Thai airline PC Air hires transsexuals as flight attendants

source: http://www.mizozo.com/travel/01/2011/29/thai-airline-pc-air-hires-transsexuals-as-flight-a….html

PC Air, newly started airline in Thailand, might have just started a new trend for the airline industry worldwide by hiring transsexuals, dubbing them as the “third sex”, as flight attendants. They have hired 3 of the 100 transsexuals that applied. These “third sex” flight attendants will wear special gold-coloured “third sex” name badges to help passengers and immigration staff to easily identify the gender they are faced with.

(Two contestants in the transsexual beauty pagent Miss. Tiffany in 2009 in Pattaya

 

Peter Chan, the new airline’s boss, is enthusiastic about his groundbreaking move because of the opportunities it would afford transsexuals.
“I think these people can have many careers – not just in the entertainment business – and many of them have a dream to be an air hostess,” he said. “I just made their dream come true. Our society has changed. It’s evolution. I’m a pioneer and I’m sure there will be other organisations following my idea.”

One of the successful candidates was Thanyarat “Film” Jiraphatpakorn, who won the annual Miss Tiffany “katoey” beauty pageant in 2007. “At first I thought they would just take applications but not actually recruit us, as happened at other places before,” said the 23-year-old, adding that she was delighted to have been chosen.
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Thailand has one of largest population of transsexuals (called “katoeys”) where cheap and quick sex change operation has given an easy route for men wishing to be women.

Airlines all around the world as known for their equal opportunity hiring practices and this might just be the next step.

Come fly with us! P.C. Air launches as the world’s first ‘ladyboy’ airline

source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1355555/PC-Air-launches-worlds-ladyboy-Thai-airline.html#

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 2:34 PM on 10th February 2011

A new Thai airline is hiring transsexuals as flight attendants, aiming at a unique identity to set itself apart from competitors as it sets out for the skies.

Known as ‘katoeys’ or ‘ladyboys,’ transgenders and transsexuals have greater visibility in Thailand than in many other nations, holding mainstream jobs in a variety of fields.

They are especially common in cosmetics shops or health stores, which almost always have a ladyboy shop assistant.

In demand: Four transsexual flight attendants were chosen by new airline PC Air after hundreds applied for the positions

 

PC Air, a charter airline set to start operations on Asian routes in April, originally planned only to hire male and female flight attendants.

But it changed its mind after receiving more than 100 job applications from transvestites and transsexuals.

Four were chosen, along with 19 female and 7 male flight attendants.

While the airline strives for equality, PC Air president Peter Chan, who chooses the transsexual cabin crew himself, said he needed to spend longer with interviews for such applicants.

‘For male flight attendants, if I don’t want to hire them, it’s because of their attitude or their characters, like the way they walk and smile.

‘When I knew that I got this job, I burst into tears because I’m very happy,’ said 24-year-old Chayathisa Nakmai.

Instruction: PC Air flight attendants watch during a make-up training session in Bangkok

 

raining: Officials from PC Air said it had to be spend all day interview transsexual applications to make sure they had 'feminine character'

 

‘I had sent many applications to different airlines.’

The airline said that the qualifications for the ladyboy flight attendants were the same as for female flight attendants, with the additional provisos that they be like women in how they walk and talk, and have a feminine voice and the right attitude.

Though there is very little discrimination against ladyboys in Thailand, they are not officially recognised as women and their identification cards will always say ‘male’.

‘For female flight attendants, if they have no patience and their character does not qualify, we won’t hire them,’ he added.

‘For transsexuals, we can’t just spend five or 10 minutes with them, we have to spend the whole day with them to make sure they have feminine characters.’

Taking off: The new airline will initially fly to South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and China

 

The airline said it may hire more flight attendants from the ‘third gender’ in the future since the Department of Civil Aviation has no objections.

Though excited by the opportunity, the transsexual flight attendants said they were aware they needed to prove themselves.

‘People will keep their eyes on us… There will be more pressure,’ said Dissanai Chitpraphachin, 23, who was crowned as Thailand’s most beautiful transvestite in 2007.

‘We have to prepare ourselves more than the women.’

The airline is initially set to fly to South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and China.

 

Explore more:

Places:

South Korea,

Thailand,

Singapore,

China

Thai airline hires transsexual flight attendants

source: http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/thai-airline-hires-transsexual-flight-attendants-20110128-1a7gv.html
January 28, 2011

PC Air is the first Thai airline to hire transsexuals as flight attendants, including Thanyarat 'Film' Jiraphatpakorn, winner of the Miss Tiffany beauty pageant in 2007. Photo: Reuters

The president of the first Thai airline to hire transsexuals as flight attendants yesterday said he was a “pioneer” and predicted other carriers would follow his lead.

Fledgling airline PC Air has already recruited six crew of the “third sex” and boss Peter Chan said recruitment, driven by a belief in equal rights, would continue.

“I think these people can have many careers, not just in the entertainment business, and many of them have a dream to be an air hostess. I just made their dream come true,” he said.

Winners of the 2003 'Miss Tiffany' transsexual beauty pageant. Photo: Reuters

Thailand has one of the largest transsexual populations in the world and its surgeons have pioneered ever cheaper and quicker sex change techniques for those opting to go under the scalpel.

But the airline does not require applicants to have gone through a surgical procedure, merely that they meet job criteria, including language skills and good service

“When it’s their dream job or the job they love, they can do it even better,” Chan said. 

Ladyboy flight attendants' public debut - Transsexual flight attendants hired by new Thai airline PC Air make their public debut. Photo: Reuters

“Our society has changed — it’s evolution. I’m an pioneer, and I’m sure there will be (other) organisations following my idea.”

More than 100 transsexual people applied for the first round of jobs.

Among the successful applicants was Thanyarat “Film” Jiraphatpakorn, winner of the Miss Tiffany beauty pageant in 2007, according to a report in Thailand’s Nation newspaper.

“At first I thought they would just take applications but not actually recruit us, as happened at other places before,” said the 23-year-old, adding that she was delighted to have been chosen.

The airline is not yet in operation, but hopes to be fully up and running by April with charter flights across Asia.

AFP

New Thai airline hires transsexual stewardesses

source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/1/28/nation/7886787&sec=nation

Friday January 28, 2011
Other News & Views
Compiled by YUEN MEIKENG, A. RAMAN and BEH YUEN HUI

P.C. Air – a new airline in Thailand – has hired three transsexuals among its first batch of air hostesses, Sin Chew Daily reported.

The successful candidates include Miss Tiffany Universe 2007 winner Thanyarat Jiraphatpakorn, 23.

They will be given a “third sex name tag” while on duty to avoid immigration issues.

Miss Tiffany Universe is the most popular beauty pageant contest for the community.

It is an annual event held in Pattaya.

>The daily also reported French spiderman Alain Robert Philippe has successfully conquered the 137m-tall Hang Seng Bank building in Hong Kong.

He took 25 minutes to reach the top of the 27-storey building on Wednesday.

Philippe was arrested by police but later released.

>China Press reported that Ice Kacang Puppy Love was the biggest winner at the Professional Film Workers’ Association of Malaysia (Profima) Awards 2010.

The local Chinese film took the best producer award – won by Fu Wen Bin – and the best props master went to Wen Jun Lin at the event held at a hotel in Seri Kembangan, Selangor.

It was directed by Tan Kheng Seong, popularly known as singer Ah Niu.

Another Chinese movie, The Big Day woohoo!, won the best assistant producer award.

This award-winning film was produced by Astro.