Thread: Thai election : Don't laugh at "ladyboys,"

Don't laugh at "ladyboys," Thai election officials told
(Reporting by Vithoon Amorn and Nick Macfie; Editing by Alex Richardson)
Fri Jul 1, 2011

Thai election officials manning voting booths were ordered on Friday not to laugh at "ladyboys" who this week said they were being marginalised in Sunday's poll because of confusion over their ID card pictures.

It was the latest in a series of complaints by members of the Trans-Female Association of Thailand, which groups transgenders and transsexuals, known collectively as "katoeys" or "ladyboys."

Their ID cards, renewable every seven years, may show a woman's face marked "mister," or a boy's face when the ID card holder looks like a woman.

"In case of any problem in ascertaining the identity of voters, officials have a clear instruction to be polite in making inquiries and they must try their best to refrain from laughing," Election Commission secretary Suthipol Thaweechaikarn said.

He said card holders who had undergone cosmetic surgery or a major facelift should carry a number of identity cards bearing pictures of their various stages of appearance.

Everyone in Thailand has to carry a national ID card at all times from the age of 15.

Transgenders and transsexuals are accepted in Thailand more readily than in most other countries, with one new airline hiring only ladyboys as cabin crew. They are especially common in cosmetics shops and health stores and in bars in some of Bangkok's racier entertainment districts.

But Yollada Suanyoc, president of the 2,500-strong Trans-Female Association, said the government had been slow to accept them and accused society of grouping transgenders, transsexuals and homosexuals as one and the same when each group had its own issues.

Bangkok is a world centre for people seeking sex changes, or sex "reassignments," but the Tourism Authority of Thailand said it did not have exact figures on how many people visited the city for such operations.

uk.reuters.com

Laughter not always the best medicine...

Might get a stiletto heel through your brain...

You'd think they'd be used to seeing ladyboys by now. I guess the novelty never wears off for some...

Just for you Mid


3..2..1...........

Originally Posted by WilliamBlake

You'd think they'd be used to seeing ladyboys by now. I guess the novelty never wears off for some...

Yeah, and the carnival begins on the 3rd...

Don't you just luv 'em. Well, not me personally.

Originally Posted by Mid

He said card holders who had undergone cosmetic surgery or a major facelift

Never ever fuck with a card carrying member without a member. Simple.

They should probably be more worried about the self styled Red shirt election monitors beating them up if they find out.

Originally Posted by withnallstoke

Never ever fuck with a card carrying member without a member. Simple.

Getting late here and I had to think about this, but are card carrying (100%) female members still ok to fuck?

Thailand: Transgender diva seeks political office
Patrick Winn
May 26, 2012

Election could install the highest-ranking transgender candidate in Thai history.


Yollada “Nok” Suanyot at a press conference. She released this picture of herself on Hi5, a social media network popular in Asia.
(Courtesy)

BANGKOK, Thailand — Consider Yollada “Nok” Suanyot among the more unique challenges for campaign strategists. After all, the public is seldom presented with a male-born political candidate who was famously arrested as a teen for using a fake ID to enter — and win — women’s beauty pageants.

Via May 27 provincial elections, Yollada could become the highest-ranking transgender politician in Thailand’s history. If victorious, a potential but unlikely scenario, she will have taken a most unusual route to political office: rebellious teenage pageant queen to pop singer to rights advocate and entrepreneur.

Yollada, now 28, is campaigning in her home province of Nan, a remote region on the Thai-Laos border. She has no party’s backing. She competes independently against a candidate from Thailand’s well-funded ruling party, Pheu Thai, for a top position commanding provincial finances.

In lieu of a war chest, Yollada has notoriety.

She is perhaps best known as a cover model and former member of Venus Flytrap, a Spice Girls-esque troupe of fellow male-to-female transgender Thais. (Her stage name was Posh Venus.)

More recently, Yollada has attracted attention by forming a rights group — the TransFemale Association of Thailand — and openly calling for state-funded sex changes. She is public about her desire to raise children.

Yollada’s campaign platform is standard political fare: promises of a tourism drive, improved educational services for youth, support service for the elderly and a 24-hour emergency help line. The race, however, will be watched closely by transgender Thais wondering whether political power can be achieved by one of their own.

This week, Yollada took a break from campaigning to speak with GlobalPost about her stardom, her political aims and her home province’s view of transgender Thais.

GlobalPost: You’re campaigning in fairly conservative province. How have you been received on the campaign trail?

