ISSN 2173-5123
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Núm. 2 (2012): 190-202
190
F om he I on o he Lady: The Ka hoey Phenomenon
in Thai Cinema
The I on Ladies: El enómeno ka hoey en el cine ailandés
Recibido: 26 de oc ub e de 2011
Acep ado: 25 de no iemb e de 2011
Milag os Expósi o Ba ea
Uni e sidad de Se illa
mexposi [email p o ec ed]
Abs ac
E en hough hey lack any legal igh s, he ka hoey, also known as ladyboys, ha e g ea social
ele ance in Thailand. We ace a di e en way o looking a homosexuali y, s a ing wi h a
mo e ole an conside a ion om he eligious poin o iew hanks o he way i is concei ed
h ough ka ma. The success ul elease o The I on Ladies (Thongkon hun, di ., 2000) ini ia ed
he p oduc ion o an inc easing numbe o gay ilms in Thailand. Choosing he s andpoin o
quee heo y, his pape a emp s o pu ac oss he easons behind he success hese ilms ha e
ound, s udying he way Thai cul u e, pa icula ly i s cinema, depic s he a ious homosexual
ac ions: he po ayal o he ka hoey as a ole model; an app oach o he boom o male
homosexuali y in ilms; an in es iga ion o he use o s e eo ypes; he e olu ion o he
comme cial gay comedy o he upsu ge o d amas aimed a homosexual audiences.
Keywo ds
Thai cinema, gay cinema, ka hoey, ladyboys.
Resumen
A pesa de que ca ecen de de echos legales, los ka hoey, ambién conocidos como ladyboys,
ienen una g an ele ancia social en Tailandia. Nos encon amos an e una o ma di e en e de e
la homosexualidad, más ole an e en de e minadas cues iones, g acias a la isión que o ece el
budismo pa iendo de una se ie de p ecep os undamen ados en el ka ma. El éxi o alcanzado po
la película The I on Ladies (Thongkon hun, di . 2000) dio paso a un c ecien e núme o de
p oducciones cinema og á icas de emá ica homosexual en Tailandia. Pa iendo de la eo ía
quee , es e abajo in en a explica las azones que exis en en el inc emen o alcanzado po es e
ipo de películas, pa a ello es necesa io hace un es udio de la cul u a ailandesa, en pa icula su
cinema og a ía, y cómo se ep esen an las di e en es o mas de en ende la homosexualidad: la
imagen de los ka hoey como un modelo a segui , el auge de la homosexualidad masculina en las
películas, el uso de es e eo ipos, la e olución de la comedia come cial homosexual o el aumen o
de d amas cinema og á icos di igidos a un público p edominan emen e homosexual.
Palab as cla e
Cine ailandés, cine gay, ka hoey, ladyboys.
ζ
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1. In oduc ion: The Ka hoey
Anyone who wan s o s udy he subjec o homosexuali y in Thailand should
i s lea n a leas a ew hings abou he language o he coun y. The main p oblem we
ound was ha in Thailand he sepa a ion be ween gende and sex is almos nonexis en .
His o ically, he ca ego ies o sex and gende would be included in he e m phe . These
ca ego ies a e h ee: phu-chai o e e o male/man; phu-ying o emale/woman; and an
in e media e ca ego y ha is known as ka hoey.
The wo d ka hoey deno es a pe son (man o woman) ha exp esses
he maph odi ism o exhibi s beha iou s ha a e no conside ed app op ia e o hei sex.
The ka hoeys a e called he hi d sex bo h in he academic speech and in a mo e popula
con ex . This wo d is no only used o e e o biological males bu also includes male
women ( omboys) and hei emale pa ne s (dee, om lady), bisexuals, queens, kings,
ladyboys and any o he wo ds ha e e o homosexuali y (Jackson & Sulli an, 1999:
4).
