The fact still remains that the term Ladyboy orginated from Thailand. That alone should tell you the influence the transgender have had in Thai Culture, and also all over the globe.
As a tourist it won’t take you that long to see a ladyboy, especially if you visit the major cities like Bangkok and Phuket. And the interesting thing about Thailand is that you can run into a ladyboy pretty much anywhere. From Parks, to Shopping centers, to the entertainment districts.
But there is an underlying reason as to why transgenders are so poplar in Thailand culture, and also to the amount of ladyboys that this country seems to produce. Here are three reasons why:
Buddhism
The influence of Thailand’s main religion (Buddhism) is a main reason why Ladyboys are accepted among Thai culture, and integrated into the social mindset of the society in whole.
The Buddhist teachings of equality, understanding, forgiveness, and kindness is what makes transgenders accepted all over Thailand. A transgender in Thailand is seen as first as a human being, and not just a gender. The Thai people respect Buddha, and they know that Buddha accepts all creatures and lifeforms to be part of one whole.
So although ladyboys may be different, they are seen as inclusive and part of the whole picture.
What may be seen as Taboo in other religions, is seen as a creation of God in the Buddhist culture, especially when it comes to something that you can’t control — like being born gay, lesbian, or bi-sexual.
The transgender in Thailand do not feel as restricted as they would in other countries. And although things are not always perfect and easy, they rarely feel threatened or awkward to “come out” as ladyboys.
There are many ladyboys who go through tough family situations. Their parents may not always easily accept who they are. But even so, the family and social pressures are not as persistent as in other countries.
Tourism & Entertainment Industry
Thailand’s huge tourism industry is second to none. It allows the ladyboys a lot of exposure to the foreigners who visit the entertainment areas, which are sometimes referred to as red light districts.
Many of ladyboys work in the ladyboy show cabarets, beer bars, and other establishments in Thailand’s entertainment industries. And for this reason, many ladyboys can have income streams from various sources of employment. They can also work as freelancers and “tour guides” for the foreign men who are looking for such company.
This exposure to the limelight is also what entices the younger generation of transgenders in Thailand. They too dream of making some money in these industries. The bottom line is that the ladyboys get great international exposure through Thailand’s tourism industry. It is one of the reasons why we foreigners see so many of them, especially on the online date sites.
Thailand Has Great Transgender Surgeons
Thai ladyboys are simply very beautiful. They are known all over Asia and the world for being super feminine. A big part of that is thanks to the great doctors and surgeons that help them look that way. Which can make it almost impossible to spot them for the untrained eye.
Thailand is well-known for having some of the best post-op surgeons who are capable of turning a man, into a woman — literally. Not only by mechanical means, but also by giving hormone replacement drugs to the ladyboys. The drugs alters there testosterone to estrogen ratio. After some time of taking the drugs, the ladyboys hormones favors towards estrogen, which in turn makes their body ideally more feminine.
Having access to some of the worlds best doctors and surgeons gives the ladyboys in Thailand an edge. It has also created competition, since many ladyboys can strive to be more beautiful than the others. Consequently, this has created a huge amount of beautful ladyboys in this country, and it is the main reason why there are so many of them in Thailand.
