Ladyboys of Phuket

For our stop in Phuket the Simon Cabaret Ladyboys came aboard, and boy did they ever deliver an energetic show!

What is a ladyboy? Basically, Ladyboys are transgender men who dress and live as women. The Thais have their own word for it, but “Ladyboy” emerged as a term to explain things to Westerners. It’s not a derogatory term, Ladyboys are an accepted part of Thai society.

Why is that? Some say it’s because the Buddhist religion is more accepting. That said, same sex marriage isn’t legal in Thailand, nor are they allowed to change the sex on their IDs, even if they’ve had surgery.

(Update: Same sex marriage is on the ballot in Thailand!!!)

And not all Ladyboys are cabaret dancers. We saw one working at the elephant sanctuary, and another as a cashier.

Anyway, the Ladyboy show was a blast. To me, it felt like a lively celebration of womanhood. I enjoyed all the glitz and glam.

Afterwards, the Ladyboys received a standing ovation and people rushed up to have photos taken with them.

I waited ‘til the last minute, but as you can see, the Ladyboys are tall. They stand a good head taller than me!Read more