The idea ha he e m ka hoey means a speci ic ype o homosexual is w ong,
possibly in luenced by he Wes e n dicho omy be ween he wo gende s (B ummelhuis,
1999: 122-123). The wo ds quee and ka hoey a e e y simila : bo h e ms we e used
pejo a i ely owa ds people who we e he maph odi es o whose sexual o ien a ions
we e o he han hose es ablished by he e ono ma i e socie y. The e m quee has
adi ionally mean s ange o unusual and is associa ed wi h he gay communi y:
lesbian, gay, bisexual and ansgende people. O e ime, he wo wo ds, quee and
ka hoey, ha e unde wen a se ies o seman ic ans o ma ions ha ha e made hem
mo e away om hei o iginally nega i e conno a ions.
The en y o he wes e n wo d gay in Thai socie y is ai ly ecen , bu i s use in
Thailand has elega ed he wo d ka hoey o wha we unde s and as ansgende ,
ans es i es and ansgende , and speci ically ocused on men. Ka hoey would become
wha we know as Ladyboy. Also, he wo d lesbian has ailed o be accep ed by Thai
socie y because i is e y di icul o ansla e in o he Thai language (Jackson, 2001:
16-17).
In s udies on sexuali y in Thailand he e is no di e ence be ween ansgende
and homoe o icism o be ween homosexual beha iou and iden i y acco ding o he
esea ch conduc ed by Pe e Jackson, a gay ac i is and a Thai his o y esea che om
he Aus alian Na ional Uni e si y (Jackson & Sulli an 1999: 5-6).
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Howe e , in wes e n esea ch abou Quee Theo y he e is a sepa a ion
be ween gende and sexuali y which is one o he highligh s o hese s udies. As
men ioned by Donald Mo on, “ he sepa a ion o sexuali y om gende … ma k he
bi h o quee heo y” (1997: 14); and E e Sedgwick a gues ha “ he ques ion o gende
and he ques ion o sexuali y a e no he same ques ion” (1991: 30). Bu in he Thai case
hese dis inc ions a e no iable, so we should do a e iew o wes e n Quee Theo y.
Dennis Al man (1996) o example, p esen s he idea o «global quee ing» as he e is a
homogeniza ion o homosexuali y om he pe spec i e o wes e n a che ypes. Models
c ea ed in he Wes a e la e used o ind simila i ies wi h he es o he wo ld in a way
ha gene alizes he subjec o a s udy p o ing o be an inapp op ia e me hod, as Al man
said.
2. Religion
Ano he impo an aspec o Thailand is ha i is a na ion hea ily in luenced by
Buddhism. Wi hin he Buddhis sc ip u es in he T ipi aka, we ind he Vinaya o
monas ic disciplina y code o The a ada Buddhism, he b anch o Buddhism ollowed
in his coun y. The Vinaya is unde s ood as he ules go e ning he o de and mus be
p ac iced by Buddhis monks who o m he sangha, o communi y. Fou ypes o
sex/gende a e desc ibed wi hin hese ex s. Fi s , he e is he ca ego y o men and
women; plus wo addi ional ca ego ies called ubha obyanjanaka and pandaka, which
e e o he maph odi ism and homosexuali y, espec i ely. Acco ding o Bunmi
Me hangkun (1986) bo h concep s ha e been ansla ed in o Thai as ka hoeys.
Buddhism has a g ea powe wi hin his coun y whe e he h ee pilla s o Thai
iden i y a e: he ideas o na ion, eligion and mona chy. Buddhism began as an o de o
celiba e men who li ed in a communi y, o sangha. Wi hin he ex s o The a ada
Buddhism he e a e a numbe o e e ences o homoe o ic beha iou . The p oblem is
ha hese ex s a e se in a pe iod o e wo housand yea s ago, so i is e y di icul o
con ex ualize hem in he p esen ime.
To Buddhis monks con ol o e hei desi e, whe he sexual o o he wise, is
e y impo an . Hence, ha any monk who has sex is de ea ed on his oad o Ni ana.
The con ol and he ex inc ion o desi e is he basis o ending he su e ing and
a aining sal a ion, so gay men a e seen as he an i hesis o he spi i ual p ocess.
