: Many influencers emphasize that womanhood is not defined by a waistline.

In Thailand, the term refers to individuals assigned male at birth who identify as female or a third gender. Traditionally, kathoey beauty pageants—a staple of Thai culture—focused on a very specific, petite physical ideal. However, recent years have seen a shift:

For many in the trans community, the pressure to "pass" (be perceived as cisgender) often aligns with being thin. Chubby kathoeys often lead the charge in deconstructing this: