The price of change and the right to be a woman in Thailand

Contestants in the Miss International Queen , a transvestite beauty pageant, in Thailand. Pic: AP.

With a culture of tolerance and affordable surgery, Thailand remains a leading light for transgender rights, writes James Austin Farrell

by James Austin Farrell -14th December 2015

MY brother was my sister from as early as I can remember. He was born with a boy’s name, but now we call her Angel. On a recent trip to England Angel and I met; we went for a walk around the Yorkshire town where we grew up, and later sat in a pub for Sunday lunch (or dinner as they call it in northern England). When you walk down the street, or eat, with Angel, people look at you. Is that a boy or a girl, man or woman, their expressions seem to say. 

The Price of Change and the Right to Be a Woman in Thailand by Thavam Ratna