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Going to the cabaret on Phuket
has a different meaning than almost anywhere else in the world.
The island boasts extravagant cabaret shows with stunning costumes,
bright lights, expensive sets and a unique feature, most of the
performers are men dressed as women.
In Europe and America, the tradition of men dressed as women for
theatre roles dates back five hundred years when a respectable woman
could not be seen on the stage. During World War II, many of the
great English pantomines featured men dressed as women as there
were no women on the war fronts where the shows took place.
However, in Thailand,
due to the considerable tolerance of the culture, a great number
of males who feel more natural as females, find a career as cabaret
performers.
On Phuket,
one can join the fun at Simon Cabaret where lavish sets and brilliant
costumes amuse the audience. Performers lip-synch songs popular
in countries around the world. In nearby Patong
Beach, transvestite performances can be enjoyed at Andaman Queen
Cabaret and in many of the neighboring open air bars.
The Royal Paradise complex has Tangmo Cabaret with several shows
a night. The most popular transvestite cabaret happens each night
at the Boat Bar which mixes a floor show with a disco.
Many of Phuket's five star resorts feature transvestite cabaret
performers for special occasions. The demand is so great that a
number of performing cabaret groups travel each night from club
to hotel and to resort to present a rehearsed one hour show.
Pictured are a group from the Tyara Show who made a special performance
at Baan Rim Pa for a group of computer executives from Singapore
and Hong
Kong. They left the audience clapping for more.
But behind the scenes, the life of a transvestite cabaret performer
is seldom easy.
While many of the performers are ladyboys
(transvestites) with more normal jobs during the day, many are actually
transsexuals who have undergone extensive surgery to transform themselves
from biological males to technical females. The man most responsible
for the transformation is Dr. Sanguan, whose office in Phuket town
is busy with Thais and foreigners who come to Phuket for sex reassignment
surgery.
"I am kept very busy changing the sex of young men who want
to live their lives as women. I trained at Chulalongkorn University
in Bangkok
with Thailand's top sex reassignment surgeon and I get many males
who come to Phuket for the operations as they are much more affordable
here," explains Dr. Sanguan.
In his Mae Luan Road office, he displays breast implants and diagrams
of what is involved in transforming a man into a woman. "My
patients are generally much happier after the surgery as they can
live their lives more honestly. Many become cabaret performers,"
he continues.
The popularity of transvestite and transsexual cabaret performers
has spread to most parts of Phuket. Now one can be entertained at
bars on Karon
Beach and Kata
beach as well as in karaoke bars in Phuket town.
The cabaret artist works hard. Many elaborate costume changes are
required for each show. And these are seldom in adequate changing
rooms but done in hallways, outdoors and wherever there's any space.
Complex dance routines have to be memorized and extensive makeup
and hair styles created for each show. And then there's always the
rush from one performance to another.
But customers can always count on a remarkable display of emotion
and talent by these professional performers who overcome many obstacles
to share their talents with visitors to Phuket.
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