The Third Sex

Charlin Nukul

The Third Sex Beyond a Gender Binary in Thai Culture and Films

PETER LANG New York - Berlin - Bruxelles - Chennai - Lausanne - Oxford

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Nukul, Charlin, author.

Title: The third sex : beyond a gender binary in Thai culture and films / Charlin Nukul.

Description: New York : Peter Lang, 2025. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2024058438 (print) | LCCN 2024058439 (ebook) | ISBN 9781636671239 (hardback) | ISBN 9781636671246 (ebook) | ISBN 9781636671253 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Gender identity in motion pictures. | Motion pictures–Thailand–History. | Queer theory. | LCGFT: Film criticism.

Classification: LCC PN1995.9.G364 N85 2025 (print) | LCC PN1995.9.G364 (ebook) | DDC 791.43/652109593–dc23/eng/20241214

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2024058438

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2024058439

DOI 10.3726/b22586

Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek.

The German National Library lists this publication in the German National Bibliography; detailed bibliographic data is available on the Internet at <http://dnb.d-nb.de>.

Cover design by Peter Lang Group AG

ISBN 9781636671239 (hardback)

ISBN 9781636671246 (ebook)

ISBN 9781636671253 (epub)

DOI 10.3726/b22586

© 2025 Peter Lang Group AG, Lausanne

Published by Peter Lang Publishing Inc., New York, USA

info@peterlang.com—www.peterl​ang.com

All rights reserved.

All parts of this publication are protected by copyright.

Any utilization outside the strict limits of the copyright law, without the permission of the publisher, is forbidden and liable to prosecution.

This applies in particular to reproductions, translations, microfilming, and storage and processing in electronic retrieval systems.

This publication has been peer reviewed.

Abstract: This chapter sets the stage for a critical and culturally nuanced exploration of gender and sexuality in Thailand, challenging the dominance of Western-centric frameworks and advocating for a queer theoretical approach. It delves into the intricate relationship between “gender” and “sexuality” within the Thai context, highlighting the fluidity of identities and the existence of diverse “third sex” categories that defy conventional Western understandings. The chapter critically examines the limitations of existing gender and sexuality frameworks in Thailand and introduces key local Thai terminologies relevant to non-normative gender and sexualities such as “kathoey,” “tom,” and “dee,” underscoring the importance of recognizing the cultural specificity of gender and sexual expression in Thailand.

Through an engagement with queer theory, the chapter moves beyond a focus on fixed categories and embraces the fluidity and dynamism of gender as a social construct. It critiques existing frameworks in Thailand, highlighting the need for culturally relevant models that center the voices and experiences of Thai LGBTQ+​ individuals. By outlining the structure and scope of the book, this chapter lays the groundwork for a comprehensive exploration of Thai LGBTQ+​ experiences, representations, navigations, and engagements with activism and advocacy. It invites readers to question assumptions, challenge dominant discourses, and engage with the complexities of Thai LGBTQ+​ lives from a culturally informed and queer theoretical perspective.

Keywords: Thai gender culture, LGBTQ+​ Thailand, third sex, Thailand, gender and sexuality, kathoey, tom, dee, queer theory, non-normative genders, gender fluidity

What images and thoughts spring to mind when you think about Thailand? I am anticipating what you are going to say. You will likely tell me about paradisiacal beaches, coconut trees, restaurants serving delicious Thai food, temples, or Buddha statue. Then, with sarcasm and comedy, you will bring up, Soi Cowboy, Go-Go bars and ladyboys. You can even smile at me and remark that it is extremely hard to distinguish a ladyboy from a woman. This is partially true. In Thailand, a ladyboy, known as “kathoey,” play a visible role in the country’s culture and entertainment industry. They are everywhere, and people can easily see kathoey on the street, at school, in a shopping mall, or in many gay bars in many provinces of Thailand. In this sense, it is easy to associate Thailand with its visible LGBTQ+​ community and its reputation for tolerance. However, this is a complex picture, and it’s important to look beyond the surface-level impressions. Not only is kathoey visible and recognizable in Thailand, but beyond the conventional binary concept of male and female, there is also a diverse array of gender identities.

Thailand has a long history of different non-normative gender identities in which people can move among categories more flexibly depending on the context. According to Jackson (1997), more than ten gender identities, such as kathoey, tom and dee, are regularly utilized in Thailand. This demonstrates a fluidity in how gender can be expressed. The very concept of a “third sex” has been used to denote a sex/gender classification that falls between male and female, challenging the binarism of traditional sex/gender identities. Yet, alongside this rich history, Western ideas about “sexuality” have become influential. So, the central question for me is this: What really is sexuality in Thai culture? Can we use Western concepts of sexuality to describe sexuality in Thai cultures?

This book then aims to answer these questions concerning Thailand’s gender and sexuality using historical context and cinema reading as a critical example. Thereby, it makes a critical cross-cultural understanding addition to the academic study of the emerging diversity of a non-binary identity referred to as the third sex concept in modern Thailand.

When I decided to write a book about the third sex, I was also inspired both by academic interest and my own personal experiences living in Thailand. I was born and raised in southern Thailand, but spent most of my adult life in Bangkok, the bustling capital and largest city, where the LGBTQ+​ nightlife scene is often recognized as one of the best in Asia. Here, LGBTQ+​ individuals were visible and were part of the everyday fabric of life—friends, colleagues, and some are now transsexual. Having spent much of my life in Bangkok, I’ve encountered many LGBTQ+​ individuals and the complexity within their own views and experiences. While Thailand is known as the “land of smiles,” it is also known as a “gay paradise” with a society tolerant of diverse genders and sexualities (Manderson, 1992; Jackson, 2003). It is crucial to remember that this is a nuanced picture. As a Thai resident, and with these first-hand accounts, I can form a genuine picture of Thailand’s sexual minority culture, and nothing was quite what it seemed to believe. Thailand’s reputation as a gay paradise is so well-established in the LGBTQ+​ world that it is frequently misconstrued in the Western world as though homophobia does not exist in this country. The LGBTQ+​ Thai body associated with guilt-free homosexuality is partially a product of Western fantasy. This causes some heterosexual Thai and Western academics to believe that homosexuality is neither an issue nor a cultural dilemma in Thailand but is accepted.

This seeming paradox fueled my desire to write this book. While there’s increasing academic interest in gender and sexuality, a Western-centric lens often dominates, particularly regarding the idea of the “global gay,” which I will explain later about this concept in this book. For Thailand, specifically, there’s a lack of critical work in Thai language that could offer deeper insights into Thailand’s unique situation, perhaps due to a mix of disinterest and cultural sensitivity. This is hardly surprising given that most academic research on gender and sexual differences in Thailand has been conducted from a Western perspective. That said, Scholarship on the topic in Thai does exist. Some Thai scholarship does challenge the marginalization of non-normative genders and sexual orientations within Thai society. Works like Romjumpa’s thesis (2002) on Discourses on “gay” in Thai Society 1965–2001, is a comprehensive study of Thai language materials, archives, and literature on masculine-identified homosexuals or gays both before and after 1965. His ground-breaking dissertation situates Thailand’s conceptualization of homosexuality within its historical context and exposes competing ideas of “gayness” developed by both heteronormative discourses and Thai local homosexual groups.