Kathoey
Encyclopedia
Kathoey or katoey is a male-to-female transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
person or an effeminate gay male in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. Related phrases include sao (or phuying) praphet song , or phet thi sam ' onMouseout='HidePop("1236")' href="/topics/Third_gender">third gender
Third gender
The terms third gender and third sex describe individuals who are categorized as neither man nor woman, as well as the social category present in those societies who recognize three or more genders...
"). The word kathoey is thought to be of Khmer
Khmer language
Khmer , or Cambodian, is the language of the Khmer people and the official language of Cambodia. It is the second most widely spoken Austroasiatic language , with speakers in the tens of millions. Khmer has been considerably influenced by Sanskrit and Pali, especially in the royal and religious...
origin (the equivalent Khmer word is "kteuy"). It is most often rendered as ladyboy in English conversation with Thais and this latter expression has become popular across South East Asia except in the Philippines where the term bakla
Bakla (Philippines)
In the Philippines, a baklà is a male-bodied person who is exclusively attracted to men. Baklas are often considered a third gender, and many baklas display feminine mannerisms and dress as women. Some actually identify as women....
is often used. "Bakla," is a term applied to Filipino homosexuals and transsexuals in general. In the Philippines, unlike in many Western countries, almost all transsexuals consider themselves to be gay, and so they often call themselves by the English word "ladyboy" because it indicates a distinction which is not made by the Tagalog words.
General description
The term "kathoey" is not an exact equivalent of the modern Western trans womanTrans woman
A trans woman is a male-to-female transsexual or transgender person and the term trans woman is preferred by some individuals over various medical terms. Other non-medical terms include t-girl, tg-girl and ts-girl...
, in that "kathoey" suggests that the person self-identifies as a type of male, unlike the term sao praphet song, which (like "trans woman") suggests a female gender identity, or phet thi sam, which suggests a third gender
Third gender
The terms third gender and third sex describe individuals who are categorized as neither man nor woman, as well as the social category present in those societies who recognize three or more genders...
. The term phu-ying praphet thi sorng, which can be translated as "woman of the second kind", is also used to refer to kathoey. Australian scholar of sexual politics in Thailand Peter Jackson
Peter Jackson (academic)
An Australian writer and scholar of gender and sexual identities and Buddhism in Thailand. He is currently a Fellow in the Division of Pacific & Asian History, at the Australian National University in Canberra.-Bibliography:...
claims that the term "kathoey" was used in premodern times to refer to intersexuals, and that the usage changed in the middle of the twentieth century to cover cross-dressing
Cross-dressing
Cross-dressing is the wearing of clothing and other accoutrement commonly associated with a gender within a particular society that is seen as different than the one usually presented by the dresser...
males. The term can refer to males who exhibit varying degrees of femininity – many kathoeys dress as women and undergo feminising medical procedures such as hormone replacement therapy, breast implants, buttock augmentation
Buttock augmentation
thumb|right|250px|Gluteoplasty: the pre-operative, back and oblique-right aspects , and the like post-operative aspects , of a combined procedure of buttocks augmentation and thigh contouring.Gluteoplasty thumb|right|250px|Gluteoplasty: the pre-operative, back and oblique-right aspects (left), and...
, genital reassignment surgery
Sex reassignment surgery male-to-female
Sex reassignment surgery from male to female involves reshaping the male genitals into a form with the appearance of and, as far as possible, the function of female genitalia. Prior to any surgeries, trans women usually undergo hormone replacement therapy and facial hair removal...
, or Adam's apple reductions
Chondrolaryngoplasty
Chondrolaryngoplasty is a surgical procedure in which the thyroid cartilage is reduced in size by shaving down the cartilage through an incision in the throat, generally to aid trans women in achieving a passable female appearance, and occasionally on cisgender men and women who are uncomfortable...
. Others may wear makeup and use feminine pronouns, but dress as men, and are closer to the Western category of effeminate
Effeminacy
Effeminacy describes traits in a human male, that are more often associated with traditional feminine nature, behaviour, mannerisms, style or gender roles rather than masculine nature, behaviour, mannerisms, style or roles....
gay man than transgender.
