Thought I would write about positives of being TG in my home Thailand and avoid all the Western controversy, negatives and politics, which I dont understand anyway. So I thought I would write weekly about LGBT news, especially TGs that are fun, intetesting and positive. If you have topics you would like to know about, let me know.
Our main newspaper in English in Thailand, The Bangkok Post has regularly positives stories on LBGT. In addition, every week it has a full section devoted to LGBT activities in Bangkok. For example Ru Pauls Drag show will now have a Thailand s edition. Plus the local Thai newspapers have all the stories on Movie, and TV stars that are TGs. Next week, I will write about beauty clinics and what TGs have done to enhance their beauty here.
Do you think Thailand is more progressive than western society (on average ) ? From what I have read I would say naw. Look like the government just see "LADY BOYS "as a tourist attraction.
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Look forward to reading your reports. Love the new pic by the way.
Hi Tina, Dont want negativity. Our laws here are not as progressive as the West but its the heart of the people that makes life wonderful here I will cover this topic later.
Joanne, I went to an 8 hour makeup class on Saturday. The teacher is half thai/ USA and worked in movies. That's me without photishop, a pic taken after class.
Very much looking forward to this as I will be there for surgery in Feb., you look great! Thank you. Toni
Quote from: warlockmaker on November 06, 2017, 06:15:00 AM
Joanne, I went to an 8 hour makeup class on Saturday. The teacher is half thai/ USA and worked in movies. That's me without photishop, a pic taken after class.
As always Warlockmaker you look stunning. Really interested in reading your stories, sounds like a great idea.
Thanks for doing this,
Paige :)
Thank you in advance for sharing your experiences and perspective of living in Thailand. Would it be appropriate to provide advice for those of us from the West regarding the different surgical services available? My Doctor who is pretty well known in our community has cautioned against traveling to Thailand for procedures but not because of medical incompetence but rather due to personal safety issues.
I was pretty set on contacting PAI based on your writings but her comments caused some hesitation on my part. Would mind sharing the real story based on your experience?
Quote from: trish33455 on November 06, 2017, 04:19:03 PM
My Doctor who is pretty well known in our community has cautioned against traveling to Thailand for procedures but not because of medical incompetence but rather due to personal safety issues.
I've read a very large number of posts on women having SRS in Thailand, I know quite a few personally, and I've never heard of anyone having problems with personal safety. Plus Thailand is famous for social acceptance of gender variance.
Some tourists have problems, but that tends to be people doing things they shouldn't. From what I've read the local Thai transwomen have various problems, but that's not going to a apply to foreigners visiting for surgery.
PAI is also in a good area of Bangkok. You can see it on google street view.
I'm looking forward to reading this. I think it would be particular appealing if you wrote about things that visitors to Thailand could look forward to. The makeup lessons for example, is it someone any of us could do if we visited Thailand?
Hi Trish. I am very suprised at your doctor's comment that Thailand is not safe. Very much to the contrary. Thailand is much safer than the USA or Western countries. Bangkok is now the most visited city in the world, surpassing London, Paris and NY. The Thais are gentle people and it takes alot to get them angry. Of course if you go out to 4am in certain areas its may not be advisible to do so alone but that the same as any big city. So that comment is totally incorrect.
Thank you for that.. I must admit I felt there was more than a little "medical bias" at work in her opinion. You've rekindled my confidence and enthusiasm for pursuing my surgeries in Thailand.
My understanding is that Bangkok is as safe as any large city, but that at one point venturing to the southern provinces of the country was extremely ill advised? Is this still true?
Hi Roll there are Islam insurgercy issues in the very south near Pattani, where it borders Malaysia, that you should not go. You cannot enter the deep south without passing military roadblocks so you wont accidently make that tourist mistake.
I landed here for surgery a month ago and have been walking around Bangkok fully presenting as a woman and no one has battered an eyelid. Ive been using the ladies toliets and changerooms. No hassles. No car horn beeps or catcalls like id get back at home. The local cis woman dress quite conservatively and it helps if you do the same. This has been a great place to begin my fulltime journey.
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I have yet to speak to any American or Brit that has visited that wasn't totally and thoroughly enchanted. I look forward to my trip every day.
Hello,
i am from Germany and do now reside in Berlin.
i was in the mid 90ies a few weeks in Bangkok.
travelling 6 weeks through the whole country of Thailand.
Bangkok then was very interesting,
a beautiful city with many interesting places and wonderful people.
I was happy and at peace then
when i was in Thailand.
I had a Thai girlfriend when i was in Bangkok,
and also met a beautiful tg lady and had a wonderful night with her.
