article_snippet: : Thailand has a tradition of kathoeys, also known as ladyboys - the definition of which varies hugely.
article_snippet: Kathoeys are often considered a 'third gender' and are due to receive legal protection (file photo)
article_snippet: Ideas about gender have historically been more fluid than other countries in Thailand, where there is a long tradition of kathoeys, also known as ladyboys.
article_snippet: The broad term can describe effeminate men, those who dress as women, those who define themselves as women or those who have undergone a sex change.
article_snippet: Kathoeys are also seen by many as a third gender, not simple enough to class simply as 'male' or 'female'.
article_snippet: Despite being popular in cabaret shows kathoeys have very few legal rights, and Thai politicians proposed earlier this year to recognise people with alternative sexualities legally for the first time.