The term "kathoey" may be considered pejorative, especially in the form "kathoey-saloey". It has a meaning similar to the English language "fairy" or "queen".
Social context
Kathoey work in predominately female occupations, such as in shops, restaurants and beauty salonBeauty salon
A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment dealing with cosmetic treatments for men and women...
s, but also in factories (a reflection of Thailand's high proportion of female industrial workers). Kathoey also work in entertainment and tourist centers, in cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
– Alcazar and Tiffanys in Pattaya
Pattaya
Pattaya is a city in Thailand, located on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about 165 km southeast of Bangkok located within but not part of Amphoe Bang Lamung in the province of Chonburi....
are among the best known – and as sex workers
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
.
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
or transsexual people are in Western countries or the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
. Several popular Thai models, singers and movie stars are kathoeys, and Thai newspapers often print photos of the winners of female and kathoey beauty contests side by side. The phenomenon is not restricted to urban areas; there are kathoeys in most villages, and kathoey beauty contests are commonly held as part of local fairs.
Some believe that this higher acceptance is due to the nature of the surrounding Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
culture, which places a high value on tolerance. Using the notion of Karma
Karma
Karma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies....
, some Thai believe that being a kathoey is the result of transgressions in past live
Reincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
s, concluding that kathoey deserve pity rather than blame.
A common stereotype is that older well-off kathoey provide financial support to young men with whom they are in a personal relationship.
Kathoey women currently face many social and legal impediments. Families (and especially fathers) are typically disappointed if a son becomes a kathoey, and kathoey women often have to face the prospect of coming out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
. However, kathoey generally have greater acceptance in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
than most other Asian countries. Legal recognition of kathoeys
Legal aspects of transsexualism
Transsexual people are those who establish a permanent identity with the gender opposite to the gender identified at birth. As most legal jurisdictions have at least some recognition of the two traditional genders at the exclusion of other categories, this raises many legal issues and aspects of...
is non-existent in Thailand: even after genital reassignment surgery, they are not allowed to change their legal sex. Discrimination in employment remains rampant. Issues can also arise in regards to access to amenities and gender allocation; for example, a kathoey who had undergone sexual reassignment surgery would still have to stay in an all-male prison.
Recent developments
Rajabhat University system
The Rajabhat Universities compose one of the university systems in Thailand.They were formerly called Rajabhat Institutes, and originally formed the teachers college system. Most provinces have one and they are generally easier to gain admission to than the so-called "public universities"...
(the governing body of the colleges) announced it would formalize the ban, which would extend to all campuses at the start of the 1997 academic year. The ban was quietly rescinded later in the year following the replacement of the Minister of Education.
In 1996, a volleyball team composed mostly of gays and kathoeys, known as The Iron Ladies , later portrayed in two Thai movies
The Iron Ladies (film)
The Iron Ladies is a Thai comedy film from the year 2000. The movie follows the true events of a men's volleyball team, composed mainly of gay and kathoey athletes...
, won the Thai national championship. The Thai government, concerned with the country's image, barred two of the kathoey from joining the national team and competing internationally.
Among the most famous kathoeys in Thailand is Nong Tum, a former champion Thai boxer
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
who emerged into the public eye in 1998. She was already cross-dressing and taking hormones while still a popular boxer; she would enter the ring with long hair and makeup, occasionally kissing a defeated opponent. She announced her retirement from professional boxing in 1999 – undergoing genital reassignment surgery, while continuing to work as a coach, and taking up acting and modeling. She returned to boxing in 2006.
In 2004, the Chiang Mai Technology School allocated a separate restroom for kathoeys, with an intertwined male and female symbol on the door. The 15 kathoey students are required to wear male clothing at school but are allowed to sport feminine hairdos. The restroom features four stalls, but no urinals.
Also in 2004, Nong Poy
Nong Poy
Saknarin Marnyaporn , better known by the names Nong Poy or Treechada is a Thai actress and model. Assigned male at birth, Poy underwent sex reassignment surgery at age 17.- Biography :...
won Miss Tiffany's 2004 and Miss International Queen 2004 and since then she has become an icon of transgendered beauty for both women and men in Thailand.
