Isaura Bozu, 134 TESS, She/They
The Land of Smiles
Thailand is one of my favorite countries to live and work in. I first came to Thailand in 2010 with my family and returned to work as an English teacher in Chiang Rai from 2014 – 2017. Now, I am back again. I am honored to serve as a Peace Corps TESS volunteer in the Northern Province of Nan for the next two years. I specifically applied for service in Thailand because I have experienced being safe and seen here. I knew that I could be myself in this country. It’s important to be seen and accepted for who you are anywhere in the world. Though it can be challenging, we must not shy from our pride in who we are.
Thailand has been a space to explore and embrace my own pride. In my experience, Thai people are very accepting of the LGBTQ+ community. As a teacher, I have the unique privilege to provide an accepting example for my students. Rather than having a specific agenda of LGBTQ+ lesson plans for elementary school students, I seek to create a safe environment for students. In the coming weeks, I hope to hang a pride flag near my desk in the school Peer Center.
Representation is accepted and visible in many Thai schools. There is another teacher at my school in the LGBTQ+ community who has been very welcoming since my arrival. She is a coworker, an ally and now a friend.
Gender in Thai Language
Thailand and the Thai language are very centered around gender and image. One of the most distinctive features of the language is the polite ending for sentences. It is typical to end a sentence with “kap” [ครับ] for men or “kha” [ค่ะ] for women, depending on how the speaker themself identifies. However, there is some fluidity with respect to how kap and kha are used; they may be swapped to the ending associated with the person one is speaking to rather than the speaker themselves. In some instances, Thai women speaking to me will end their sentences with a kap, rather than a kha, to show that they see and accept me as a more masculine identity.
School Image
We recently had Wai Kru day, in which students show their appreciation for their teachers. As the day is very significant, leading up to it I made a point to look “rip roi” by wearing dress shoes, pants, button downs and a tie with a tie clip just to add some flare. Most women teachers are expected to wear a skirt everyday with the exception of sportswear days. I wanted to prepare my image to the school before that day to see everyone’s feedback and to test the waters if I was going to be accepted. The feedback was a success! Many of the teachers told me I looked smart and handsome [หล่อ]. Some students were nervous but they all knew that it’s the same old me, just in more business attire rather than the color coordinated color polo shirts of the days of the week. At my school: Monday is Yellow, Tuesday is Pink, Wednesday is Green, Thursday is Purple and Friday is Traditional Lan Na.
Peace Corps Dress Policy Update
Until group 134, Peace Corps Thailand’s dress policy included a specific mandate for women to wear skirts – both as their teaching uniform at school and to formal events such as meeting Thai leaders and swearing in. I and another PCV, Cloé Fortier-King, pushed for a change in the Peace Corps Dress Code Policy. We both agreed that being able to express ourselves in clothes that reflect our self image and gender identity was essential and decided to advocate for change on a policy level. Shout out to our Program Manager at the time, Michelle Slavin, who was so helpful and receptive to our request. Very quickly after Cloé and I spoke with PC staff, the dress code policy was revised to allow anyone who would feel more comfortable in dress pants to wear them instead of a skirt, both at work and formal events. This extends not only to those who identify as LGBTQ+, but to anyone in Peace Corps Thailand who would rather wear business slacks because, let’s be honest, pants can be powerful and more comfortable.
Thailand’s Tom – Dee Identity
Upholding one’s image is of utmost importance in Thailand. Acceptance of LGBTQ+ Thai people is often contingent on the couple displaying heteronormative gender roles. Even in a same sex couple, one should be more feminine and the other more masculine. In the Thai lesbian community there are typically two categories for this: “Toms” and “Dees”. Tom [ทอม] comes from the English word “Tomboy”, which shows a more masculine image. Dee [ดี้] comes from the English word “lady”, for a more feminine image.
Whenever I see a Tom – Dee couple they share this silent respect for seeing me as I see them too.
I personally identify as a Tom in Thai culture. I would say “bpen tom” if Thai people were questioning who I am. This would clarify how I identify. I have yet to use Kap in my daily life but have experimented with using it with close friends in a fun way. The language allows me to explore more of my LGBTQ+ identity in how I would like to express myself. When I was teaching in Chiang Rai years ago, I had the courage to cut my hair short. Having seen other Toms in my community and around Thailand, I knew it was now my time. Some say there are 3 seasons in Thailand: hot, super hot and very super hot (I need to watch my language here) which made having short hair more “sabaai sabaai” [สบาย ๆ] for me personally.
I also find it interesting that the Thai word for partner is “fæn” [แฟน] which doesn’t hold an assigned gender identity to whom you are dating. They just say this is my “fæn” whether it’s your boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife labels.
Love is love and wishing everyone a Happy Pride Month and all year round as well.
Sticky Rice 
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