 constitution should recognise that."
Katoeys are a very visible section of Thai society, not only on the streets and in the hostess bars of Bangkok and other cities, but on the entertainment scene. No Thai television comedy show or soap opera is complete without a katoey or two, turning in camp performances that no Western producer would dream of demanding from his cast.
Two of Thailand's most successful theatre shows, the Simon Cabaret, in Pattaya and Chiang Mai, are Las Vegas-style spectaculars, lavishly staged and costumed, and so wholesome that they're billed as family entertainment. Many of the gorgeous 'girls' who strut their stuff on the Pattaya and Chiang Mai stages are working to save enough for a full sex-change operation.
With well-paid work in television or cabaret beckoning, Thai village families who used to send daughters off to Bangkok to earn money in its seedy bars and karaoke lounges are now known to encourage their sons to become katoeys. Some even end up with prosperous Western partners - like Pui, a |
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| No Thai television comedy show or soap is complete without a katoey or two |
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Chiang Mai katoey who lives in some style with her/his Swedish male companion.
"I was turned down for military service and I've given up trying to get a passport," Pui says. "I feel like a third-class citizen. The least the government can do is to give us third-class status - as a third sex."
Earlier this month, a 21-year-old student, who says her aim is to work for transsexual rights, won a Pattaya pageant to find the country's most
beautiful katoey. Thanyarasmi Siraphatphakorn (left) was crowned Miss Tiffany 2007 at an event watched by millions of Thais on national television. She won a new Mercedes Benz, a gem-studded tiara and the equivalent of £1,500 in cash - just about the same amount of money she probably spent on sex-change operations. 
FIRST POSTED MAY 17, 2007
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