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Buddhism explains ha being a ka hoey is akin o some kind o punishmen , a
ka mic consequence o ha ing done e il deeds in a p e ious li e. These w ong deeds
o en a e iola ions o a sexual na u e, such as he lack o sexual con ol. Fo me monk
Isa amuni (1989: 3-4) and Ph a Ra chawo amuni belie e ha homosexuali y comes
om his lack o con ol which is beyond no mali y.
Acco ding o Bunmi anyone can become a ka hoey o has been one in some
p e ious li e, so e e yone should be ole an o hem. Bunmi aises he ques ion: How
many imes may we be ka hoeys in he u u e? (Bunmi Me hangkun epo ed in
Jackson, 1998). Thus, Buddhism ends o be ole an o people who a e a ac ed o
o he s o he same sex, bu also exe s a s ong an i gay in luence. When AIDS was
expanding all o e he wo ld some Buddhis w i e s pa icipa ed in he s igma iza ion o
homosexuals. Thei ex s we e based on ce ain Buddhis eachings ha con ibu ed o
sp ead o ea and epudia ion o homosexuals and ha became he i s cause o he
p opaga ion o his disease. A p esen ime, some abbo s allow ans es i es o ka hoeys
o be o dained as monks because hey belie e ha we should judge people on hei
men al s a e and no on hei ex e io appea ance.
3. Thai Socie y
F om he ou side Thailand seems o be ee o p ejudices abou homosexuali y,
o some ex en because o hei g ea sex ou ism ma ke in his coun y. Bu in eali y
his ision is pa ially inco ec . Usually i is qui e di icul o Thai people o openly
decla e hemsel es homosexual because homosexuali y s ill has a nega i e conno a ion.
Maybe he e a e no di ec sanc ions agains homosexuals, bu in hei social
en i onmen hey can expe ience emo ional damages as esul s o insul s and gossips.
This is one o he easons why homosexuals a e os acized and hey only ac openly
wi hin a ci cle o ex emely close people (Sinno , 1999: 102).
Pa adoxically, in Thai socie y some sec o s o homosexuals a e no hidden, bu ,
qui e he opposi e, hey a e ai ly isible, as in he case o ans es i es, who ha e
become he ins i u ional images o ka hoey. On he o he hand, he case o he Tom o
Lesbians is mo e p oblema ical because hey a e s ill conside ed aboo and Thai socie y
emains eluc an o accep emale homosexuali y (Sinno , 1999: 102).
I is also wo hy o ema k he pe pe ua ion o nega i e s e eo ypes, by bo h
he e osexuals and homosexuals, as e lec ed in Thai mass media such as ele ision and
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he p ess, as well as cinema. In some cases homosexuals play as suppo ing cha ac e s
o he he oes and he oines as assis an s and also as comic elie . Thai cinema no only
p omo e he s o ies i gay in his socie y as he main cha ac e s bu also communica e
he need o ecognise he digni y o gay people as human being e en when wo king wi h
s e eo ypes (Sungs i, 2008: 233).
S e eo ypes a e cons an ly mo ing in all cul u es. Fo example, in Wes e n
socie ies since he la e nine een h cen u y and he ea ly wen ie h cen u y,
homosexuali y and he homosexual condi ion ha e been –bo h academically and
popula ly– linked o some kind o illness o labelled as immo al o pe e se beha iou .
The p oblem is he my h ha homosexuals a e sick o e il people who a e by na u e
insa iable sex p eda o s s ill su i es in some socie ies and keeps on leading o
punishmen and ep ession nowadays.
In his book His o y o Sexuali y Foucaul decla es ha possibly he e ha e
always been homosexuals bu he «cha ac e » has been c ea ed by ecen medical –mo e
speci ically, psychia ic– discou se since he second hal o he nine een h cen u y
(Foucaul , 1976). In Thailand he a i ude o he middle class plays a e y in luen ial
ole in he public opinion abou ka hoey. Amongs he ep esen a i es o ha
p o essional middle class a e psychologis s o psychia is s whose ideologies end o be
an i-gay o an i-homosexual. Thus, i is qui e di icul o a ka hoey o en e he
p o essional middle class, and hey may e en mee some ouble in ce ain sec o s o
educa ion. Fo hose easons hey hide hei sexual condi ion in he public domain. The
Thai endency o a oid loss o ace and pain ul communica ions nobody alks abou i .
