Transgender toilets in Thailand

JH: the principal explained to me his problem that they have a large group of boys who consider themselves transgender, anything between 10-20% in any year and that’s normal, and they didn’t feel comfortable in the boy’s toilets so they’d go to the girls toilets and the girls didn’t feel comfortable with that. So he had to give them their own area and certainly the boys I spoke to regarded it as symbolically important. (And you said there were more mirrors in their bathroom?) I didn’t count, but they spent plenty of time in front of the mirror. They thought it was key that they were given recognition and they want people to know that they are transgender. (What’s different in Thailand that would encourage this and removes the stigma?) I think the stigma was not very serious, it wasn’t a big deal, and the principal didn’t see this as a big deal. The numbers are high in Thailand. (What about girls and women? Are there many there in Thailand who become men and are there accommodations for them?) I did ask the principle about that and he said we have tomboyish girls but they don’t have any problems using the female toilets. This issue about being transgender seems to be more common among men.