The Laughter and Tears of Thailand's Ladyboys
When the plane arrived in Bangkok, Thailand at midnight, Thailand implements an on-arrival visa policy. In the Suvarnabhumi Airport terminal, there were people of all races - black, white, and yellow - lining up for visas. Bangkok truly lives up to its reputation as an international metropolis. Among these crowds, not only were their skin colors different, but also their clothing varied, with clothes from all seasons represented. However, summer attire was in the majority. We, despite knowing that the climate here is hot, had already prepared by taking off our down jackets and changing into sweaters, but we still looked a bit bulky compared to the locals who wore tank tops, shorts, and slippers, with skin clearly tanned by the sun. We obviously stuck out like ducks among chickens.
After completing the visa process, when we left the terminal and boarded the bus that welcomed us, unexpectedly, Thai ladies put flower garlands around our necks and greeted everyone with the gesture of placing their palms together saying "SOWALICA" (the highest Thai courtesy), which immediately gave us a good impression of Thailand. This shows how much the Thai government supports and values the tourism industry.
On the bus, a male and female tour guide came over. They called the men in our group "Old Mama" or "PP", "Big P", while we women were called "Crystal Crystal", "Watery Watery", and "Dry Dry" depending on our age. Then they exchanged Baht for each of us at a rate of 1:3.9, but later we found out that Renminbi (Chinese currency) could be used just like Baht, even more so, with a rate of 1:4.3, whether in large stores or small stalls. The male guide called the young women in our group "Crystal Crystal", so we called him "King P".
Although we haven't left Asia yet, Southeast Asia also belongs to the Han cultural circle, but once we arrived here, everything was different from home. The plants on the ground, the birds in the sky, and the goods sold on the streets really made us feel we were in a foreign country. The language and writing system have changed too. If it weren't for the many other domestic tour groups around us, you would really feel very strange here. The dense coconut groves, oddly shaped and stinky durians, dark faces, worm-like characters similar to Arabic script, and hordes of white tourists all indicate this is another place. Buddhism, which we are familiar with, has slimmed down here, with high pointed towers on top of Buddha statues' heads, some even having elephant trunks curling upwards. Besides the color of the cassocks being golden yellow, all other details are different. It truly validates what a philosopher said: gods are created by humans, reflecting human nature.
Thailand is a country with a strong Buddhist atmosphere. On the streets, you can see offering platforms about 1.5 meters tall and 1 meter wide everywhere, not only in public places like hotels and shops, but also more so in front of schools and government institutions. According to the guide, this is not only a custom, but also a legal requirement. As common on the streets as the offering platforms are portraits of the current King Rama IX. Royal authority and religious teaching hold special positions here. Especially Buddhism, from the ruling class to the common people, both in terms of infrastructure and spiritual level, you can see the shadow of Buddhism everywhere. For example, the greeting etiquette between ordinary Thai people is not the Eastern style of shaking hands or bowing, but rather like monks, placing their palms together. Just like during the Jin Dynasty in China when everyone meeting each other would say "Amitabha", all Thai men must serve in the military once in their life, but also must enter the monastery once. Entering the monastery can be as short as 7-10 days or as long as a lifetime, and after that, it's very casual, one can enter the monastery anytime and leave anytime, drink alcohol, eat meat, go to bars, as long as no one reports them and the police don't find out. Once discovered by the police, one must forcibly leave the monastery and cannot re-enter it again. Even so, there are still 300,000 monks in Thailand.
