Les Ladyboys

Thailand is best known for their transgendered population, so much so that the country’s tourism industry almost depends on it. Even though Thailand may seem tolerant of its transgendered population, these “ladyboys” still lack the rights and respect they feel they deserve.
Nong Noeng is a winner of the Miss Tiffany Pageant 2008. He is gradually breaking out of the mould that society has fit her in. He, like many other ladyboys, wants to prove that he is much more than just a pretty face. He wants a “real job” in the “real world”. Thai ladyboys are normally reduced to being hairdressers or showgirls or, worse, prostitutes.
At the other end of the rainbow, Aunty Nong is a 75 year-old former showgirl. He was one of the most in-demand exotic dancers in Thailand and is still a bit of a celebrity. Aunty Nong has indeed lived past a kathoey’s use-by-date. While his home is a squalid mess, filled with tattered memorabilia of the glory days, Aunty Nong has no regrets. He always wanted to end it looking exactly the way he does.

CLOSE-UP FOR THE KATHOEY examines the social phenomenon of Thailand’s ubiquitous transgendered population; through the triumphs and tragedies of 3 Thai ladyboys.