I experienced Thai people as very friendly and very gentle.
It is fun to go out with Thai friends in Bangkok.
I was safe late at night and early in the morning in many parts of the city.
I even got invited to live a few days in a Buddhist monastery.
As a catholic i would say western people can learn a lot of the gently friendliness and openness of Asians, Thai people and Buddhists.
I even consider to live there in some future times.
@warlockmaker Hi - I would love to know more of what has been going on in Thailand regarding Transgender people, culturally and in pop culture like on TV etc?
Take care,
Sonja.
I was there in Bangkok for surgery for the July. And the change what happened inside my head, was not about the surgery, but from experiencing a country, culture and people, who actually did not accept me, it is totally wrong in my opinion to say, that they would have accepted me as a ts.
They thought me as a normal part of life, just like millions of other people in the city, just a person doing their own business. There is a huge difference with that to being accepted, which we are requesting in west. Being part of normal ordinary everyday life in west, I think is still hundreds of years ahead. Something that I will never see.
The change inside me was just huge from experiencing the country and people. I feel free finally. I am ts and somehow it has disappeared from me, the need to try to squeeze myself into a cis norm. I am what I am, and that is all that matters.
Had to travel far, pay a lot of money, do things that I would never have thought that I would do...to finally come to peace with myself and be happy.
Sonja. We have a unique enlightened tg culture here and I hope other countries will develop an accepting culture for our talents to bloom There are many groupings of TGs. There are those who are in the beauty industry in promoting cosmetic brands and doing pagents, modelling, movies stars. Not all thai tgs are beautiful many like the western counterpart just have no chance of passing, yet the happily blend in, they work in offices, sales and are in many tv shows as the funny person. Most tourists will only get to know those in the night life and sex trade but our buddhist culture does not look down on them, and many are just fun loving. There are those that mostly associate with cis females. Many get married, some are lesbians. Just a full variety with no prejudice or fear living their lives as normal people. After all, thats all we can ask for.
@Mendi Interesting, here in NZ I would say TG people are accepted, I think NZ might be the first country in the world to have had a TG member of parliament, and there is a polynesian culture that also adds and broadens the TG community. I would say confidently that NZ is 1 generation from total acceptance of TG people, in which TG people have the same rights as all others and are also treated with the same level of dignity.
@warlockmaker Thanks for the news, has ->-bleeped-<- been in Thai culture for a long time or is it more of a recent phenomenon?
Also how goes the insurgency in the south? getting better?
Do you do much traveling outside of Thailand? I love the asia pacific and oceania region more than any other, the cultures and the geography, What made you settle on Thailand to live? My british parents moved our family from africa (zimbabwe) 31years ago to NZ, NZ was an obvious choice for english speaking people looking for a new start.
Thank you,
Sonja.
Quote from: Sonja on August 22, 2018, 09:27:47 PM
@Mendi Interesting, here in NZ I would say TG people are accepted, I think NZ might be the first country in the world to have had a TG member of parliament, and there is a polynesian culture that also adds and broadens the TG community. I would say confidently that NZ is 1 generation from total acceptance of TG people, in which TG people have the same rights as all others and are also treated with the same level of dignity.
Well I get to live in peace here in Finland too, but there is a difference. I sensed it and many others have sensed it before me. I cannot exactly pinpoint what the exact difference is, but it is huge. It also might be, that Thai people generally speaking, even here in Finland, are very warm and welcoming and seem happy, even when things seem hard.
Quote from: Sonja on August 22, 2018, 09:27:47 PM
@Mendi Interesting, here in NZ I would say TG people are accepted, I think NZ might be the first country in the world to have had a TG member of parliament, and there is a polynesian culture that also adds and broadens the TG community. I would say confidently that NZ is 1 generation from total acceptance of TG people, in which TG people have the same rights as all others and are also treated with the same level of dignity.
@warlockmaker Thanks for the news, has ->-bleeped-<- been in Thai culture for a long time or is it more of a recent phenomenon?
Also how goes the insurgency in the south? getting better?
Do you do much traveling outside of Thailand? I love the asia pacific and oceania region more than any other, the cultures and the geography, What made you settle on Thailand to live? My british parents moved our family from africa (zimbabwe) 31years ago to NZ, NZ was an obvious choice for english speaking people looking for a new start.
Thank you,
Sonja.
Sonja New Zealand is accepting but I still feel there is an undercurrent of discrimination. I'd bet if I tried to apply for a new job as a teacher despite there being laws about discrimination I'd not be at the top of the list despite my skills and abilities. That being said only a few times in a almost a year of living full time have I felt unwelcome. Mostly people are very accepting or just plain clueless.