Ten B ummelhuis has called his idea o “e e ybody knows bu nobody alks” and
called i he «Conspi acy o Silence» (B ummelhuis & He d , 1995).
The sp ead o AIDS in he ea ly 1980s u he s eng hened homosexual
ep ession. Thailand op ed o denial and silence. Be o e he boom o he con agion o
he i us, Thais belie ed Asian people we e gene ically immune o STDs and only he
a ang, a e m used o e e o o eigne s, should wo y abou hem. Bu in he 80s
homosexual men, p os i u es and Wes e n ou is s in Thailand we e accused o
sp eading AIDS. They became he bigges h ea o public heal h in he eyes o
poli icians, physicians, he mass media, and o he public igu es, including Buddhis
monks, which caused a big cul u al impac on Thailand. As Jackson says:

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Gay men in con empo a y Thailand a e in he p ocess o nego ia ing his ambiguous
psycho-cul u al space and, in gene al, a e a emp ing o o e come he s igma ha
a aches o homosexuali y by aligning hemsel es wi h he gende -no ma i e s a us o
«men» and dis ancing hemsel es om gende de ian ka hoey. (Jackson, 1995: 186-
187)
4. Thai Cinema: Gay Films
Nex , I will explo e he ield o gay ilms: how his ype o cinema has
inc eased since 2000; wha i s main hemes a e; i s ypes o cha ac e s and he
s e eo ypes associa ed wi h hem.
I will begin wi h a sho in oduc ion o Thai cinema. The ilm cul u e in his
coun y s a s wi h he beginnings o he cinema in en ion when a g oup o Pa isians
a i ed in Thailand o exhibi hei ilms. The in asion o Hollywood blockbus e s
du ing he 80’s and he 90’s comp omised he p e iously s ong na ional indus y,
which had o eso o c ea ing ilms o a new audience, he eenage s. S uden
comedies and d amas, ac ion ilms and ho o ilms o eenage s became so common
ha hey ha dly le place o any o he ilm gen e (Sungs i, 2008: 157-158).
F om an annual p oduc ion o 200 i les in he 70’s, he numbe o ilms
p oduced dec eased o jus a nine i les in he cou se o he 90’s (Sungs i, 2008: 131).
Howe e , a new phase in he his o y o he Thai ilm indus y s a ed in 1997 when a
g oup o ilmmake s mig a ed om he wo ld o ad e ising and TV o he ilm
indus y: he debu o Penek Ra ana uang, Nonzee Nimibu and he a i al o Hong
Kongese Oxide Pang (Chaiwo apo n, 2001: 159-160). They we e also joined by
ad e ise s Apicha pong Wee ase hakul and Yongyoo Thongkon hun, whose debu was
he gay comedy
The
I on Ladies in 2000. This phenomenon coincided wi h socio-sexual
p og essi eness igge ed by he empowe men o ci il socie y ha ound e e mo e
spaces in he g owing p i a e sec o o exp ess i sel . In he cou se o hese changes a
new gen e was es ablished whose success ew people had an icipa ed: ka hoey- ilms.
Also, old di ec o s ha had been se aside by he p edominance o ilms o
eenage s e u ned when he indus y was opened o he new Thai p oposals. Unde he
label o New Thai Cinema he e was a mix u e o new ilmmake s wi h news ideas, old
ilmmake s ha had picked up hei ca ee s and ilmmake s ha had al eady been
wo king du ing he 90s and con inued doing comedies, ho o and ac ion o young
people. This phenomenon led o an inc ease in he numbe o Thai p oduc ions since
2000.