Following the Military Coup in Thailand in 2006 kathoeys are hoping for a new third sex to be added to passports and other official documents in a proposed new constitution. In 2007, legislative efforts have begun to allow kathoeys to change their legal sex if they have undergone genital reassignment surgery; this latter restriction was controversially discussed in the community.
Bell Nuntita
Bell Nuntita
Bell Nuntita , is a Thai transgender singer, entertainer and radio DJ. She became popular after a performance during her audition on Thailand's Got Talent which took place on March 13, 2011...
a contestant of Thailand's Got Talent
Thailand's Got Talent
Thailand's Got Talent is a Thai reality television series on the Channel 3 television network, and part of the global British Got Talent series. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, sketch artists, comedians and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
TV shows become a YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
hit when she first performed singing as a girl, and the crowd become amazed when she switches to a masculine voice.
Revues and music groups
Following a similar group in South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, the first all kathoey music group in Thailand was formed in 2006. It is named Venus Flytrap
Venus Flytrap (group)
Venus Flytrap is a Thai pop music group made up of five young transgender women . The members were selected from 200 applicants during an audition in 2005 by Sony BMG Music Entertainment, which also promotes the group and provided it with a recording contract.Their first public performance occurred...
and was selected and promoted by Sony BMG Music Entertainment.
The Lady Boys of Bangkok is a kathoey revue
Revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century American popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during its golden years from 1916 to 1932...
that has been performed in the UK since 1998 touring the country in both theatres and the famous "Sabai Pavillion" for 9 months each year.
Films
LadyboysLadyboys (documentary)
Ladyboys is a 1992 documentary film about the struggle of two teenage kathoey, or Thai male-to-female transgender persons, to leave the rural countryside and become famous transvestite performers in the glamorous cabarets of Pattaya. The film was produced by Jeremy Marre. It was made by Harcourt TV...
is a 1992 documentary film made for Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
TV and directed by Jeremy Marre
Jeremy Marre
Jeremy Marre is a television director, writer and producer who founded Harcourt Films and has worked extensively around the world. Many of his films are on musical subjects....
. It relates the story of two teenage kathoey who prepare for and enter a rural beauty contest and then leave for Pattaya to find work in a cabaret revue.
The story of the 1996 Iron Ladies volleyball team underlies the humorous and successful 2000 movie The Iron Ladies
The Iron Ladies (film)
The Iron Ladies is a Thai comedy film from the year 2000. The movie follows the true events of a men's volleyball team, composed mainly of gay and kathoey athletes...
and the 2003 sequel The Iron Ladies 2.
The 2002 Thai film Saving Private Tootsie
Saving Private Tootsie
Saving Private Tootsie is a Thai film. The film is directed by Kittikorn Liawsirikul.In the film several katoeys survive a plane crash in the jungle of an neighbouring country and several soldiers come to rescue them.The film was sold for remake rights in the United States.-External links:* ...
tells the story of a group of gays and kathoey who need to be rescued after a plane crash in rebel-held jungle
Jungle
A Jungle is an area of land in the tropics overgrown with dense vegetation.The word jungle originates from the Sanskrit word jangala which referred to uncultivated land. Although the Sanskrit word refers to "dry land", it has been suggested that an Anglo-Indian interpretation led to its...
territory. The film explores anti-gay attitudes in various ways. It is loosely based on an incident in December 1998 when a group including a popular singer and his kathoey makeup artist survived a plane crash.
The life of the kathoey kick boxer Nong Tum is related in the 2003 movie Beautiful Boxer
Beautiful Boxer
Beautiful Boxer is a Thai biographical sports film by Singapore-based director Ekachai Uekrongtham. It tells the life story of Nong Thoom, a famous kathoey , Muay Thai fighter, actress and model...
. Unlike The Iron Ladies 1 & 2, Beautiful Boxer used a serious tone.