Thailand is a country with a population of 60 million and a history of over 700 years, during which it was ruled by the Khmers for over two hundred years. There used to be no written language, and historically there have been nine kings, among whom the most influential was King Rama V. Since King Rama V studied abroad in Europe and absorbed advanced democratic ideas from Europe, he was like Sun Yat-sen in China, dedicated to benefiting the people and transforming his own country. He abolished slavery at the time and did many things to benefit the people, so the people loved him dearly. When ordinary people worship Buddha and deities, they burn three sticks of incense, but when they worship King Rama V, they burn five sticks of incense. The current living king is King Rama IX, who has been on the throne for 60 years, with three daughters and one son, but the crown has not yet been passed to the crown prince because the crown prince has vices such as drinking, gambling, and prostitution. It is rumored that he once forcibly violated a famous female singer, so the Thai people do not like him, and neither does King Rama IX. Among his three daughters, the eldest and youngest princesses are married, the second princess is capable and diligent, the people dislike the crown prince but like the second princess, King Rama IX plans to pass the throne to the second princess, but the crown prince found out and sent hitmen to kill the second princess, who was saved by bodyguards. King Rama IX dare not pass the throne to the second princess anymore, planning to pass it to his grandson when he turns three years and eight months old.
When we arrived, Thaksin had just stepped down, and domestic tourists had just been allowed to travel to Thailand again, but since the political situation was somewhat unstable, the tour guide repeatedly warned us not to leave the hotel alone at night because there might be robberies or something happening. According to the guide, on the second day of the coup, there was a soldier every five steps and a tank every ten steps on the streets, with extremely strict precautions. Thaksin was a very talented politician who made many contributions to the country early on, but later became corrupt, selling the national telecommunications operating rights to Singapore and embezzling billions. King Rama IX always wanted to replace him but dared not act easily. This time, using Thaksin's absence abroad, the coup was launched.
Thailand is rich in natural resources and has seven provinces, four of which produce red, white, and blue sapphires, especially red ones. Therefore, the walls of Thailand's Grand Palace are all made of red sapphires. At first, I didn't quite believe what the tour guide said, but when I personally saw the magnificent, unparalleled Grand Palace, touched the walls painted with gold powder and inlaid with glass and gems, and saw the huge jade Buddha, I truly believed it all. I believe that no matter how splendid any building in the world is, none can match the grandeur and rarity of Thailand's Grand Palace. No wonder there are so many European tourists here, all kinds of people can be seen. Rarity is valuable, and people gather due to rarity, just like flowers attracting bees, foul smells attracting flies, honey attracting children, people are attracted by rarity.
What attracts numerous tourists to visit is not only the Grand Palace but also the ladyboys. In terms of fame, Thailand's ladyboys should be even more famous than Thailand's Grand Palace, stemming from people's curiosity. But the only country in the world that produces ladyboys, Thailand, is indeed a very peculiar country. If ladyboys appeared in a decadent, liberal-minded country, it wouldn't be surprising, just like homosexuality appearing in America, you wouldn't find it particularly bizarre or abrupt. But they happen to appear in a country renowned for asceticism in Buddhism, where abstinence meets indulgence, conservatism meets peculiarity, this unique combination can only be seen in Thailand. Such opposing elements existing in the same place is truly a great marvel, indicating that any matter taken to the extreme will turn to its opposite. Just like the Tang Dynasty in China, with a flamboyant social atmosphere and open-minded people, leading to situations like Emperor Xuanzong marrying Yang Guifei, his daughter-in-law. But then came the Song Dynasty, turning extremely conservative, resulting in situations where a woman's arm would be cut off if touched by a man, producing the most chaste widows in history. Buddhism believes desire is the root of all evil, hence asceticism, but when it comes to forcing and suppressing human nature, it turns to its opposite. Therefore, when those stunningly beautiful, heart-stirring ladyboys, known as the best of women, the finest of femininity, greet you with the Buddhist gesture of placing their palms together, you don't know whether it's a demon achieving enlightenment or a saint turning licentious. All of this can be summed up by a local saying: "View temples by day, watch demons by night." And there's a folk joke: "In Thailand, implement the 'Three Clean Policy': strip naked, spend all your bullets, and get slapped by your wife at home." This shows the extent of Thailand's openness. In a country renowned for asceticism in Buddhism, the essence is actually more open and casual thinking.
