Ladies 2.
Among the most famous kathoeys in Thailand is Nong Tum, a former champion kick boxer. She was already cross-dressing and taking hormones while still a popular boxer; her career ended in 1999 when she had genital reassignment surgery. Her life is related in the 2003 movie Beautiful Boxer.
External links
- Andrew Matzner: In Legal Limbo: Thailand, Transgendered Men, and the Law, 1999. Criticizes the common view that kathoey are fully accepted by Thai society.
- Chanon Intramart and Eric Allyn: Beautiful Boxer, 2003. Describes the story of Nong Tum.
- E.G. Allyn: Trees in the Same Forest, 2002. Description of the gay and kathoey scene of Thailand.