Many sex workers in Thailand, who are Kathoey , actually practice a syncretic religion. They are deeply devout Buddhists who make offerings at the (Four-Faced Brahma) shrine at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok. They do not worship a "Ladyboy God" for sex. They worship a god of mercy for survival.
We live in an age of aggressive re-binarization. Politics, social media, and religious fundamentalism are forcing human beings back into two rigid boxes: man/woman, straight/gay, saved/damned. ladyboy god
The Kathoey (ladyboy) holds a unique place in Thai Buddhist folk belief. Local spirits, known as Phi (ผี), are often gender-ambiguous. Specifically, the and the Phi Tai Hong (violent spirit of one who died suddenly) are frequently depicted as male-bodied but wearing female makeup. The Legend of Nang Takian (The Ladyboy Tree Spirit) There is a famous legend of a spirit that lives in the Takian tree. This spirit is almost exclusively a Kathoey . If a man cuts down the tree, the spirit appears as a beautiful woman to seduce him; if a woman cuts it down, the spirit appears as a handsome man. This spirit grants wishes but demands beauty. Locals leave offerings of lipstick and perfume at the base of the tree. Many sex workers in Thailand, who are Kathoey
However, textual analysis reveals that the Kinnara is frequently described as having ambiguous genitalia or the ability to change sex at will. In the Jataka tales (stories of the Buddha’s past lives), a Kinnara prince falls in love with a human king. To save the king’s life, the Kinnara transforms into a queen. They worship a god of mercy for survival