Transgender model appeals to NHRC over alleged ban from pub

Accompanied by Thai Transgender Alliance president and Thammasat University’s public health lecturer Ronnapoom Samakkeekarom, Sarina submitted the petition to NHRC chairperson Amara Pongsapich and NHRC member Dr Taejing Siripanich about the club’s alleged discrimination against transgenders.

Sarina claimed she and four foreign friends went to the club on New Year’s Day but the security guards, who let her friends in, denied her entry on grounds she was a transgender. She said she felt humiliated and that she and others in the alliance decided to file the petition to try to bring social change and gender equality. 

Ronnapoom said this was a violation of consumer rights, adding that more than 10 night entertainment venues, health spas or hotels in Bangkok and other provinces had bans on transgenders. “Some hotels in Chon Buri’s Pattaya City and Phuket put up signs prohibiting guests from bringing in a dog, a durian or a transgender,” he said. 

Ronnapoom said some Bangkok security guards claimed such bans had become policy ub some places because some transgenders had stolen items from customers or provided sex services at the venues. “Those claims should not be a reason to generalise that all transgenders would do [such things].”

Ronnapoom said the National Legislative Assembly had approved a draft law on gender equality and, after being announced in the Royal Gazette, discrimination against transgenders would be punishable by a jail term or a fine. There would also be a fund to aid victims.

Ronnapoom urged victims to, besides avoiding places that banned them, file police complaints or share their experiences online to stop this from being a social norm. 

Ronnapoom said he hoped the NHRC would help them. A similar case in 2007 resulted in a Bangkok hotel apologising for such action and vowing not to do it again. He said the group also hoped the NHRC could ask the government to set clear regulations to stop discrimination in the future. Amara said such treatment should not take place in Thailand and the NHRC would look into the case.

Taejing said the commission would summon the pub’s executives soon for information and cited many alleged discriminatory practices, such as denial of hotel service to people living with HIV, a ban of transgenders entering nightclubs, as well as making fun of their identity.

Taejing said bosses sometimes denied setting discriminatory policies – while employees confirmed them. So there was a need to summon all parties to bring mutual understanding.