Why Are Their So Many Ladyboys In Thailand ?

[steven23]

"Thailand has the highest rate of Transsexuals throughout the world. According to some academics, the numbers differ from about 10,000 to (unofficially) 300,000. Even if the number of 10,000 is an accurate one, it would still represent an incidence substantially above that estimated for transgender people in most other parts of the world." source: http://davidbonnie.com/2014/08/11/why-are-there-so-many-ladyboys-in-thailand/

Well, to start with, the earlier suggestion that this is a recent phenomenon is flat wrong. Transgender has been a prominent part of not only Thai but Asian cultures generally for thousands of years. Thai kathoey have been recorded by Western visitors for centuries, and there are extant photographs of kathoey from the 1800s. The market for non-Thais purchasing sexual services in Thailand generally, and with ladyboys in particular, may well have begun in the 1960s, but both transgender and prostitution were there long, long before that.

We have evidence that transgender is represented globally and throughout history at around the same levels. They were encountered in the Americas by the conquistadores and later invaders, were recorded in Mesopotamia 6000 years ago, in Grece and Rome, Egypt and elsewhere. In India they have been recorded since Vedic times. There is absolutely nothing new about transgender, it is a constant in human societies everywhere.

Thailand's transgender population is generally reckoned to be between 1% to 3%. That, believe it or not, is in line with what numerous sources put the figure at in the West, so what we are looking at is a situation in which Thailand -- and others like the Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea and even China -- have more obvious trans populations.

So a better question would be 'Why does the West seem to have so few ladyboys or transgenders?'

The reasons for this basically boil down to extreme suppression in the West by religious authorities for thousands of years, and in Asia, to the presence of underlying cultures that not only accept but also in many cases venerate transgender.

Now if you are asking 'Why are there so many trans prostitutes in Thailand?' (and the same could be asked of most other Asian cultures,) it's because in the first place, they don't feel a need to hide; in the second because there is very little stigma attached to a man who uses trans prostitutes in these cultures; third because it is very difficult for a trans person to get a job in another field that pays anything like as well, which leads us to: because an awful lot of men, many of them Westerners, actively pursue sex with transwomen and are happy to pay for it. (An often overlooked fact is that trans prostitutes charge considerably more than cis women in the same role, by the way.)

Transgenders are not significantly more numerous in Thailand than elsewhere (as the West is slowly beginning to understand,) but they are much, much more obvious, especially in those centres where they find it easy to make a living, like Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket. Market pressures also mean that these areas have very high concentrations of transgenders, which is deceptive. (They have high concentrations of young ciswomen too, for similar reasons.)

[Nomyai]

The ? is are their enough customers for them.... I just dont see it.

[i claudius]

I have a friend who when he came here for a holiday went mad for ladyboys , i can understand that many look lovely ,but just feel that having a lady without dangly bits is so much more rewarding , and if the way i felt when the doctor gave me a prostate examination is anything to go by , well once up my one way street was enough for me

[MatteoBassini]

- Open minded society with acceptance of LGBT individuals.

- Avoid conscription

- To get into prostitution

[CharlieH]

Live n let live, " up to you" as the Thais say,and that's to be admired in my opinion.

[petermik]

I have a friend who when he came here for a holiday went mad for ladyboys , i can understand that many look lovely ,but just feel that having a lady without dangly bits is so much more rewarding , and if the way i felt when the doctor gave me a prostate examination is anything to go by , well once up my one way street was enough for me

once up the bum i claudius...........................no harm done

p.s. brace yourself if it happens again

[Pdaz]

Not to mention it's pretty hard to look like a women when you are a 6ft tall hairy farang with broard shoulders and size 12 feet.. Just look at Bruce Jenner. No wonder there are less in the West.

[nev]

The ? is are their enough customers for them.... I just dont see it.

Not all ladyboys sell their toot, big tit.

[totally thaied up]

I have been with my Transgender partner for 8 years and know the "Lady Boy" world very well.

Most you guys are going to be so surprised that many of the 'more' beautiful ladies here will be in fact a Lady Boy and you will not know. You will say, "No, I can tell a Lady Boy" when in fact you cannot. I still get caught out time to time and just shake my head in disbelief. Also, many, many of these girls are not into the Sex Trade. A lot are in the beauty business. In our area, most the hairdressing shops are owned by Lady Boys. Our next door neighbour owns a very successful Beauty Salon and if you did not now she was a Lady Boy, you would never know.