In the 2005 Thai martial arts film The Warrior King
Tom-Yum-Goong
Tom-Yum-Goong Tom-Yum-Goong Tom-Yum-Goong (Thai: ต้มยำกุ้ง, is a 2005 Thai Martial arts Action film starring Tony Jaa. The film was directed by Prachya Pinkaew, who also directed Jaa's prior breakout film Ong-Bak. As with Ong-Bak, the fights were choreographed by Jaa and his mentor, Panna Rittikrai...
or Tom yum goong, the main villain, Madame Rose, is a kathoey, and there are two references to this in the film (for the US release these were edited out). She is played by Jin Xing
Jin Xing
Jin Xing is a ballerina, modern dancer, choreographer and actress from the People's Republic of China, and owner of the contemporary dance company "Shanghai Jin Xing Dance Theatre". Although usually credited as Jing Xing, the proper pinyin spelling is Jin Xing...
who is herself transgendered.
The extreme traveller show Madventures
Madventures
Madventures is a Finnish travel documentary television series that concentrates on backpacking in the most off-the-beaten-path destinations on the planet. It is presented by Riku Rantala and Tuomas "Tunna" Milonoff. As the show's director and cameramen, they travel around the world exploring...
had a section on ladyboys on the third season.
In the 2011 film The Hangover: Part II, Stu inadvertently has sex with a kathoey prostitute while on a drug-induced bender in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
.
Books
The book Ladyboys: The Secret World of Thailand's Third Gender gives an intimate portrait of Thailand's kathoey. It is a collection of authentic stories about journeys of self-discovery by those who have struggled with gender identity while trying to maintain normal lives and careers. The book features some of Thailand's celebrity ladyboys such as Boxer Nong Tum as well as the life of others such as a magazine columnist, a cabaret performer and a prostitute. The book was written by Susan Aldous and Pornchai Sereemongkonpol and published in May 2008 by Maverick House PublishersMaverick House Publishers
Maverick House Publishers is an independent publisher of non-fiction books. It was founded in the Republic of Ireland. The headquarter is based in Dunboyne, Co. Meath, Ireland. A second branch is situated in Bangkok, Thailand...
. Another book about university-aged kathoey (published in 2007) is "Male Bodies, Women's Souls: Personal Narratives of Thailand's Transgendered Youth," by LeeRay Costa and Andrew Matzner.
See also
- Hijra (South Asia)Hijra (South Asia)In the culture of South Asia, hijras or chakka in Kannada, khusra in Punjabi and kojja in Telugu are physiological males who have feminine gender identity, women's clothing and other feminine gender roles. Hijras have a long recorded history in the Indian subcontinent, from the antiquity, as...
- List of transgender-related topics
- HermaphroditeHermaphroditeIn biology, a hermaphrodite is an organism that has reproductive organs normally associated with both male and female sexes.Many taxonomic groups of animals do not have separate sexes. In these groups, hermaphroditism is a normal condition, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which both...
- BishōnenBishonenis a Japanese term literally meaning "beautiful youth ". The equivalent English concept is a "pretty boy".The term describes an aesthetic that can be found in disparate areas in East Asia: a young man whose beauty transcends the boundary of gender or sexual orientation...
- Gender Identities in ThailandGender Identities in ThailandWithin Thailand one can find several different gender roles, identities and diverse visual markers of masculinity and femininity. The demand for positive self-identity is growing in Thailand and their communities are strengthening.-Tom identity:...
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.
- Andrew Matzner: Roses of the North: The Katoey of Chiang Mai University, 1999. Reports on a kathoey "sorority" at Chiang Mai University.
- Transgender Asia including several articles on kathoey
- Where the 'Ladyboys' Are
- Thailand's "Women of the Second Kind"
- Can you tell the difference between Katoeys and real ladies?"
- E.G. Allyn: Trees in the Same Forest, 2002. Description of the gay and kathoey scene of Thailand.
- Chanon Intramart and Eric Allyn: Beautiful Boxer, 2003. Describes the story of Nong Tum.
- The Hermaphrodite World http://www.theasiatrust.org is a film exploring the kathoey culture of Thailand
- Katoey Thai-Ladyboys