Every time I learn a new word – a word I’ve never heard before – something strange happens: I’ll continue to hear that word several times over the next week. Call it a strange semantic coincidence, I guess. Over the past two weeks, Pee Wee’s secret, coincidental word of the day has been “ladyboy”. I’m seeing it a few times a day on blogs and travel websites. Odd because I haven’t been visiting nearly as many Asian tranny sites as I used to. Hm.
Nevertheless, I wasn’t entirely sure what the word meant. Given Thailand’s notorious reputation for [ahem] happily accepting folks from all walks of life, I assumed that it was either:
- A pejorative reference towards gay men
- A reference to transvestites
- … Or a reference to transsexuals
A quick check of Wikipedia revealed that:
The term kathoey or katoey generally refers to a male-to-female transgender person or an effeminate gay male in Thailand. They are sometimes referred to as ladyboys, or as sao (or phuying) praphet song (“a second kind of woman”), or phet thee sam (third sex). The word kathoey is thought to be of Khmer origin.
Mmkay. So it appears that it could apply to D: Any of the above that I suggested. Ya learn something new every day.
As an added bonus, I stumbled upon a very helpful write-up entitled “How to Spot a Ladyboy in Thailand“. Why is this not included in Lonely Planet’s Guide to Thailand? In short:
- Look for any of the following signs that may indicated the person is actually a male:
- Adam’s apple. This is no longer full proof as many now remove their adam’s apple surgically.
- Height; (anything above 5.8 is a little suspicious)
- Modified facial features.
- Listen to the voice.
- Look at the way she/he walks.
- Check the shape of the wrist. Men’s wrists are usually straight. Women’s slant inwards toward the hand. Supposedly this is why it is more comfortable for women to wear bracelets.
Given that definitive list, I wondered, as I’m sure you did: could I indeed pass as a ladyboy? This is how I stack up (pun intended):
- I do not have a protruding Adam’s apple.
- I’m a proud 5’7″ tall or so.
So far, so good. I could indeed pass as a ladyboy in Thailand. But wait …
- I don’t believe my facial features have been modified. But I have a clear mustache and goatee, indicating that I am likely male and possibly a jazz musician.
- My voice is quite deep. Many women describe it as sumptuous and Barry White-like.
- I don’t think I walk like a woman, though I suppose I should poll my friends and family to get a more definitive answer.
- By only eyeballing my wrists, they appear to be quite straight.
Clearly, I could not make it in Thailand as a ladyboy. Kickass Jamiroquai hat (see photo above) or not. Mama always said that some things just weren’t meant to be, I guess.
To all my fellow travel mates out there: could you pass as a Thai ladyboy? C’mon, be honest.