Transcending trouble: Thai transwomen tussle with tourists in Phuket

A video has gone viral in Thailand of two Thai transwomen physically assaulting some foreign men in the Patong neighbourhood of Phuket. Police admitted that the transwomen may be sex workers, and the attack may have been sparked over a service fee dispute.

The video fracas was shared by the Instagram account @phuketinsta last week with a caption in Russian warning viewers not to challenge Thai transwomen.

“Dangerous people! They show who is boss in Phuket! Better not to joke with them. They can trample you!”

The video featured a Thai transwoman in a black minidress hitting and kicking a foreign man sitting on the street. Her friend, in a brown dress, tried to stop her from attacking the man.

Another foreign man on a motorcycle tried to intervene making the group of transwomen angry. About four to five Thai transwomen gang attacked the foreigner on a motorcycle until he had to ride out of the scene.

A group of Thais and foreigners watched the attack. Some of the witnesses took videos of the incident, while others cheered on the ladyboys.

Channel 3 sought additional details about the incident from Patong Police Station Superintendent Chalermchai Hernsawat. Chalermchai emphasised that no parties had yet lodged a complaint with the police, and officers were still unable to determine the date of the incident.

Sex workers

Chalermchai acknowledged that the transgenders featured in the video may be sex workers offering services in Soi Bangla. He suspected that the altercation stemmed from a dispute over service fees.

Chalermchai stated that police officers were endeavouring to patrol Soi Bangla and its vicinity to apprehend transgender sex workers, though it proved to be a challenging task. Distinguishing between sex workers and non-sex workers was not straightforward. Without clear evidence, the police were unable to make arrests.

Furthermore, Chalermchai noted that while some of the transwomen in the area exhibited aggressive behaviour, many of them were engaged in positive actions. For instance, one transwoman found a foreign tourist’s mobile phone and promptly alerted the police to facilitate its return to the rightful owner.

Thai transwomen became the talk of social media last week after they clashed with a group of Filipina transwomen in Sukhumvit Soi 11 on March 5. The attack sparked after some Filipina ladyboys insulted and attacked Thai transwomen in the area.

The attack prompted more than 2,000 Thai transwomen to gather outside a hotel where the Filipina transgenders stayed and launched a group attack. The Filipina boys later agreed to apologise to the Thai transwomen and paid a fine for the physical assault, bringing a close to the case.