The story of transgender sex workers in Thailand's red light district

Transgender prostitutes in Thailand are very attractive. They come to this job as a way to find freedom or just to increase their income.

Ladyboys attract a large number of tourists to Thailand to satisfy their curiosity. Photo: Bangkok info guide.

Transgender people in Thailand are often referred to as “ladyboys” and “katoeys” in Thai. While some see them as potential sex partners, others view them with disdain.

However, ladyboys are more accepted in everyday life in Thailand than anywhere else. For that reason, they are the ones who contribute to the popularity of the red light districts in Pattaya or Bangkok, attracting large numbers of tourists to Thailand's "second type of women".

“We are more attractive than the real prostitutes,” said Jenny, a ladyboy in Pattaya. “Moreover, we have different sexual experiences. We were born men, so we know better than anyone how to satisfy them completely.”

Many ladyboys have non-prostitution day jobs, such as hairstyling, restaurant servers, or cashiers. Some of the more talented ones work as dancers in popular bars. They come to this job as a way to find freedom, or simply to supplement their income. “Transgender prostitutes often face two levels of discrimination. One is because they are transgender, the other is because they are sex workers,” Jenny shares. “However, with this job, many are free to be themselves, and that is what every ladyboy wants.”

Ladyboys are often the most attractive people in the red light district. Photo: Barspic.

From a distance, ladyboys are the most attractive people in Pattaya's red light district with their perfect breasts, long legs and eye-catching curves. "The reason is that when we do sex reassignment surgery, we often request other procedures such as breast augmentation, nose job, eyelid surgery, to make our face and body more feminine," Jenny explains. "Thai women are quite shy and reserved when interacting with strangers, but ladyboys know how to make themselves stand out with short skirts, high heels, sexy walks and are not afraid to interact with anyone."

However, when coming to Pattaya, tourists are advised to behave properly towards ladyboys and avoid offending them. Because ladyboys often gather in groups and can cause street fights, with undesirable consequences.

According to VNE