The term ‘Ladyboy’ or ‘Kathoey’ in Thai terms is often used to describe beautiful transgender women or effeminate gay men in Thailand (1) and in other Asian countries as well. Ladyboys usually dress up as women, and most of them have undergone medical procedures such as sex reassignment surgery, injecting hormone or silicone, inserting implants, etc. Asian ladyboys are known for being feminine and pretty.
One even got chosen in the list of 100 Most Beautiful Faces in the World for 2014, and more often than not, they usually are famous social media stars. And as a country that is known for being tolerant towards the LGBTQ+ community, ladyboys are more visible in Thai society than in other Asian countries.
Many ladyboys in Thailand work in occupations usually predominated by females, such as beauty salons, hotel front desks, and restaurants. Many also work in the entertainment industry as social media influencers, models, actresses, and cabarets or the famous “Tiffany Show” performers.
As society has become more open-minded, the interest in ladyboys has increased. Here’s a list of the Top 10 Asian Ladyboys who have shot to fame for being the sexiest and most beautiful.
10. Jess Labares
Nationality: Filipinos
Age: 28 Years Old
Profession: Flight Attendant, Model, Beauty Pageant
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jesslabares/
Jess is a transgender model and also the first transwoman to become a flight attendant for Cebu Pacific Airline in the Philippines. Jess is often described as a ‘sunshine’ due to her warm and contagious smile.
After graduating with a degree in Physical Therapy, Jess started working at a call center, and that was when she decided to join the beauty pageants. In 2017, she was placed at 7th place for Queen Philippines Pageant. Then in 2019, she won the title of Queen Universe Philippines, securing her career as a beauty queen.
Despite her beauty pageant career going well, Jess continued to pursue her childhood dream of being a flight attendant, and she was able to achieve that dream in 2019 by being a part of the Cebu Pacific crew (25).
In 2020, Jess participated in Miss International Queen Competition. She ranked within the Top 6 finalists and also won the title of Miss Photogenic award (26). According to her Instagram profile, Jess is happily engaged to her partner.
9. Pemika ‘Pynk’ Ditsayamethanont
Nationality: Thai
Age: 28 Years Old
Profession: Model, Beauty Pageant
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pynk_pemika/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pynk.molly
Pemika or Pynk is a famous Instagram model and a social media star from Thailand. Her Instagram account has more than 60.1K followers, and her Facebook account also has nearly 100,000 followers.
Pynk is known for her doll-like face and sexy figure. With fair skin, a sexy body figure, and innocent-looking facial features, many people say that Pynk looks like a Japanese anime character (20).
Pynk studied at Bangkok University and majored in Communication Arts. After getting her surgeries, Pynk first gained the spotlight when she was chosen as the spokesperson for a surgery hospital in South Korea. Pynk was also a contest for the Miss Tiffany Universe competition in 2018 (21).
8. Nathachat “Hana” Chanchiew
Nationality: Thai
Age: 30 Years Old
Profession: Model
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hanashac/
Nathachat or Hana, as known by her nickname, is a famous transgender model, and she also participated in ‘The Face Thailand Season 3’ alongside Lady Blossom.
Hana rose to her fame during the competition, and although she didn’t win the title, she had been fans’ favorite ever since the audition rounds. And like others on this list, Hana also competed in Miss Tiffany’s Universe competition and was one of the top 10 contestants in the 2015 competition (15).
Hana is known for her toned, sexy body and tanned skin, making her one of the sexiest models in Thailand. Hana was a model for brands like Maybelline and appeared in the publications like Lips Magazine (16).
Currently, her Instagram account has over 144k followers. She is also known as one of the most successful and richest models in Thailand, with an estimated net worth of $1-5 Million. As for her private life, Hana has graduated from the Suan Dusit Rajabhat University in 2014 with a degree in hotel business management (17).
