The recent scuffle between Thai and Filipino transgender groups on Sukhumvit Soi 11 in Bangkok has questioned whether Thailand’s attempts to build a strong regional identity for our LBTQ+ communities are being threatened by what many consider to be trivial issues.

Captured on mobile phones, cameras, and CCTV, the images reveal how the small fracas escalated, resulting in injuries on both sides. One Thai bystander who witnessed the entire incident explained why it happened.

“Earlier that the day, these 20 Filipinos started a fight against four Thais, who were taunted, given the middle finger, and then attacked.” “Video footage of the incidents can now be seen on social media,” he said.

Hours after that initial confrontation, an angry mob of hundreds of Thai ladyboys surrounded the hotel where the 20 reported attackers were billeted. Despite police efforts to calm the situation, violence ensued.

The police were however quickly able to bring the situation under control and brought the parties involved in for questioning at the police station.

Not taking sides

A report from the Philippines News Agency about the brawl carried a simple message of advice from the Philippines Undersecretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs Eduardo Jose De Vega.

“My advice to Filipinos going abroad is to always follow the law of your host country; if you’re a tourist, be a tourist, and don’t pick fights with locals,“ he said.

Thanyawat Kamonwongwat, LGBTQ+ MP for the Move Forward Party in Thailand, noted that fairness was important, as the Filipino ladyboy group involved in the incident does not represent the majority of Filipino transgenders.

“We must hold individuals accountable for their inappropriate behavior,” he said. Thanyawat added that this incident shows that LGBTQ individuals are already disadvantaged in society and that working as a sex worker is illegal, leaving them helpless to seek justice from any side.

Both service users and employers took advantage of them, secretly allowing foreigners to work in this sector despite having tourist visas. As a result, these groups believe they have been treated unfairly.

The bystander, a Filipina who was badly hurt when she was mistakenly attacked by a mob of Thai transwomen, has already received an apology and compensation of Bt10,000. The victim has accepted the apology and decided to return home to the Philippines.

The three others who were allegedly involved in the argument have been sent back to the Philippines. Two were charged with assault but were allowed to pay a fine of Bt5,000. They also offered their apologies to their Thai peers.

Lessons learned

Both the Filipino and Thai camps involved in the brawl displayed considerable violence, both physical and verbal. “It is no longer relevant who started it. Seeing too many insults and violence hurled at each other by both parties is too ugly to watch,” said one Thai parent.

Anntonia Porsild, Miss Universe 2023 1st runner-up from Thailand, shared her thoughts in an interview when asked about the incident. “I just know that violence is never the answer to anything,” she said, adding that “unity is strength but not in violence.”

Mela Habijan, a trans rights advocate and the first Miss Trans Global winner from the Philippines also condemned the violence, saying “Let this conflict be a reminder of how violence destroys.”

She expressed sadness after seeing the videos online, saying that any form of violence, whether physical, verbal, or emotional, is inhumane and unjust. “I am praying for justice to prevail, for healing and reconciliation between our trans sisters involved in this issue.”

“Yes, let’s condemn the act of violence, but pinning down trans women is an act of violence in itself,” she added. She also said that the issue should not be used by transphobic people to air their hatred, saying they were “passing mean judgments and amplifying their hasty generalizations and ad hominem.”

Lars Pacheco, a Filipino trans celebrity, also called for her fellow Filipinos to be more respectful after learning of the incident.

“Whatever the reason for the fiasco, I love Filipinos but we are not in our country. So the only option that we have is to be respectful. It’s basic etiquette that if you are not in your country, you should act accordingly,” she said on TikTok.

For Yeng, a member of the LBTQ+ community in the Philippines, believes the incident may reflect some deeper social issues.

“However, as long as we respect each other, then we can transcend beyond the limits of language barriers and cultural differences.” “We may not understand every foreign culture and tradition that we see or experience, but we can – and we should – always respect them,” she concluded.

By Thai TBS World Feature Desk