The Tolerant Thai Culture

The Thai culture is an interesting culture. This is the place where people are allowed to do pretty much whatever they want as long as they do not hurt others in doing so. The Thai Culture is such a very tolerant culture especially on the topic of sexual orientation. It is widely accepted to have 3 types of sex gender, male, female, lady boy. Even teasing is done in such child-like manner that no one gets offended.

In Thai language the word "puchai" is a man, "puying" is a woman, "puli "(katuey in slang) or lady boy is a he/she; there is absolutely no negative connotation associated with it. People break into laughter when using them interchangeably. For example, people laugh when they see a puying who you call puchai, and a puchai who acts like a puying and a puli with a hairy body from a Western country.

The notion being that your happiness does not rely on what other thinks, your happiness depends on what you are and what you think of yourself.

There should be as much freedom and humor in our relationships with others, as we have about ourselves. This is only possible once we adopt a more tolerant attitude where everyone's rights are respected as human beings, not as part of a sexual class, only then is real friendship possible even if it is between a normal guy and a lady boy.

In the end, no matter what sex class you are, or say you belong to, I may not trust you and tease you about it, but only because teasing is my way of showing friendship and the natural child-like affection that people are meant to have between peers. We should all only get mature and stuffy and indignant when any of our rights are infringed. I never understand why Americans are so uptight about this issue. I wonder if this is a cultural tradition? Or is it being Puritan?

Share with me your thoughts. I like to hear from you.