7. Jiratchaya “Mo” Sirimongkolnawin
Nationality: Thai
Age: 30 Years Old
Profession: Model, Beauty Pageant, Management Agency Director
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mojiratchayaa/
Jiratchaya was chosen as the beauty queen for Miss Tiffany Universe 2016 and the winner of Miss International Queen 2016 (10). Mo likes to play sports and has the perfect figure of a model.
She is known for her stunning looks, with her height and aura that is hard to miss even in a crowded room. As a child, Mo faced difficulties as she had to hide her ‘feminine side from her family.
Eventually, her family accepted her for who she was. Her father actually paid for the registration fees of the beauty pageant competition, where she won the crown (11).
Jiratchaya was chosen as the ambassador for the “I For TG Women program,” Thailand’s official transwomen’s health intervention initiative. She is supported by the Thai Red Cross Society and the Italian Red Cross (11).
Jiratchaya has also appeared in a commercial campaign for L’Oreal with actress Araya Hargate and 2015’s Miss Universe Thailand Aniporn Chalermburanawong. Currently, Jiratchaya is active as a blogger and being a “boss lady.” She is the director of Feline Agency, a talent management agency for diverse talent models and influencers.
6. Ling Piyada Inthavong
Nationality: Laos
Age: 29 Years Old
Profession: Model, Beauty Pageant
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lingpiyadar/
Known as her nickname ‘Ling Ling’, Piyada Inthavong is a Laos transgender model and celebrity. She first gained public attention during the 2014 Miss International Queen Competition, where she ranked as the 2nd runner up among the top 3 finalists.
Ever since she was a child, Ling wanted to become a girl and was “embarrassed to dress as a man.” After her trip to Thailand, Ling was inspired by the ladyboys in Thailand that she asked permission from her family to let her undergo surgery.
At the age of 19, Ling completed her sex reassignment surgery and moved to Thailand to begin her career as a model (18). After becoming the 2nd runner-up in the famous Miss International Queen contest, Ling also appeared as a contestant for a Thai TV program called “The Casting Project Thailand Season 2” in 2015 (19).
Ling is currently a model and also posting vlogs on her youtube channel – “LOOK LIKE LING หลิงหลิง” and her Instagram account has over 262K followers. Ling is also a model for many brands in Thailand and is active as a catwalk model in many events.
5. Lady Blossom
Nationality: Thai
Age: 25 Years Old
Profession: Model, Idol, Actress, Clothing Brand Owner
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ladyblossom/
Her real name is Chananchida Roongpetchrat, and she is currently active on social media and the entertainment industry with her nickname ‘Lady Blossom.’
Lady Blossom is known for her doll-like figure and slim body, with her height being around 175cm (12) at 51kg body weight. Lady Blossom was also a runner-up at Miss Tiffany’s Universe 2013 (13) and appeared on a model competition called ‘The Face Thailand Season 3’, where she ranked 10th (14).
During the ‘The Face Thailand’ competition, she was one of the fans’ favorites, together with other ladyboy models such as Nathachat “Hana” Chancheaw, who ranked at 9th place (15). Lady Blossom also starred in online miniseries called “AOi The Series” in 2016.
She is also a fan of makeup and sometimes uploads makeup tutorials on her Youtube channel and Instagram account. And like many other social media stars, Lady Blossom often promotes makeup and skincare brands on her Instagram account and has over 278K followers.
She also owns a clothing line named ‘No More Innocence.’ In 2021, Lady Blossom became a girl group member of a 5-member project group called ‘2021 Ratri’, alongside Milli, Gam Wichayanee, Waii, and Jingjing Yu (14). Her position in the group is sub-vocalist, and the group has released a music video in March 2021.
4. Millen Cyrus
Nationality: Indonesia
Age: 25 Years Old
Profession: Model, Beauty Pageant
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/millencyrus/
Millen is an openly transgender Insta-celebrity from Indonesia. Her Instagram account has over 1.2 million followers, and her youtube video about her experience as a transwoman also gained over 6 million viewers. Millen has caused a lot of buzz in her country for many reasons.