Believe me when I say there are lots of Lady Boys around. Yesterday I was at Mon Cham when this striking young girl came up to us and started to talk to my partner. When she left us about 20 minutes later I said to my partner that she seemed very nice. I was then shocked to find out this person had the full chop and tuck Operation 6 months ago and there was no way I could tell she was in fact a Post Op Lady Boy.

[fey]

its because there is lots of GAYS.

they turn to desperation and need to seduce regular dudes to get off. so they become obsessed with looking like a chick.

[Bernard Flint]

to cater for all the bi sexual guys and the ones who say its ok to go with a guy in a frock

[totally thaied up]

its because there is lots of GAYS.

they turn to desperation and need to seduce regular dudes to get off. so they become obsessed with looking like a chick.

Got to laugh at that.

Do you understand that Lady Boys prefer regular 'straight' men. Gender dysphoria is very complex and it is just not in the lest bit of knowing, that they are in fact not gay? Gay guys like men and would not shag a Lady Boy. Most my gay friends love looking at Lady Boys and saying if they look good or bad, yet ask them if they would shag them and you would get a flat 'no' from them. Show them a hot guy and a six pack stomach and see a totally different result.

There is no obsession at all to this fact and no desperation at all.

[lovelomsak]

I think the reason there are so many lasdyboys in Thailand

Everybody has to be somewhere.

[eldragon]

Do those numbers include all those scary little Thai women that dress and act like men?

[anotheruser]

its because there is lots of GAYS.

they turn to desperation and need to seduce regular dudes to get off. so they become obsessed with looking like a chick.

This is utter nonsense. Given the fact there are tons of gays nobody is desperate to get laid. Getting laid in the gay world is much easier than the straight word. You are also much likelier to get some for free.

[TPI]

The correct title should be.'Why are there so many Toms in Thailand'?

Ladyboys??

I hardly see any of them anymore like say...10 years ago.

Seriously...

I am sure there are many more in Pattaya and such but in more 'normal' cities they have disappeared.

I agree, even teaching in High School in a class of 60 you might find 3 or 4 couples in the junior classes and in the senior classes as high as 6 or 7 couples......! I can understand the need for young women to get their first sexual experiences in safety and, I've seen many women who have been "burnt" by Thai men. A friend has suggested that the reason there are more "Toms" around is because the women have yet to experience a "real" man??

He might have a case??

[SantiSuk]

I have been with my Transgender partner for 8 years and know the "Lady Boy" world very well.

Most you guys are going to be so surprised that many of the 'more' beautiful ladies here will be in fact a Lady Boy and you will not know. You will say, "No, I can tell a Lady Boy" when in fact you cannot. I still get caught out time to time and just shake my head in disbelief. Also, many, many of these girls are not into the Sex Trade. A lot are in the beauty business. In our area, most the hairdressing shops are owned by Lady Boys. Our next door neighbour owns a very successful Beauty Salon and if you did not now she was a Lady Boy, you would never know.

Believe me when I say there are lots of Lady Boys around. Yesterday I was at Mon Cham when this striking young girl came up to us and started to talk to my partner. When she left us about 20 minutes later I said to my partner that she seemed very nice. I was then shocked to find out this person had the full chop and tuck Operation 6 months ago and there was no way I could tell she was in fact a Post Op Lady Boy.

So you think we don't know that many beauty/hairdressing salons are run by ladyboys and that it's difficult to tell quite often?

You may know ladyboys well, but you clearly don't know your fellow expats!

I agree that there's still a lot around - every Isaan village has one ir two, mostly normally 'married' and not of the prettied-up variety. Also agree with another poster that toms are very prevalent amongst the young these days. Lots of schoolgirls seem to have a real down on Asian male youth.

[Gonsalviz]

The correct title should be.'Why are there so many Toms in Thailand'?

Ladyboys??

I hardly see any of them anymore like say...10 years ago.

Seriously...

I am sure there are many more in Pattaya and such but in more 'normal' cities they have disappeared.

Don't know where you are but they are everywhere in Isan. Gay, Ladyboy, Tomboy, everywhere. Any of the major stores or restaurants employ them. I can't imagine why you would think they have disappeared.

My fave pharmacy is run by a gay guy. Tesco, 7, anywhere employ them.

[NickJ]

Who cares.....for many its just money. for some its life.......

