Presence reflects underlying prejudices.
LGBTQ advocacy groups in Thailand are calling for immediate legal measures to protect trans people from hate acts following the harsh shooting of a Thai transgender girl by a Chinese national last week in Pattaya.
Art Tongyung, 42, allegedly murdered the sufferer after she turned down his demand for sex.
The affair shook the LGBTQ community in Thailand and rekindled calling for better safeguards against crime motivated by gender identity.
The crime was described as a hate crime and a sign of deep-rooted architectural violence against transgender individuals by Trans Pride Thailand, a civic society organization.
This horror is not an isolated affair; rather, it reflects the daily violence experienced by transgender people.
” Despite Thailand’s status for sensitivity,”” We still do not have the constitutional protections against hate crimes directed at transgender people.”
350 trans and gender-diverse people were murdered worldwide between October 2023 and September 2024, according to Transgender Europe, an NGO, the highest number recorded since monitoring began in 2008.
The Thai Health Promotion Foundation reports that over 30 000 people, children, and transgender people are victims of violence each year despite Thailand’s standard lack of official information on anti-trans crime. In particular, transgender women are three times more likely than the general population to experience murder.
In response, Trans Pride Thailand urges the government to pass certain hate crime laws protecting LGBTQ individuals, create effective prevention strategies for violence against gender-diverse communities, establish a secure, visible, and fair justice system for survivors, and promote equitable education and awareness raising gender-based prejudice.
” Transgender people’s lives are valuable and deserving of respect and fairness. No one should lose their life just because of who they are. In the face of this injustice, the organization declared,” We will not be passive.”
The Rainbow Sky Association of Thailand ( RSAT ), a body dedicated to advancing LGBTQ rights, shared these concerns.
While Thailand is frequently portrayed as LGBTQ-friendly, transgender people also face common prejudice, according to Deputy Director for Human Rights and Sustainability, Caesar Rittiwong.
She cited a 2020 study from Out BKK, which found that 49 % of transgender people face barriers to accessing healthcare, and 59 % are unable to use titles that accurately reflect their gender identity.
She claimed that Thailand still lacks legal identity recognition and protections for trans people from hate crimes. This legitimate pump exposes the group to ongoing ailment. She claimed that Pattaya’s death is “only the tip of the iceberg.”
The House of Representatives Committee on Children, Ladies, the Elderly, People with Disabilities, Ethnic Groups, and Gender Diversity is being served with a complaint by RSAT and the Women’s Movement to Eliminate Discrimination in reply.
The complaint calls for the Chinese ambassador to be held accountable for the actions of its citizens, raising awareness of gender-based bias in law enforcement, and enforcing constitutional protections for sex workers.
Nachale Boonyapisomparn, vice chairman of the Foundation of Transgender Alliance for Human Rights, emphasized the need for community-based safety nets in addition to constitutional changes.
Many people ask why victims don’t report to the police, she said.
The truth is that trans sex workers in Thailand frequently face trap and abuse from authorities. The legal system is a last resort, never a second choice, for them.
Ms. Nachale urged the people to follow the situation and hold the perpetrator responsible, calling it a crucial step in the restoration of community trust in Thailand’s justice system.
She also emphasized the value of teaching transgender people self-defense as a lifestyle skill, especially in settings where there may be serious cultural biases against them.
Self-defence classes are not just advantageous, but it is essential to empower our community to defend ourselves, she said, in a world that continues to be unsafe for many of us.