Yollada “Nok” Suanyot: I’ve received some great feedback. As for the other candidates, yes, they’ve highlighted the face that I’m of a different gender. They seem to think it’s a weakness. But as far as I can see, the people of Nan are believers in human rights. They examine my ability to develop the province more than my gender. I don’t even focus on gender in my campaign. I barely bring it up.

You’ve had a lot of high-profile jobs. What are you doing now?

I’m the manager of a TV station (a home shopping network called the “Jewelry Channel”) and I still run my jewelry business. I also do voiceovers for Discovery and National Geographic.

Can you be taken seriously as a politician? Or are you seen as a showbiz star?

I was born and bred here in this small province. Developing it is my focus. Am I pretty? Am I a star? It doesn’t matter. Whether I’m a star or not doesn’t affect whether or not I can improve lives in this area.

Will you continue modeling and doing commercials if you’re elected?

I’ll probably be able to take jobs in my free time. I’m not just going to throw my career away. I’ll divide my time even if it’s scarce. But representing the people, not just in my province but all over Thailand, will be my first priority.

Are you satisfied with transgender rights under Thai law?

Good laws protecting transexuals have yet to come. We’re still on the fringe. Look at me. My role in society is that of a woman. But the law recognizes me as a man. That doesn’t make much sense, does it? Perhaps we now have greater acceptance in society. But not when it comes to legal rights.

How far would you push? For the right to raise a child?

Well, look, we barely have any rights at all at this point. Our genitalia is not recognized as female (even after surgery) so, if we’re jailed, we’re put in prison with the men. We can’t get proper health insurance. We can’t get married. We have problems traveling outside the country and trouble dealing with banks and government offices.

A question for foreigners: what would you like to be called? People hear words ranging from “ladyboy” to “transgender.” But they don’t know which to use.

Transexual female or transexual woman. That’s the best.

Most Thai people use the word “kathoey.” Is that bad?

I don’t like it. That’s for transvestites.

But you once wrote a book called “Kathoey Kathoey,” right? (The 2007 book’s cover synopsis promises a tale of Yollada “faking it as a woman to snatch up crowns” in beauty pageants.)

That was my first book. And that was just an attractive headline. I’ve changed a lot since then.

Does your family support your campaign?

Yes, they still live here and they support everything I do.

Are you in a relationship now?

Nope. I’m single. (Laughs) You can go find someone for me if you want!

Do you think you’ll win?

I concede to having very little experience in politics. I’m getting all these positive responses but I don’t know if that will secure my victory. So I can’t answer that question just yet.

What will you do if you lose?

I have my career. And I’ll continue my work with the TransFemale Association of Thailand. I’ll keep volunteering and working as a representative of the people. So, no matter what, I feel like I won’t really lose anything.

globalpost.com

Posh Venus?!

Originally Posted by Kracken

Posh Venus?!

Here is the Thai Lady-boy version of the Spice Girls ......Venus Flytrap

I wonder which one is Scary ........I think they all might be Ginger though

Nan see boys

They are what they are, they are no better or worse than any of us.
The male and female genes are so close especially in Asia, note the lack of facial hair in many asian males.
On top of that the ladyboys of Asia make the world a more interesting place.
BTW i am a straight guy just interested in life.

BTW i am a straight guy just interested in life

Of course, arn't we all?

Originally Posted by Kracken

Posh Venus?!

Yeah, try saying that when you're drunk

when drunk poking Posh Venus ? like the sound of that

Originally Posted by Mid

for a top position commanding provincial finances.

good to see the truth about Thai politics being told

A term used to denote a campaigner travelling around giving speeches is 'Stumping'. It might not be appropriate here, however.

Laughing at ladyboys can be bad for your health.

Thailand: election victory for transgender star
Patrick Winn
May 28, 2012

Yollada "Nok" Suanyot is officially Thailand's highest-ranking transgender politician


Yollada “Nok” Suanyot at a press conference. She released this picture of herself on Hi5, a social media network popular in Asia.
(Courtesy)

It's official. Yollada "Nok" Suanyot, one of Thailand's more famous transgender cover girls, has gathered enough votes to become the country's highest-ranking transsexual politician.

According to the Thai-language outlet Matichon, Nok, running as an independent candidate, successfully took on a ruling party candidate in an election deciding who will help govern their province's "provincial administration organization."

Here's Nok's Q&A with Global Post just days before her victory.

Thais shouldn't expect Nok to disappear into some administrative office in her sleepy province. Asked whether she'd would ditch her flashy career if victorious -- she's a commercial model, cable TV entrepreneur and voice over talent for National Geographic -- Nok insisted she'd have time to play politics and take showbiz gigs on the side.

globalpost.com