By: Suprajira Morakotjantachote
Thailand is no stranger to drag. In fact, Thailand is often known for having a large transgender population, especially transgender women. In the Thai language, there is a term used to refer to both transgender women and feminine presenting gay men: Kathoey (the very basic English translation of this word would be ladyboy). Thailand is also a known location to receive gender-affirming surgery, being the country with the highest number of surgeries performed. The lines between drag and being a transgender woman often intersect in Thailand. It is something that is more recently tolerated in the country, as they have high visibility in Thai culture compared to most other countries. Kathoeys are not exclusively found in urban areas, you can even find kathoey beauty pageants being put on in local fairs. An interesting belief about kathoeys is that, religiously, it is believed that being kathoey is a result of karma from committing a sin in a past life and that they should be pitied because of this.
Same-sex relationships and activity are legal in Thailand, but that’s about as far as it goes. Bills have been passed to protect one’s sexual orientation and gender from discrimination. However, transgender people still cannot legally change their gender on their documentation, even if they have gone through gender-affirming surgery. There is currently progress in passing laws that will allow people to legally change their gender, titled the Gender Certification Act. In an article from Coconut Bangkok, Proposed law would allow trans Thais to legally change gender, they explain that “The proposal is partially meant to close some loopholes and vague wording in the Thai Gender Equality Act 2015”. (Coconut Bangkok) The article further explains that the current anti-discrimination bill is extremely limited as there is very limited knowledge of where and how the trans community can file complaints against discrimination. As they are not able to change their gender in their legal documents, this makes transgender people more vulnerable to hate crimes and discrimination. While these laws don’t directly affect the participation of drag, in the long run, it does take a toll on anyone who does do drag.
Drag in Thailand is rather popular as they even have their own drag tv show called Drag Race Thailand, in inspiration of RuPaul’s Drag Race. There you can find two of Thailand’s more prominent drag figures: Art Arya and Pangina Heals, who are both hosts on the show. Art Arya is not only one of the two hosts and an executive producer for Drag Race Thailand, but she is also a fashion designer, having studied fashion in both Thailand and France. When Art was just a first-year in university, she was forced to dress as a woman as part of a hazing ritual. In Daniel Villarreal’s article Hornet Exclusive: ‘Drag Race Thailand’ Host Art Arya Was Born to Be a Drag Legend, “Arya took an experience that was meant to humiliate him, drew inspiration from the powerful women in his own life, transformed women’s fashion into a powerful means of self-expression and turned it into a full-fledged career.” (Hornet) Self-expression is a large part of drag and Art is able to encapsulate this in her work, allowing her to become such a prominent figure in the community.
Alongside Art Arya is her co-host Pangina Heals, another popular drag star who is often referred to as “ The RuPaul of Thailand”. Pangina is actually half-Thai and half-Taiwanese, and a brand ambassador in Thailand for the city of Taipei, Taiwan. She is known for the popularization of waacking, which is a dance form known to come from LGBTQ+ clubs. This is very like the result of studying at UCLA in American before returning to Thailand, meaning Pangina has a well-versed understanding of Western drag. Pangina is quoted in Chloe Sargeant’s article, Meet Art Arya & Pangina Heals, the fierce queens hosting 'Drag Race Thailand', “I also understand the Western side of drag after four years in L.A, so merging those two cultures together I hope I bring in something new and relevant.” (SBS-Pride) Western drag culture is rather dominant in the drag scene. There is still a long history of men dressing up as women to perform in things such as the Royal Palace Ballet in Thailand and yet they have not realized that they are participating in drag. It is a goal of Pangina’s is to bring together the two cultures to create something new for drag.
In reference to Pangina Heals, she has also recently opened her own drag bar as of 2020 called “The House of Heals”. Opening her own drag bard had been a dream of Pangina. As she explains in a Tatler Thailand piece Welcome To Pangina Heals' Home: House Of Heals, “It’s a place for me to elevate other artists who I believe in, not just drag
artist but singers, vocalists and comedians as well.” (Tatler Thailand) It was already a loss when Gay Nights at Maggie Choo’s, a speakeasy bar that was popular for their drag performances on Sundays, had ended. But the opening of Pangina’s bar will allow a new place for drag queens and the rest of the LGBTQ+ community to gather together. Especially with the way that Pangina had designed the bar, with “the competition-grade pole and raised stage in the middle of the dancefloor for 360-degree performances”, it’s a place that is made for especially drag queen to perform at their fullest.
Other than prominent drag figures: Art Arya and Pangina Heals, there are also other LGBTQ+ figures to keep an eye out for. Like Kulchaya Tansiri, who is the first transgender person to win in the modeling competition, The Face. Since winning The Face, Kulchaya is viewed as an inspiration for the LGBTQ community and uses her new presence in the media as a way to dismantle the many transgender stereotypes that can still be found in Thai media.
There is also, who once directed controversial Thai films and is now Thailand’s first-ever transgender member of parliament. Before becoming an MP, Tanwarin directed many controversial films that focused on highly sensitive LGBTQ+ issues. Not only is she advocating for marriage equality, but she also speaks greatly on gender fluidity and diversity. As Tanwarin puts in, “We shouldn't frame anyone to be in a definition just by what they look like, but acknowledge who they really are.” (TimeOut) These are words that I think that everyone including Thailand should think about in future discussions about drag and the LGBTQ+ community as a whole. Thailand may be seen as an open-minded LGBTQ+ "paradise", but it's still got a long way to go before it can be considered a true "paradise".
Citations
Apichatsakol, Mika. “Welcome To Pangina Heals' Home: House Of Heals.” Tatler Thailand, Tatler Thailand, 24 July 2020, www.thailandtatler.com/life/house-of-heals
Bangkok, Coconuts. “Proposed Law Would Allow Trans Thais to Legally Change Gender: Coconuts Bangkok.” Coconuts Bangkok, Coconuts Bangkok, 26 July 2017, coconuts.co/bangkok/news/proposed-law-allow-trans-thais-legally-change-gender/
Sargeant, Chloe. “Meet Art Arya & Pangina Heals, the Fierce Queens Hosting 'Drag Race Thailand'.” SBS, SBS, 18 Jan. 2018, www.sbs.com.au/topics/pride/agenda/article/2018/01/17/meet-art-arya-pangina-heals-fierce-queens-hosting-drag-race-thailand
Time Out Bangkok Editors. “Tanwarin ‘Golf’ Sukkhapisit: ‘We Shouldn't Frame Anyone to Be in a Definition...".” Time Out Bangkok, Time Out, 20 June 2019, www.timeout.com/bangkok/lgbt/time-out-meets-tanwarin-golf-sukkhapisit
Villarreal, Daniel. “Hornet Exclusive: 'Drag Race Thailand' Host Art Arya Was Born to Be a Drag Legend.” Hornet, Hornet, 15 Feb. 2018, hornet.com/stories/art-arya-drag-race-thailand/
*None of the photos used here are mine and belong to each of their respected owners.
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