Thailand's nightlife is extraordinarily colorful, almost unparalleled. Some places, although prohibited by the Thai government, the tour guide still led us there. I originally didn't want to go, but standing on the street corner for two hours was even more boring, so I went along. Upon entering, it felt like stepping into a cave of monsters, a bizarre land of ghosts and spirits. Although the Moulin Rouge belongs to a similar venue, I haven't seen it, but compared to Thailand's ladyboys, perhaps it lacks management and is more exposed here. When Adam and Eve's fig leaves are torn off, everything is just the same; Adam's lower body can beat drums and blow balloons, Eve's body can raise goldfish and shoot darts. Seen with an appreciative attitude, it feels like a stunt show; viewed from a moral perspective, it seems immoral, dull, and uncomfortable. Nevertheless, things under the sun are ultimately healthy and lasting, while things in the dark are inherently sinister and can't withstand the light. After touching the darkness, one realizes the preciousness of light even more.
We use the Chinese term "Ren Yao" (translates as "half-human half-demon") to refer to men turned into women, and this word "Yao" (demon) is indeed most fitting. During the day, seeing these smiling, angelic, charming ladyboys, we like them too. But at night, when you see the stage performers who are women above the waist and men below, you lose direction, unsure of where you are, who you're seeing, or what year it is. When you can't tell if the person before you is male or female, what else could you call them but "Yao"? This word is truly marvelous.
There are two types of ladyboys in Thailand: one type, except for lacking a uterus and thus unable to bear children, has all physiological structures transformed into females, and their psychology has completely changed; the other type is incompletely transformed, half-man half-woman ladyboys. But regardless of which type, they are all artificially made, not naturally formed. They generally start injecting estrogen from the ages of eleven or twelve, and as adults undergo surgeries like breast augmentation and genital modification. Their lifespans are very short, health issues begin arising after forty, requiring medication to sustain life. Their group mentality is: living a thousand years ends in death, life may be short, but leave no regrets. Although their income is considerable locally, they are mutated individuals, not natural or normal people. While their bodies endure torment, mentally they are also in an embarrassing position of being despised and treated as curiosities. Yet, despite such survival conditions, the number of boys becoming ladyboys in Thailand isn't few but reaches a significant 100,000, a quite substantial group. Why is this? Monks may become monks for faith, but these individuals do it for poverty, to earn money. What does this group of 100,000 bring to Thailand? We'll discuss this later. Because ladyboys are ubiquitous, in Thailand, tall and pretty women are easily mistaken for ladyboys, causing much laughter.
Out of a total population of 60 million, Thailand has 100,000 ladyboys and 300,000 monks. This disrupts the balance between men and women, so Thailand practices polygamy. Our two tour guides, one male and one female, the female guide is over forty years old, her husband has two wives, she is the first wife, working outside all day, and reportedly has to massage her husband's back at home. The male guide is only twenty-five years old but also has two wives, one works outside, the other stays home to take care of the children and manage the household, and this pattern of one wife managing the home while the other works is quite common. Even so, due to open-mindedness, many men still seek others outside the marriage, so both wives must work together to keep an eye on the husband. Women born in China have it so much better, practicing monogamy, with higher social status. The female guide flaunted this to us, unaware that in the Sichuan-Tibet border area of our country, where the male-to-female ratio is 5:1, polyandry is also a common practice. From both perspectives, it seems that having too much or too little of either gender isn't good.
