How Did Bye Pie Build a Career as a Thai Transgender Model?

How did Bye Pie build a career as a Thai transgender model?

Bye Pie is a 27-year-old freelance model from Sakon Nakhon in northeastern Thailand who moved to Bangkok about three years before the interview. She works across modeling and beauty, including beauty consulting, makeup, hair styling, and learning eyelash extensions.

Her career developed alongside significant personal challenges. She says she began working while young, competed in beauty contests, and eventually earned enough money to buy a house for her mother and brother after her family lost their home following her father’s death.

Where is Bye Pie from and what does she do for work?

Bye Pie was born and raised in Sakon Nakhon, in northeastern Thailand. She later moved to Bangkok, where she has lived for approximately three years.

At the time of the interview, she described herself as a freelance model. She also works as a beauty consultant and makeup and hair stylist and was learning eyelash extensions.

She says she has received numerous casting and work opportunities in Thailand and is happy living there because she has many friends and opportunities to travel.

Do transgender models face problems getting casting opportunities?

Bye Pie says they do.

She recalls encountering casting opportunities that were not open to transgender models. She says she and other transgender models have experienced similar situations.

Her hope is that more casting opportunities will be open to transgender women so they can demonstrate their abilities.

She also says she has received many opportunities for casting and work, which has helped her build her career.

What does Bye Pie prefer to be called?

Bye Pie says she prefers terms such as transgender or transsexual rather than “ladyboy.”

She explains that some terminology can hurt transgender women when it is used disrespectfully. Her preference is for people to recognize and address her according to how she identifies.

This is Bye Pie’s personal preference expressed in the interview and should not be assumed to represent every transgender woman in Thailand.

When did Bye Pie know she wanted to be a girl?

Bye Pie says she knew from around eight years old that she wanted to be a girl.

She remembers enjoying playing with dolls and Barbie and describes those activities as making her happy. She also remembers dancing and experimenting with feminine clothing.

These childhood memories are what she identifies as the beginning of her understanding that she wanted to live as a girl.

How did Bye Pie’s father react to her wanting to be a woman?

Bye Pie says her father initially did not like that she wanted to be a woman.

She explains that her father was involved in boxing and was surrounded by many men through his work, which she believes contributed to his reaction.

However, she remembers that shortly before his death, her father told her that she could become whatever she wanted and do whatever she loved.

He died the following day.

Bye Pie says she continued moving forward after his death and credits her own determination with helping her build her life.

How did Bye Pie become financially independent?

Bye Pie says she began earning money while she was still young and in school.

After her father died, she says her family lost their home and had to deal with serious financial difficulties. She worked at a salon with her aunt and pursued other opportunities.

She also earned money through beauty contests. She says she competed in two contests, winning one and placing second runner-up in another.

According to Bye Pie, she eventually earned enough to buy a house for her mother and brother before finishing university.

How did beauty contests help Bye Pie?

Beauty contests provided Bye Pie with both opportunities and income.

She says she participated in two contests connected with festivals, winning one and finishing as second runner-up in another. The prize money contributed to her financial goals.

Her experience also reinforced her belief that people should create opportunities for themselves rather than waiting for somebody else to provide them.

Her message from the interview is that personal effort can create opportunities even when circumstances are difficult.

How did Bye Pie respond to bullying when she was younger?

Bye Pie says some of her classmates used insulting terms toward her when she was young, which made her feel sad and disrespected.

She responded by demonstrating what she could do. She participated in dance and cover-dance activities and concentrated on her studies, eventually ranking among the top students in her classroom.

She says her classmates subsequently became more open-minded toward her. Some of those people remain close friends today.

What does Bye Pie say about changing her appearance?

Bye Pie says she has made changes to different parts of her body and face because she wanted her appearance to be more feminine.

She mentions procedures involving her eyes, chin, shoulders, and nose.

She says she is happy with the results and connects these changes to her desire to become more feminine in both her body and appearance.

The transcript does not provide enough reliable detail to identify the exact medical procedures involved, so those details should not be inferred.

Does Bye Pie want further surgery?

Yes. Bye Pie says she would like to undergo further surgery in the future.

She explains that she wants to become a “real woman” and says she would pursue additional changes if she had the opportunity.

However, she also makes an important qualification: she was not ready to undergo that particular procedure at the time of the interview.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old is Bye Pie?

Bye Pie says she is 27 years old.

Where was Bye Pie born?

She was born in Sakon Nakhon in northeastern Thailand.

When did Bye Pie move to Bangkok?

She says she moved to Bangkok approximately three years before the interview.

What does Bye Pie do for a living?

She works as a freelance model, beauty consultant, makeup and hair stylist, and was learning eyelash extensions.

When did Bye Pie know she wanted to be a girl?

She says she began realizing this when she was around eight years old.

Does Bye Pie prefer the term ladyboy?

No. She says she prefers terms such as transgender or transsexual and explains that some other terminology can hurt her feelings.

How did Bye Pie make money when she was young?

She says she worked from a young age, including at a salon with her aunt, and also earned money through beauty contests and other work.

Does Bye Pie want more surgery?

Yes. She says she would like further surgery if she has the opportunity, although she was not ready for it at the time of the interview.