The secret life of Thailand’s ladyboys from Muslim majority southern provinces

[webfact]

The secret life of Thailand’s ladyboys from Muslim majority southern provinces

Transgender women in Thailand are more accepted than in Malaysia or Indonesia, but those who live in the southern provinces feel obliged to hide their gender identities at home, only letting their hair down in places like Bangkok and Pattaya

Tibor Krausz

 

Whenever Ardulmalik Maskul returns from Bangkok to her hometown in Pattani province in southern Thailand, she undergoes a transformation. She removes her make-up, changes into trousers and begins to mind her manners. Mostly, though, she doesn’t leave the house.

 

Asan Sohoh engages in similar sartorial subterfuge on her return visits to Pattani. “I don’t want to embarrass my parents,” she says.

 

Maskul and Sohoh are practising Muslims and they’re also transgender women. “It’s very difficult to be like us,” Maskul says in English. “In Pattani it’s a big bad thing to be transgender.”

 

Full story: http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2149882/secret-life-thailands-ladyboys-muslim-majority-southern-provinces

 

-- South China Morning Post 2018-06-11

[holy cow cm]

Can't have your halal cake and eat it too. Stop one or the other. 

[ezzra]

I wish they will behave and mind their manners everywhere and not just in the south, those pesky tranies can be obnoqtuois and such a nuisance you would want to go near them...

[flyingtlger]

They still look like dudes!?@*#!

[toofarnorth]

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

I wish they will behave and mind their manners everywhere and not just in the south, those pesky tranies can be obnoqtuois and such a nuisance you would want to go near them...

..................obnoqtuois and such a nuisance you would want to go near them.

 

Yes , I think so , maybe.

[timendres]

6 hours ago, ezzra said:

I wish they will behave and mind their manners everywhere and not just in the south, those pesky tranies can be obnoqtuois and such a nuisance you would want to go near them...

Ladyboys you meet on Walking Street, Soi 6 or Beach Road in Pattaya, or Soi 4 in Bangkok, are not at all indicative of the average Thai ladyboy you might meet elsewhere in Thailand. My experience with Thai ladyboys has, in general, been quite positive.

[digger70]

44 minutes ago, timendres said:

Ladyboys you meet on Walking Street, Soi 6 or Beach Road in Pattaya, or Soi 4 in Bangkok, are not at all indicative of the average Thai ladyboy you might meet elsewhere in Thailand. My experience with Thai ladyboys has, in general, been quite positive.

I bet ?

[gk10002000]

Some people don't understand or want to accept what being a practicing muslim, or Christian, or Jew, or whatever means.  A religion and its edicts, dictates, and in some cases laws is what defines the religion.  One can not "cherry pick" he parts they like.  One can try.

[nakhonandy]

9 hours ago, timendres said:

Ladyboys you meet on Walking Street, Soi 6 or Beach Road in Pattaya, or Soi 4 in Bangkok, are not at all indicative of the average Thai ladyboy you might meet elsewhere in Thailand. My experience with Thai ladyboys has, in general, been quite positive.

I have to agree with you there. No different than the ladies in those places are not the same as the vast majority of Thai ladies. 

 

5 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

Some people don't understand or want to accept what being a practicing muslim, or Christian, or Jew, or whatever means.  A religion and its edicts, dictates, and in some cases laws is what defines the religion.  One can not "cherry pick" he parts they like.  One can try.

Yes but it must be difficult when through no fault of your own you don't fit in with those edicts, dictats etc. 

Then those "compassionate" religions persecute you. 

[futsukayoi]

19 hours ago, flyingtlger said:

They still look like dudes!?@*#!

They still are 100% men.  A girl can work at the playboy club for years wearing floppy ears and a fluffy tail but it does not make her a rabbit.

[HerbalEd]

On 6/10/2018 at 9:39 PM, holy cow cm said:

Can't have your halal cake and eat it too. Stop one or the other. 

So easy for you to say.

[holy cow cm]

3 hours ago, HerbalEd said:

So easy for you to say.

You know they should be accepted as rumors go Muhammad broke all the rules of preference for sexuality and choosing adolescents over adults. 

 

[jumbo]

On 6/11/2018 at 12:37 PM, flyingtlger said:

They still look like dudes!?@*#!

dude, they are dudes?

[geriatrickid]

I don't know why these poor souls need to be vilified on this forum. They have enough emotional baggage to deal with. They are actually the least dangerous of ladyboys because;

1. They still retain some of their muslim  upbringing and are less likely to abuse alcohol or drugs such as yaba.

2. The health data reports that souther population, particularly the muslims, are less likely to be HIV+ and displaying HPV (This is due to the southern region muslims' lower rates of IV drug use,  different approach to promiscuity, and the extensive practice of circumcision.)

 

If one wants to be  honest, a Thai muslim sex partner (not a  sex worker)  presents a lower risk of carrying an STI.

 

I feel sorry for the  gay kids down south. They have to deal with inherent bias that is  worse in the the more conservative south (both buddhist and muslim). I  expect that it must be even more brutal for transgenders.

 

One part of the article that I found puzzling was the statement;

In Islam, sex-change operations are generally seen as haram (forbidden).

In iran, gender reassignment is practically forced upon transgenders and gays because homosexuality is a serious crime and so is  taking on the identity of the opposite sex.  Perhaps the harsh interpretation is reflective of Thai attitudes ratehr than the religion itself.