Both tour guides come from the Golden Triangle region in northern Thailand bordering Yunnan, they are the third generation descendants of the remnants of the Kuomintang army. Only these descendants of the Golden Triangle remnants can speak both Chinese and Thai. Those abandoned Kuomintang troops, like children without mothers, could neither return home nor find a foothold abroad, could only lease land in the unregulated Golden Triangle area to grow drugs to survive. Children couldn't attend school, adults lacked food and clothing, even housing, surviving under such impoverished conditions, enduring a primitive life. Visiting the Golden Triangle, the tools resembling those from the Stone Age and the emaciated children beside the shacks moved us all to tears. A couplet at the exhibition read even more tragically: "No home anywhere, yet a home everywhere; hard times every year, yet we endure every year." To gain recognition and obtain Thai nationality, they abandoned drug cultivation, let teenagers carry guns to fight for the Thai army, shedding blood and sacrificing lives to finally secure nationality and land for their offspring. After decades of development, today's Golden Triangle has become a bustling town. But most residents there are Chinese.
Thailand is rich in natural resources, as they themselves say, mountains have treasures (gems), the earth has snakes (venomous snakes), and rivers have fish (crocodiles). We deeply experienced this. Are there many gems? Just look at the walls of the Grand Palace. Crocodiles? At the Rajcha Zoo, crocodiles pile up in the river densely, more than pigs in pigpens. So we bought many crocodile wallets and belts in Thailand. Snakes? We didn't see them in the wild, nor did we dare to, but in the snake house, they were densely packed. According to the guide, a regular venomous snake bite can kill within days, an Australian tiger snake bite can kill in three minutes, and if bitten by a Thai bamboo viper, death occurs in less than two minutes. Therefore, Thai snake venom is several times more valuable than gold, treating diseases based on the principle of fighting poison with poison, having effects like stopping bleeding, detoxifying, and beautifying. Snake bile helps clear liver heat and improve eyesight. According to the Thai guide, if bitten by a snake, if the wound is flat with a row of teeth marks, it's fine, but if the wound has two fang marks, it's a venomous snake bite, requiring immediate cutting of a cross, burning with a lighter, or tying with a cloth, neither too tight nor too loose, loosening every twenty minutes, then rushing to the hospital. Venomous snakes have incredibly strong vitality, not dying for two to three years without eating. Thai snakes mate for 36 hours at a time, then lay eggs continuously for two years, so many people believe snake penis has the effect of boosting virility and nourishing the kidneys.
During the few days in Thailand, traffic jams often occurred on the roads, so wherever we went, we had to act ahead of time. The reason for frequent traffic jams is partly because Bangkok is both the capital and a tourist city, with a large influx of people, and partly related to their lifestyle habits. Thais live at a slow pace, starting work at 10:30 am and finishing at 3 pm, with half an hour allocated for snacking in between, ensuring the continuation of life. Thus, Thais are poor, but welfare benefits are excellent. Education and healthcare for citizens are free, medical treatment and schooling require no payment, and when elderly, one can reside in nursing homes with a monthly allowance of a thousand baht. Therefore, during our seven-day stay in Thailand, we did not see a single beggar or homeless person, making my impression of Thailand very positive. I've always believed that if people are compared to eggs, regardless of the size of the eggs, what matters is padding the bottom. If social security is inadequate, many small eggs at the bottom are jostled and broken by societal operations, creating a horrific sight at the bottom. Too many broken eggs are detrimental to society. Therefore, ensuring eggs don't break is more important than ensuring equality among eggs. What is a harmonious society? The rich are joyfully rich, the poor are contentedly poor, the rich do not bully the poor, and the poor do not resent the rich—this is harmony. Society doesn't fear the smell of wine and meat, it fears starved bones. Providing a baseline and support for the disadvantaged can prevent many desperate acts.
Even with such limited resources, Thailand can provide guarantees, let alone others. Where does all of Thailand's welfare funding come from? All stems from tourism. The prosperity of tourism brings abundant temple offerings, and temples use donation revenues to conduct many charitable activities, and many schools are funded by temples. In this thriving tourism sector, ladyboys have made indelible contributions, suffering themselves to benefit the nation, benefiting the elderly and the majority of the young. Therefore, Thailand's ladyboys are very prosperous, and their existence holds positive significance.