A Language Guide to the Gay Culture of Thailand
By Saksit Pakdeesiam
A sex survey conducted by Time Asia Magazine, (march 2001), found that Thai people are the most gay-friendly in Asia. Thai for Gay Tourists has been designed to enhance your visit to the country so that you can communicate in a more fun and efficient way. If you are gay and are visiting or planning to visit Thailand, this book is a must for you!
Thai for Gay Tourists...
Lady Boys, Tom Boys, Rent Boys
Editors Peter A. Jackson and Gerard Sullivan
This book explores Thailand's diverse sexual population, from Kathoeys or Lady Boys (transsexual or transvestite males) and Tom Boys (masculine lesbians) to male sex workers who service male clients. The nine articles in the collection discuss sexual and gender diversity in a series of case studies of contemporary forms of male and female homosexuality and transgenderism in Thailand. By examining issues of sexual identity and behaviour in Thai society, the selections reveal the social and emotional difficulties experienced by these individuals who live in a country often mistaken for a gay paradise.
"Brings to life issues and problems of interpreting sexual and gender identities in contemporary Thailand ... Provides challenges to the applicability of models derived from Western gay, lesbian, and queer theories ... An important corrective to the many misapprehensions that have arisen, both within and outside Thailand, about non-normative sexual behaviours." Nerida M. Cook, Ph.D., Lecturer in Sociology, University of Tasmania, Australia.
"Demonstrates how negative stereotypes have pervaded the dominant scholarship on sexual minorities in Thailand and caused barriers to needed health education, counseling, and health services ... This book illustrates how the cultural notions of family and community may be positive resources in providing effective services." Eldon L. Wagner, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu.
The Gay Guide and Listing Resource to Thailand
Gays and lesbians planning their next holiday should definitely put Thailand at the top of their list. It is difficult to imagine another country with such a winning combination - wonderfully friendly people, ancient cultural sites, great beaches, world-famous cuisine, and extraordinary value for money.
All these marvelous aspects of Thailand are of course enjoyed by all tourists, but there are other facets of life in this unique country that make it a highly congenial destination for gay and lesbian travelers in particular.
For example, the Thais have no hang-ups about gender. Thai males feel no need to constantly assert their masculinity - there is no macho culture - and Thai females similarly follow many models of femininity. Thais are relaxed about gays and, if need be, visitors can discuss their sexual orientation without embarrassment.
Most Thai hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues are gay-friendly. Of course, there is a corresponding obligation on the visitor not to behave in an offensive or culturally insensitive way, but same-sex couples are usually treated with indifference.
There is a huge and varied gay nightlife scene in Bangkok and proportionately sizable scenes in other major cities. there is little doubt that this fun-filled scene is a major magnet for gay tourists, although it has attracted a disproportionate amount of ill-informed criticism for its perceived encouragement of so-called sex tourism.
Is Thailand the perfect holiday destination for savvy gay adventurers? You bet! There can be few other places where the essential elements of the gay lifestyle are so abundant - fun-loving people, delicious food, lots of shopping and vibrant nightlife.