Most significantly, Indonesia is a Muslim country and not as accepting of the LGBTQ+ community as Thailand. Millen being a transwoman had caused controversies. Millen’s aunty, Ashanty, is also a famous celebrity in Indonesia (22), making her gain a lot of attention from the start.
Millen is perhaps the only one on this list who had not undergone complete sex reassignment surgery, although she had had implant surgeries, making her look voluptuous and sexy. She has also expressed that she does not wish to remove her male reproductive organ parts now (23).
Last year, Millen was arrested as a suspect for a drug case, and when the police put her in the male detention center, people were outraged and demanded the police department respect her. As a result, she was later moved to a special cell (24). This year, Millen is chosen as Miss Queen Indonesia 2021.
3. Rinrada ‘Yoshi’ Thurapan
Nationality: Thai
Age: 24 Years Old
Profession: Actress, Model, Beauty Pageant
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoshirinrada/
Yoshi is known for her pretty feminine appearance and is famous not only in Thailand but in Asia too. Winner of Miss Tiffany Universe 2017, Yoshi also represented Thailand in Miss International Queen Competition and ranked as the 2nd runner for 2018.
Yoshi was a student at Bangkok University, majoring in Communication Arts. Yoshi started working as a model and actress ever since she was a teenager and by the age of 18, she had already secured her position as a high-profile endorser of Thai cosmetic brands (5).
During her interview video for Miss International Queen, Yoshi said that while it was hard for her to transition into a beauty pageant from a teen actress, the process was like a makeover for her. She also said that she enjoys being an entertainer as that allows her to do what she enjoys and gain social acceptance (6).
In 2019, Yoshi was in the headlines when a fellow guest star, DJ Plakung, made inappropriate jokes toward her during a TV show they both appeared in. Many defended Yoshi, and later, DJ Plakung made a public apology to Yoshi and Yoshi said that she forgave him for the incident (7), showing that even famous stars like Yoshi still face difficulties for being a transwoman.
Despite these hardships, Yoshi is still going strong. Her Instagram account has 1.5 million followers, and she has also starred in music videos and television programs in Thailand.
2. Nguyen Huong Giang
Nationality: Vietnam
Age: 29 Years Old
Profession: Singer, Model
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/huoggiangggg/
Nguyen Huong Giang has almost 4M followers on Instagram and is one of Asia’s sexiest and most famous ladyboys. She first made headlines in 2012 when she openly admitted to being transgender on the reality show Vietnam Idol (8).
She had gained so much attention and empathy during that program and continued to become active in the entertainment industry. Although having no prior experience in beauty pageant competitions, Nguyen Huong Giang won Miss International Queen Competition in 2018.
She became the first-ever Vietnamese contestant to win in this internationally famous prestige beauty competition held in Pattaya. She then continued to become a TV star and a singer in Vietnam. Nguyen also won The Amazing Race Vietnam Season 3.
Her Facebook account also has over 529k followers, proving her status as one of the most famous celebrities in the country (9).
Despite being so famous now, Nguyen faced a lot of hardships before, as many other members of the LGBTQ+ community had. Nguyen had her sex reassignment surgery in Thailand almost 10 years before winning the crown as a beauty pageant. At that time, she avoided her father as he was not accepting of her sexuality. However, she eventually gained support from her family.
Nguyen is also committed to advocating for LGBTQ+ rights in Vietnam, as Vietnam is not as accepting as Thailand when it comes to such issues. She founded Miss International Queen Vietnam to help promote awareness and acceptance towards the LGBTQ+ community in Vietnam and said that she hoped “everybody to give transgender people a chance so they can be stronger” (9).
