Thailand: The Paradise for Trans* People? Rena Janamnuaysook Thai Transgender Alliance (TGA) The 5th TGEU Council Budapest, Hungary

Thai Trans* Terms Kathoey or Kathoei Sao Praphet Song (a second kind of woman) Phet Thi Sam (third gender) TGA promotes the original use of “Kathoey"

Thai Trans* Situations The gay- and trans*-friendly country The world hub for medical transition procedures Promotion of “ladyboys” “shemales” for sex tourism The most beautiful and famous trans* celebrities in Asia Emerging of trans* man communities

Thai Trans* Situations(cont.)

“I don’t equate femininity with weakness” Source:

Thai Trans* Situations (cont.) No Legal Gender Recognition First intersex person can change gender in 2007 SRS not the tool to recognise gender Photo source:

Thai Trans* Situations (cont.) Anti-discrimination laws not addressing SOGIE No state welfares and private insurances covering medical transition procedures - Trans*women rejected to life insurances - Trans* women denied to donate blood at Thai Red Cross

Thai Trans* Situations (cont.) Stigma and Discrimination in Education Captions on a grade 7 health education textbook: “sexual deviation, people who don’t act according to their sexual orientation”. Flip to another page, you find a statement saying “homosexual relationships often don’t last very long and normally end up with jealousy and violence” Source:

Thai Trans* Situations (cont.) Rights to Health Stigma and prejudice in healthcare settings Trans* women in male hospital wards Lack of trans*-specific state-run health services Availability of hormone and injecting substances on street pharmacies and black markets Lack of gender sensitivity: public exposure of male title of trans* woman patients Increase of morbidity and mortality rate among trans*people

Thai Trans* Situations (cont.) Rights to Employment and Workplace Denial of employment due to trans* identity No trans*-friendly policy: medical leave for SRS Discrimination in job promotion and pay rise Forced HIV testing in many public, private companies and service work industries Criminalised sex work: violence from police, no social welfares, vulnerable to health risks

Thai Trans* Situations (cont.) Prejudices in religion: trans*women prohibited in Buddhist ordain Bullying in school Misunderstanding and misrepresentation by media and public journalism Consumerism: trans* identity commodified, commercialised and reduced to a mere freak of nature The catchphrase “We can make men beautiful!”

Thai Trans* Highlight Thai trans* women classified as “a permanent mental insanity” by the Thai army conscript In 2011, a court ruled that it was incorrect and unlawful In 2013, the new term “gender is incompatible with sex at birth” was introduced. Photo source:

Thai Transgender Alliance (TGA) A trans*-led organization working to advance human rights of trans* people in Thailand through policy and advocacy strategies

TGA Policy & Advocacy Activities Advocating for the withdrawal of “mental insanity” from the army conscript Developing a national guideline for trans*women in national army recruitment Developing a guideline for parents and family members of trans* children Developing a survival guide for trans*women in disaster situations Advocating SOGIE in Sexual Reproductive Health Act Research to Advocacy on Legal Gender Recognition in Thailand Implementing Transrespect VS Transphobia Project

The National Human Rights Workshop for Miss Tiffany’s Universe 2014 Contestants

BANGKOK IDAHOT 2014 Thai Transgender Alliance and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration

Thank you very much