Kathoey

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Kathoey

Kathoeys on the stage of a cabaret show in Pattaya
Pronunciation	[kàtʰɤːj]
Meaning	Trans women, intersex, androgynous people, effeminate gay men
Classification	Gender identity
Other terms
Synonyms	Ladyboy, phuying praphet song, phet thi sam, sao praphet song
Associated terms	Bakla, Khanith, Kothi, Hijra, Two-spirit, Trans woman, Akava'ine
Demographics
Frequency	up to 0.6% AMAB (2011 estimate)
Regions with significant populations Cambodia, Laos, Thailand
Legal information
Recognition	Yes, limited
Protection	None

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Kathoey or katoey (Khmer: ខ្ទើយ; khtəəy, Lao: ກະເທີຍ; ka thœ̄i, Thai: กะเทย; RTGS: kathoei; Thai pronunciation: [kàtʰɤːj]) is an identity used by some people in Cambodia, Laos and Thailand, whose identities in English may be best described as transgender women in some cases, or effeminate gay men in other cases. These people are not traditionally transgender, however are seen as a third sex, being one body containing two souls. Transgender women in Thailand mostly use terms other than kathoey when referring to themselves, such as phuying (Thai: ผู้หญิง, 'woman'). A significant number of Thai people perceive kathoey as belonging to a separate sex, including some transgender women themselves.^[1]

In the face of the many sociopolitical obstacles that kathoeys navigate in Thailand, kathoey activism has led to constitutional protection from unjust gender discrimination as of January 2015, but a separate third gender category has not yet been legally recognized.^[2]