1. Treechada ‘Poyd’ Petcharat
Nationality: Thai
Age: 29 Years Old
Profession: Actress, Model, Beauty Pageant
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poydtreechada/
And, number 1 in the list is none other than Treechada ‘Poyd’ Petcharat, perhaps the most famous and successful ladyboy in Thailand. Poyd, as most know by her nickname, is perhaps the most famous ladyboy in Thailand. She has 2.5 million followers on her Instagram account and is also working as a model and actress.
Poyd had had her sexual reassignment surgery when she was only 17 years old (2). Back then, she didn’t receive much support from her family. Despite that, she entered the famous Miss Tiffany Universe, the annual beauty pageant competition held in Pattaya, in 2004 and won the crown at the age of 19.
She represented Thailand in the Miss International Queen 2014 competition and won the competition again, becoming the talk of the nation (3). Since then, she has started her career in the entertainment industry and become the brand ambassador for many brands in Thailand.
In 2014, she signed with a Hongkong agency and starred in many action movies from Hongkong and mainland China. She has been in several films, both in local and international ones, and received good responses for the movie called “The White Storm,” in which she acted alongside Louis Koo.
Poyd is also very well known for her pretty features and is the only ladyboy to be included on the TC Candler’s annual list of 100 women with the most beautiful faces in the world for 2014. Poyd ranked 73rd and was the only representative to be chosen from Thailand (4).
Poyd also holds degrees in mass communication and cosmetic technology from Suan Dusit University and North Chiang Mai University respectively, proving that she is not just another pretty face in the industry (3).
Since the beginning of her career, Poyd has been actively advocating for transwomen and LGBTQ rights. Many ladyboys in Thailand choose Poyd as their role model.
Like always, if you want to discover more about Thailand, stay guided with ThaiGuider. You might learn something you never knew about this unique country.
References
1. Hasa. Difference Between Ladyboy And Shemale. Pediaa. [Online] January 10, 2017. https://pediaa.com/difference-between-ladyboy-and-shemale/.
2. Fierce Publishing. Treechada Petcharat. Fierce Publishing. [Online] 2021. http://2-mag.com/site/profile/2015/POYD+TREECHADA–PETCHARAT.
3. Kamol Hospital. Inspirational Stories. Kamol Hospital. [Online] July 09, 2020. https://www.kamolhospital.com/en/read-BecomingYourRealSelf/Becoming-Your-Real-Self-Poy/.
4. Coconuts Bangkok. ‘Poyd Treechada’ Named World’s 73rd Most Beautiful Face. Coconuts. [Online] December 30, 2014. https://coconuts.co/bangkok/lifestyle/poyd-treechada-named-worlds-73rd-most-beautiful-face/.
5. Kamol Hospital. Our Thankful Clients. Kamol Hospital. [Online] July 09, 2020. https://www.kamolhospital.com/es/detail-testimonial/Yoshi/.
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8. Hanh Vu. Meet Trans Beauty Queen Nguyen Huong Giang, First Vietnamese Miss International Queen Winner And An Outspoken Advocate For LGBT Rights. SCMP. [Online] August 9, 2021. https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3144380/meet-trans-beauty-queen-nguyen-huong-giang-first.
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15. Coconuts Bangkok. Trans Beauties: Internet Cheers On These Hot Trans Models To Win The Face Thailand. Coconuts. [Online] August 23, 2016. https://coconuts.co/bangkok/lifestyle/trans-beauties-internet-cheers-these-hot-trans-models-win-face-thailand/.
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23. Reva Anggara. Medial News. [Online] Sexy Millen Cyrus Confesses To Having Male Genitals On Her Body: Okezone Celebrity, September 11, 2021. https://www.medialnews.com/sexy-millen-cyrus-confesses-to-having-male-genitals-on-her-body-okezone-celebrity/.
24. The New Indian Express. Following Outrage, Indonesian Police Move Transgender Celebrity Millen Cyrus To Private Cell. The New Indian Express. [Online] November 27, 2020. https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2020/nov/27/following-outrage-indonesian-police-move-transgender-celebritymillen-cyrus-to-private-cell-2228897.html.
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