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I we make an assessmen o he mos popula ilm gen es in Thailand he i s
place would be o ho o , ollowed by comedy. In a hi d posi ion would be he ilms
ha ea he gay heme, whose popula i y s a ed wi h he na ional and in e na ional
success o
The
I on Ladies, which is based on eal e en s: in 1996 he male eam ha
won he Thai na ional championship o olleyball was almos comple ely in eg a ed by
gays, ans es i es and anssexuals. The ilm ells he s o y o wo young male
olleyball playe s, Mon and Jung, who a e con inually ejec ed by di e en coaches
because hey a e homosexual. Finally, a new coach (in his case, a lesbian) who is o
c ea e a eam ha ep esen s he p o ince in he na ional championships decides o gi e
hem an oppo uni y, which causes he depa u e o he es o he eam (he e osexual),
excep one.
Mon and Jung a e o ced o b ing in o he eam se e al iends o hei s,
including a gay se gean , a anssexual caba e pe o me and a gay Chinese, along wi h
o he playe s he coach has ound and who also happen o be gay. In eal li e his eam
o wel e playe s became a ocus o a en ion because o he appea ance o he six
homosexual ones, wi h hei pony- ail hai dos, hea y make-up and e emina e sc eams
and ges u es. Bo h he ilm and he eal ac s show he di e si y o opinions abou
homosexuali y ha exis in his coun y. On one side he e is a sec o o socie y ha
belie es his eam is a disg ace o he na ion and should be disquali ied; hen, an
appa en ly mo e ole an second sec o sees hem jus as a simple en e ainmen , ha ing
un wi h he way hey play; and inally, he e a e hose who iden i y hemsel es wi h he
playe s and see his eam as a way o b eak in o socie y, a model o ollow.
The Thai go e nmen decided o expel wo o he homosexual playe s om he
na ional eam o p e en hem om compe ing on an in e na ional le el o ea o he
pe cep ion o Thailand hey could gene a e ab oad.
The e was a sequel o his ilm,
The
I on Ladies 2 (Thongkon hun, di ., 2003),
bu i was no as success ul as he i s one. This second ilm ells o how he wo main
cha ac e s i s me and wha hey did a e compe ing in he na ional league in 1996. In
bo h ilms we ind a lo o s e eo ypes which eso o humou .
I we analyze he cha ac e s, we ind a anssexual, a ious c ossd essing
homosexuals and wo gays. The i s s e eo ype is ha , as expec ed o a anssexual, his
cha ac e wo ks as a ka hoey in a ka hoey caba e , and hen also, h oughou he s o y,
he cha ac e p e e s o be e e ed as a Second Type o Woman o T ans o med
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Goddess. Despi e a ac ing men, ka hoeys belie e ha hey a e no en i ely emale and
will ne e be able o conside hemsel es ue women. The ilm also e lec s ano he
p oblem acing anssexuals: Thai legisla ion o icially bans he sex change, in he bi h
ce i ica e and in he passpo , o ha eason a big numbe o ka hoeys go ab oad in
o de o acqui e a passpo in which hei sex change is eco ded.
The c ossd essing cha ac e s a e he cen e o he mocke y because hei
beha iou s and aes he ics a e so s e eo yped ha hey quickly become he subjec o
jokes and idicule. Maybe he mos inely elabo a ed cha ac e s a e he men who simply
like o he men. A e y common gay p oblem in Thailand is ha homosexual men, o
ea o social c i icism and ejec ion o due o amily p essu e, ma y women wi h
whom hey main ain a no mal li e while hiding hei homosexuali y. Tha happens o
he Chinese membe o he eam in he ilm.
I we look a he en i e p oduc ion o ka hoey ilms since he elease o
The
I on
Ladies in 2000 un il 2008, we can ind mo e han wen y di e en i les. In he Thai ilm
indus y his gen e ha makes use o ans es i es and anssexuals has become a e y
ui ul business in which almos any hing goes. Mos o he mo e comme cially
success ul and mains eam ilms a e ligh comedies ha make un o homosexuali y, bu
a he same ime a emp o send a message o unde s anding and accep ance o he
communi y. We can conside i as a s ange mix o mocke y and ole ance.
