Lady boys in Khaosan

Recently I was travelling in Thailand. I met a lovely Thai girl called Noi working in a bar on the famous Khaosan road, the backpackers centre of the travellers scene. She was very honest and good natured, and I enjoyed talking to her about all sorts of things. When I asked her about lady boys, she had a lot to say. She had worked the night shift for many months, and this gave her a unique perspective. I asked her if I could take notes, and she said fine.

“I work in a Khaosan bar. I see a lot of people, foreigners, drunks, crazy, dirty, nice. Every night people come to drink, eat, talk, get a girl. There are a lot of people in Khaosan between 7-12pm. Normal people, men and women. Pub, club, talking. People selling things. Many food sellers. Food is so easy. But after that, after 2am, lady boys come out. Stand in the soi (a soi is a sidestreet), getting darker, waiting for foreigners. Or in the main road. Some people go looking for them, see how much. Some stand there until 6 in the morning if they cant get a guy. Some beautiful, some ugly. All different.

Lady boys are very different from normal girls. Girls are a bit shy. Want to have a nice boyfriend, not stay up late. Lady boys just stay up late. When a foreigner walks past they just say “Hello, do you want to fuck me? 500 Bhat and you can fuck me.” They never get 500, if they get any it will be 2 or 3 hundred. Some times the police try to take them away if they stay too late. I feel happy when they do, it makes me feel safe. Sometimes at 7 in the morning I saw them shouting at them, telling them they were illegal and should just go home.

One day I saw a lady boy talking with a foreigner. The foreigner told him to fuck off. The ladyboy got so angry, she took off her shirt and her skirt. “look you want to fuck me! I look like a girl” she was mad about him. Why did he think he was so good for her. Every night there was something like that.

One day, a lady boy near my bar really liked one guy who drank there. But that guy actually fancied me. The lady boy wasn't happy about that. She came and asked me for a fight. She said I was a chimpanzee, so I couldn't have that guy, she said he was for her. She said many so bad things to me. To fuck off you little monkey. You prostitute. She was a prostitute. But she really liked that guy. That guy was pissed off about her talking to him. I was scared. I knew she was slim with boobs and a pussy, she looked like a woman. But really she was strong like a man. So I had to say goodbye to that guy. I thought she might hurt me. After I said it, he stayed far away from that lady boy, he knew what she had said to me.

This happened so many times. Every time a new guy came to my bar, a lady boy would come over and ask me to fight. So crazy and jealous. And every time I say no. I don't want to have a problem like that. But even if a lady boy really wants to fight me anyway, they cannot, because my boss is police. He will stop them. Ask if there is a problem.

Some lady boys were very nice. Asking me how I am and chatting every day. But some are so horrible, dangerous and selfish. Some think I am just beautiful but not smart. And they hate it because guys like a beautiful woman. One time I saw a lady boy and a Thai women fist fighting. Kicking and hitting on the face. Not slapping. Hitting and kicking, grabbing each others hair. The lady boy was so strong she didn't care what she did. People near by tried to stop it, but they couldn't. And why do you think they were fighting? It was over a guy. A foreigner. I would never fight a lady boy. Especially over a foreigner guy.

Months pass and most lady boys cannot get a boyfriend. Women can get guys easily. They take them to the beach. Take them away, but lady boys have to stand in the soi forever. It never changes. Always late at night. If they do get a man they take them to a hotel. Sometimes even in the street. Sex for thirty minutes and then back standing in the soi at night. Always the same, waiting to catch men.

There are two groups of lady boys on Khaosan. One tries to be a bit high-so. Try to be pretty and show how good they can be for a man. The other is low. Horrible, bad and dirty. They hate and ignore women, and hate the lady boys who try to be like women. They can't change their behaviour. Lady boys never fight each other. But some like to have fights with women because they think they steal their men. But I think men either like women or they like lady boys.”

Speaking from personal experience, I agreed emphatically with her. I wrapped up my note taking, and ordered another large beer. It was dusk and I looked around me suspiciously. I hoped I wasn't getting Noi into any more trouble with the locals.