A Ladyboy or Katoey (in Thai) is a transgender or a transsexual and most of them are based in tourist neighborhoods. There are ladyboys in most bars here because simply put, it’s much easier for women to earn more money in these areas. People from Southeast Asia have some very specific physical predispositions that allow a lot of people to easily change their gender unnoticeably. That’s why it might be hard to recognize ladyboys on the streets of Thailand, especially if you’re visiting for the first time. I’ve even seen many of them that were just as beautiful as girls, if not even more!
Ladyboys are perceived differently by different kinds of tourists. Some want to avoid ladyboys, others are terrified by them, while some purposely seek them. However, Thai people are known for being very accepting, and in fact, I can say that’s part of their culture.
They don’t look at ladyboys in a bad way and are generally not judgmental in regards to the choices that other people make. Be like them!
Personally, I have nothing against transgender people and they have my full support when it comes to expressing themselves.
I just thought it would be a good idea to write this article and give fellow travelers some useful tips on how to recognize ladyboys in Thailand because at times that might seem like a mission impossible.
1. Pay attention to these parts of her body:
Girls generally have narrow shoulders and broad hips, while ladyboys have broad shoulders and narrow hips.
Women’s forearms are a bit bent, while men’s forearms are straight;
Don’t rely on spotting the Adam’s Apple, as there are surgical procedures to have the bone shaved back.
The average height of a Thai woman is 157.3 cm (about 5ft 2in) while the average height for a man is 167.5 cm (about 4 inches taller).
Ask her to hold her arms out straight and try to bring her elbows together without bending the arms. If she has a normal female skeleton she will easily be able to do this. If not, congratulations, you’ve found a ladyboy.
Related: How to travel to Thailand on a budget?
2. Pay attention to these things about her face:
Males usually have a higher hairline than females;
Males have a horizontal ridge of bone above our eyebrows, while females have much smoother and flatter forehead;
The eyebrows of females are generally positioned higher and there’s more room between the eyes and eyebrows;
Males’ jaws are wider, taller, and often have a sharp corner at the back.
3. The voice
Ladyboys, especially the ‘recent ones’ try to speak in a higher voice so they can sound more like girls. However, recognizing this is something that takes a lot of time to perfect. You would probably master this skill after staying in Thailand for a couple of months.
4. The hands
Generally, men have bigger hands than women. However, I met a few Thai guys that had unusually small palms. When in doubt, just take her hand and check whether the skin is smooth like it should be with most girls or not.
Bonus trick:
If her ring finger is longer than her index finger, I’m sorry but she’s probably a he.
5. The way they dance
I heard this one from an old player that’s been visiting Thailand for more than 20 years: ‘the majority of them can’t dance to save their life because they still have the male gen’.
6. Playing with their hair
Ladyboys almost always fidget with their hair because they are not used to it and are being quite self-conscious about it.
7. Location, location, location
Check the map of the city that you are visiting, and speak with locals before going out, especially in Bangkok, Pattaya, and Phuket. For example, Soi 6 district in Pattaya is well-known for having a lot of bars where you can find a lot of (female) escorts. Soi 6/1, on the other hand, just a few feet away, is known for its ladyboy bars.
Traveling to Thailand soon? Check out this list of things you should not do in Thailand and if you need help planning your itinerary, check out our guide to spending 3 weeks in Thailand.
8. Are you a ladyboy?
Like mentioned, Thai people are pretty open-minded and there’s no shame in admitting if someone is a ladyboy. Now, of course, some might get upset if you think that they might not be all woman but if you ask in a cautious manner, everything should be fine.
9. Ask for her ID
None of the previous methods is foolproof. They are all subjective and might vary from case to case. The only foolproof method is to just ask for their ID. Nowadays all Thai ID cards are in Thai and English language both, so if you ask for the ID (you can say you’re asking it to check their age) and see Mr. someone, you have your answer.
Finally, like the local people, respect the ladyboys. They are human beings and should be treated as such. If you don’t want anything to do with them, just decline politely like you would with a real girl. And avoid arguing with them, cause that might end up bad and just ruin your vacation.
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agree with your tips, for me the easiest way is the way they walk, the broad shoulders, the fake voice, and the confidence they have
Agree but some of them look so feminine it’s really hard to distinguish them. Especially if you’re drunk 😀
If you’re drunk it will be a surprise when you wakeup ;P
I wanted to thank you for this excellent read!! I absolutely enjoyed every bit of it.
I’ve got you book-marked to check out new stuff you post…
Thank you for your comment, Philip 🙂
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I’m going to recommend this blog!
Thank you, Ron. I really appreciate it
Very nice tips. I remember my trip to Thailand. Many times I wasn’t sure if there were boys or girls haha. It was so much fun. Very well explained.
Thank you, Esther- I’m glad you liked this post.
Thais are very accepting because it is Buddha’s teaching to love and accept everyone regardless of culture, background, race, etc., because we are all humans. Thailand is the country who is ahead with this, and western world still fighting for it.
Indeed, Blair- we can all learn a lot from them.