Amongs he mos comme cial comedies he e a e i les such as Spicy Beau y
Queen O Bangkok (A non, di ., 2004), he s o y o a anssexual who is denied a bank
loan o a sex change ope a ion, so he decides o ob a bank along wi h h ee ladyboys,
he ou o hem d essed as gi ls. Things ge complica ed when he plan does no come
oge he as expec ed because he e is ano he g oup o young people ying o ob he
bank a he same ime. O he ilms wo h men ioning a e The Odd Couple
(Pu a a amamane, di ., 2007), Me osexual (Thongkon hun, di ., 2006), Chee leade
Queen (A non, di ., 2003) and Kung Fu Too sie (Mokjok, di ., 2007), he s o y o he
powe s uggle be ween h ee Can onese ma ias. When one o hem is on he e ge o
bea ing he o he s, hei leade is se iously inju ed and he is eplaced by his homosexual
win b o he . The la e has li ed wi h his mo he since he was a child and is ond o
women’s clo hes and d essing up jus like a gi l; he e en in en s his own igh ing s yle:
lady boxing. The wo d « oo sie» in he i le alludes o he ilm Sidney Pollack di ec ed
in 1982 abou an unemployed ac o who, in despe a ion, decides o pass as a woman in
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o de o ge a emale ole in a soap ope a. In he ic ion o Pollack’s ilm he p o agonis
becomes a huge ele ision celeb i y in his ans es i e pe sona hough, in exchange o
success, he has o conceal he ac ha he is ac ually a man om e e yone. We should
also men ion ha he e a e also gay ho o comedies like Haun ing Me (A non, di .,
2007) in which ou ka hoeys y o exo cise ghos s because his is he only way o help
one o he ghos s o a enge hei dea hs.
Besides so many comedies he e a e some comme cial i les which a e close o
oman ic d ama, hough hey a e e y unusual in an indus y ha , as men ioned ea lie ,
concen a es on ho o , comedy and ac ion (he e osexual). One o hose a e ilms is
Me... Mysel (Wachi abunjong, di ., 2007) in which a boy su e s om a kind o
amnesia a e a gi l knocked him down. Bo h o hem ha e gone h ough emo ional
b eak-ups bu o e ime lo e begins o eme ge be ween hem. The p oblem is when he
s a s eco e ing his memo y he emembe s he used o be a ka hoey who ac ed in a
caba e , bu he canno help lo ing he gi l, who will ha e o decide whe he she wan s o
be a ans es i e’s gi l iend. E en ually, he message o he ilm is he s e eo ype ha
someone will become homosexual i he is su ounded by homosexuals and he same
hing goes o ans es i es. O he impo an d amas we should men ion a e Lo e o
Siam (Sak ee akul, di ., 2007) and Bangkok Lo e S o y (A non, di ., 2007). Bo h o
hem app oach he eelings ha a ise when wo boys o wo men all in lo e. In he
couple he e is always one ha keeps denying his eelings un il he inally accep s wha
he uly eels. Also he e is usually a ela i e o a iend wi h an an i-homosexual
a i ude who opposes he same-sex ela ionship while he e is also ano he cha ac e in
he opposi e ex eme, mo e ole an and pe missi e, ha helps he p o agonis s o make
up hei minds. Lo e o Siam p o oked g ea con o e sy because i was p esen ed as a
eenage omance wi hou men ioning i s homosexual con en . Some sec o s o socie y
a acked i as a me e gay ilm while o he s p aised he openness wi h which people
alked abou eenage sexuali y and how lo e is no limi ed o physical a ac ion bu
e ol es owa d he emo ional plane.
Beside he a o emen ioned comme cial ilms he e ha e also been some
independen p oduc ions. Api chapong Wee ase hakul’s T opical Malady (2004)
ocuses on he homosexual ela ionship be ween wo boys. Al hough i unde akes he
heme o homosexuali y, his ilm is impo an abo e all because i s di ec o belongs in
wha we migh be conside ed an a an ga de ilmmake . He also di ec ed The