Everything & More - “Ladyboys”

​Temples and monasteries, spectacle(!), cannabis lounges, Thai massage offerings from A-Z.

And “ladyboys.” 

I didn’t know about ladyboys (“kathoey”) until a friend asked whether I’d been to a ladyboy show. But once you know, a quite common site. 


Thailand is both traditional and tolerant, flavored by the principles of Thai Buddhism. Buddhist scriptures mention 3 genders: man, woman and kathoey. The belief is that everyone has been kathoey in a previous life and will be again in the future so they should be treated with kindness and compassion. As a result, the Thai language is generally gender-neutral.


Thailand is widely believed to have the largest and, in any case, most visible transgender population in the world including an estimated 300,000 kathoeys who are honored and respected. 


Phenom Thailand. 

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