One Man Woman - the Lady boys of Thailand! A salute to the third gender! Elsie Gabriel

One Man Woman-the Lady boys of Thailand!

A salute to the third gender!

Elsie Gabriel

Cabarets might not be on everyone's bucket list when out in Thailand for the New Years weekend celebrations but in Phuket  you can enjoy a mesmerising  evening out filled with clean entertainment.  

In Thailand, the third gender is regarded as beautiful and the  society there  is generally more open to lady boys than many other cultures. Katoey, or the 'third sex', which  have played a prominent role in the country’s  entertainment industry for generations are almost revered. So if you want to sit back and enjoy the most gorgeous lady boys in the world put up a captivating musical, do watch the Aphrodite Cabaret show which is funny, entertaining and for the family too, join the hilarious antics at the show in Phuket. Of course these no non sense cabarets are also available everywhere in Thailand as well.This third gender work very hard to perfect the art of dancing and earning a living as well as look after their figures which they strut on stage.

 I found myself watching the troupe grind like Madhuri Dixit to the famous number “Aja Nachle Nachle” as part of the international cultural offering by the dancers and enjoyed every minute of it and am not ashamed to write about ad share their amazing theatrical talent. So keep an open mind and read on….

At first they are all simply the most beautiful girls on stage dancing gracefully, its only at the end that you are told that  each and every  participant was a ladyboy. Thailand's katoey are world famous, they are drop dead gorgeous and so well defined, you would never be able to tell if she was a man or a woman. The ladyboys are a Thai institution by themselves and have earned great respect in the clean musical world of stage performances.

For those sheltered few, katoeys is a term popularly used to refer to men who endeavour to be women, usually through  disguise and tactful surgery. They are jaw drop gorgeous and bewildering, soft spoken, and elegant and almost mythical. See the pictures and know why some women would almost envy them.

This Aphrodite Cabaret show involved perfected lip-synched interpretations of popular songs from various countries, complete with elaborate costumes and make-up. Some of the performances were  skilfully choreographed and the theme was light-hearted, star dusted magic,  glitter and glitz.

A  professional huge theatre with the most amazing acoustics delivers the show with a bang, being very punctual, featuring a full stage of dancers and ‘singers’, all impossibly glamorous and eye catching. It’s showbiz to the hilt alright! Technical qualifications and the modern stage  technology ensure the highest quality entertainment.

Defused lighting and soft rays not only bring out the best features of the dancers but also of the elaborate expensive shimmering costumes and stage décor  to the heights ,you could compare internationally to anywhere   in theatrical world.

 The cabaret theatre is built to accommodate 950 seats and offer a plush and comfortable seating arrangement.  So do include the Aphrodite Cabaret Show in your holiday schedule. I took the entire family to the show while in Phuket.

The Indians in the audience applauded when the  Maduri Dixit Bollywood number was belted out  and then the Koreans clapped to their familiar song and then it was time for the Chinese as their Umbrella song dance came a stage, so you see it was family fun all the way, including hilarious skits and songs which sent the audience into splits of laughter. To the amazement of the kids present in the audience, even the Korean Gangam Style stole the show at the Aphrodite concert.

The Lady boys simply serenade you with one great number after another non stop . The choreography at Aphrodite is admirable and the multi-armed Shiva goddess dance is a perfect example of the ingenuity on display here, fusing themes of religion and culture into one.

Finally, after just over an hour of colourful entertainment, the grand finale has over 80 of them making a grand exit and it’s only then that you realise that the whole show consists of men. There’s not a single lady on the stage and those sexy legs you’ve been admiring for the last  hour belong to gorgeous boys! Very pretty ones for sure, but guys nevertheless.

You can have photos clicked with them for over 100 bts or almost 200 Rs as they line up outside to bid farewell. Watching their immaculate makeup, ostrich feathers, sequins and outrageous outfits, they make an attractive package for sure, Oh what the heck  I posed with some of them and couldn’t help but notice that some of their features put mine to shame! I was talking about their height. Caught ya….