Yes, they are so far advanced that they don’t even need to rely on democracy, their government was formed by coup and the current PM sprinted morally ahead of the rest of the world by handpicking all the seats of parliament. Oh, and don’t say anything that could be construed as negative about the King or you’ll be sent on a lengthy retreat to an ashram with high walls and lots of bars. There’d probably be some ladyboys there with you, though.
honestly, all those are valid points but I still think Thai people are indeed quite liberal and accepting
Sorry but I disagree, it’s almost a disgrace if you have a kathoey in your family, they are not accepted, they have to join the army as a men because they were born with penis. They actually can look like women, but if they want to go to the W.C., they have to use the males one. Try to be the boyfriend of one of them and your family will be very dissapointed with you, because having a kathoey in your family it’s almost a disgrace / dishonour. You need to talk with a kathoey to discover the truth
Haha it was fun reading this as I remember very well my 3 week trip to Thailand that was filled with ladyboys stories. To be honest I found them quite easy to distinguish because of many of the reasons you described (voice, feet, neck, hands etc) but the ones that have enough money and go through expensive surgical procedure it’s impossible to distinguish. Then you have to rely on trust only xD
Thank you, Cato- I’m really glad to hear you enjoyed this article. There sure are a lot of funny ladyboys stories on the internet 🙂
Hahaha I am right now in Bangkok while reading this. I see many of these in Nana and at many other places here. It is very common here. And I guess you have carefully noticed the differences and summed up here. I am sure it is useful for many.
Thank you, Shreya- I’m glad you enjoyed this post.
Thailand is so accepting of the LGBT community and that is heartening to see. The ladyboys are a really nice bunch and can be fun to hang out with. In fact, they appreciate normal friendly interaction with the tourists too.
That’s 100% true, Tamshuk. Thank you for your comment
If you somehow don’t realize it until you get her home, the Feet are often a giveaway. If hers are bigger than yours, request that she please stop giving you that blowjob and head to the nearest confession box.
true, Stewart but that rarely happens as even Thai guys aren’t that large 🙂
@Stewart, if her feet are lager than mine, it will scare the hell out of me. I have size 12-12,5. 😆
I have never meet a ladyboy before and was always wondering the difference between a ladyboy and a normal girl.
Thank you.You have given me all the answers before my questions.
Thanks, Michael. I am glad it helped.
When do you think foreigners can visit Thailand again? Any news on the Thai Tourist industry opening up?
Hi Steph, I think they already reopened, of course with certain guidelines that have to be followed by visitors (not sure if this applies to the US tho).
Thai ladyboys are freaking HOT !!!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THEM !❤️❤️❤️
Right on, Will. As the article mentions, we’re not biased against ladyboys, the article is just for entertainment.
Forgive me father for I have sinned.
If you’re are drunk, you have absolutely no chance to recognize them.
Your comment really cracked me up, Arash, thank you for getting involved in the comments 🙂
Interesting. And ladyboys on Thailand os something else than TS in West.
One thing that I have noticrd, right or not – looking on a Thai dating site, I get the impression that many thai girls label themselves as “average” or “not very attractive”, even if they are stunning, while most ladyboys label themselves as “attractive” or “very attractive”.
That’s an interesting observation, I haven’t paid much attention to it. Thank you for contributing to the discussion
Great info PS. In my extensive experience, a ladyboy will make sure you know that they are a ladyboy. There won’t be an oops,SURPRISE! It just doesn’t happen.Whether Thai or Filipino.Philippines is very accepting of them as well.I must say these women are a joy to be around.
Thank you for sharing some of your extensive experience, Roadrunner.
The easy way to find out is to grab the groin area
@Mr F Knuckle, don’t do this. It’s sexual assault.
I grew up with five sisters, so i always bragged that i can spot a woman a mile away and I can’t be fooled. Now that im retiring to thailand i see my instincts could fail there. So thanks for the education on how to identify a ladyboy, although i sure i make friends with them its just that im not into that… So thanks cause i have tested the arms out straight theory and you absolutely right…
You’re welcome, Murvin, I’m glad you enjoyed the article and found it useful 🙂
A lot of kathoey never went through male puberty, so none of these apply as the article describes male puberty related things.
I transitioned later in life and I can put my elbows together without bending my arms. Cis women definitely have brow ridges, although less often as pronounced than men’s. Hormones make your hands softer because they change your skin to female. I’m not sure why “male gen” would effect the ability to dance, because we tuck. Long hair takes years to grow, so it’s not like it’s a new thing to anyone with long hair. And your feet shrink when you’re on estrogen too (which has been mentioned in the comments a few times).
People who’ve followed the advice on here and have had an “encounter” statistically have most likely just thought a cis woman was a kathoey woman!
Sorry but your comment sounds ridiculous. You say most ladyboys who transition don’t go through male puberty which suggests that they are underaged and according to several sources and first-hand conversations with qualified personal, I know for a fact that most clinics in Thailand (if not all) among the criteria for who can take this surgery list that, patients have to be over 20 years of age (not even 18). How many people at age 20 or older do you know that haven’t hit male puberty?
A very interesting topic that I’ve been looking into, I think this is one of the most significant information for me. And i’m glad reading your article. Thank for sharing!
Thank you for your comment, I really appreciate it.
Yo gr8 article bro 👍
Good query I’m going thyland next month
good luck 🙂