[juice777]

I've always wondered are they the same as the ones in the West, "a lady born in a man's body" or do they do it for different reasons?

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

[ksamuiguy]

Have been here all the time just don't need to hide it any longer.

It seems only farangs notice, it's not a problem and has never been for Thai's.

[NoshowJones]

The ? is are their enough customers for them.... I just dont see it.

When you say 'customers', I take it you mean Johns. Ladyboys are not all prostitutes, don't you go into shops, offices etc?

[Brit_Doggie]

Logic women outnumber men get work get cared for by mostly farang so trans gender etc works and cap it all no lottery to join armed forces.

[stevedom]

The main point seems to me is why do boys grow up wanting to be ladies? My own humble theory, honed over many years observing in many societies, is that a lack of father figure does often result in a gay, homosexual child....so when you see the number of single thai mums this could be a reason there are many gays, toms, ladyboys I Thailand. (one reason , maybe with others also)

[aronp1]

The ? is are their enough customers for them.... I just dont see it.

What??? Hahaha you actually think that every ladyboy is must be a prostitute.

[Berkshire]

The main point seems to me is why do boys grow up wanting to be ladies? My own humble theory, honed over many years observing in many societies, is that a lack of father figure does often result in a gay, homosexual child....so when you see the number of single thai mums this could be a reason there are many gays, toms, ladyboys I Thailand. (one reason , maybe with others also)

So you believe that the environment can turn an otherwise straight person gay? That's actually a dangerous belief. There are folks in the US who think that way and have tried to "convert" their gay sons, usually with disastrous results. I tend to believe that a person is born gay, i.e., genetics. No one "chooses" to be attracted to another of the same sex.

As to the OP's question, there "seems" to be more gays/ladyboys in Thailand because the Thais are very tolerant. There isn't near the stigma here as there is in the west. From a science perspective, Thailand has the same number of gays as anywhere else. Again, Thai society allows it to be exhibited freely.

[i claudius]

The main point seems to me is why do boys grow up wanting to be ladies? My own humble theory, honed over many years observing in many societies, is that a lack of father figure does often result in a gay, homosexual child....so when you see the number of single thai mums this could be a reason there are many gays, toms, ladyboys I Thailand. (one reason , maybe with others also)

So you believe that the environment can turn an otherwise straight person gay? That's actually a dangerous belief. There are folks in the US who think that way and have tried to "convert" their gay sons, usually with disastrous results. I tend to believe that a person is born gay, i.e., genetics. No one "chooses" to be attracted to another of the same sex.

As to the OP's question, there "seems" to be more gays/ladyboys in Thailand because the Thais are very tolerant. There isn't near the stigma here as there is in the west. From a science perspective, Thailand has the same number of gays as anywhere else. Again, Thai society allows it to be exhibited freely.

I am playing devils advocate here,so don't shoot me,as I have no problem with gay people,but does that go for men that are attracted to children as well?

[MaeJoMTB]

OP seems wrong on several points, the most obvious error being,

LBs in CM charge half the price of real women for their services ........ not more.

Can your environment turn you gay?

Not sure, but the LBs look a lot more attractive to me after a few beers.

Edited November 13, 2015 by MaeJoMTB

[fang37]

I have no idea why there are more.

But I am extremely happy that there are.

[Berkshire]

The main point seems to me is why do boys grow up wanting to be ladies? My own humble theory, honed over many years observing in many societies, is that a lack of father figure does often result in a gay, homosexual child....so when you see the number of single thai mums this could be a reason there are many gays, toms, ladyboys I Thailand. (one reason , maybe with others also)

So you believe that the environment can turn an otherwise straight person gay? That's actually a dangerous belief. There are folks in the US who think that way and have tried to "convert" their gay sons, usually with disastrous results. I tend to believe that a person is born gay, i.e., genetics. No one "chooses" to be attracted to another of the same sex.

As to the OP's question, there "seems" to be more gays/ladyboys in Thailand because the Thais are very tolerant. There isn't near the stigma here as there is in the west. From a science perspective, Thailand has the same number of gays as anywhere else. Again, Thai society allows it to be exhibited freely.

I am playing devils advocate here,so don't shoot me,as I have no problem with gay people,but does that go for men that are attracted to children as well?

You're asking whether pedo's are born that way? We may as well ask about murderers and rapists also. But those things are criminal behaviors and being gay is not. I do think some people are more prone to engage in criminal behavior and their environment certainly contributes.