Mimi Tao is a famous model in Thailand. She is a regular on the catwalk, and in advertising campaigns, and appears in photo shoots modelling swimsuits and lingerie. But as a child Mimi wore the saffron robes of a Buddhist monk. She was born a boy, and it was during training for the monkhood that Mimi started to question her identity. She told Jo Fidgen how she went from the temple to the catwalk.



(Photo: Mimi Tao, on the left as a monk, on the right as a fashion model after becoming a woman. Credit: Itthipol Deemee/Thai Model Management)

BBC World Service - Outlook, From Buddhist monk to catwalk model