Ladyboys find acceptance in jail | Bangkok Post: news

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Ladyboys lost in legal system

Facing societal discrimination, many transgenders have found unexpected liberation and acceptance in prisons. While the reality on the inside remains grim for most, 'Spectrum' spoke to and read letters from former and current inmates as well as rights activists who say that an absence of bars should not be mistaken for freedom

'I am writing to let you know that I am doing great. Even though 10 years sounds like a long time ... I am enjoying every moment of my time here."

It reads almost like a postcard, yet it is anything but; rather it is an excerpt taken from a letter sent by a ladyboy currently serving time in Phuket Provincial Prison.

Bee (not her real name) is in the prison on drug-related charges.

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Your comments

  • Discussion 5 : 03 Feb 2013 at 15.575

    "Kathu police inspector Nikorn Chuthong worked in Patong for many years, and admitted there is a perception that ladyboys are responsible for a disproportionate number of crimes."

    It is not a perception, it is a fact!

    Most of the ladyboys "working" in the nightlife areas are not there to actually work, but simply to steal from drunk tourists. Just as the police would probably keep a close eye on a known gang of thieves "working" in the middle of the street, the police should keep a close eye on the ladyboys, or preferrably simply ban/remove them, but the latter is probably not legal :-(

  • Discussion 4 : 03 Feb 2013 at 11.174

    Why don't offer free gender reassignment surgery to the rest 85. That will take some of the workload from the 2 that already got gender reassignment surgery.

  • Discussion 3 : 03 Feb 2013 at 08.473

    I occasionally see post-ops in my classes. They seem to be accepted as females with no problems. But anyone who has encountered the khatoey pickpocket gangs on Sukhumwit may understandably be wary of ladyboys in groups.

  • Discussion 2 : 03 Feb 2013 at 08.082

    So the ladyboys love being in prison and the male inmates treat them like "queens."

    Forgive me, but it sounds like a Monty Python sketch from before the days of political correctness.

  • Discussion 1 : 03 Feb 2013 at 05.571

    A few more myths of traditional Thai culture well shattered.

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