In some rural areas, they serve as spiritual mediums, reflecting a traditional belief that they possess "soft souls" susceptible to divine communication.
In the 1970s, as the service and tourism industries grew, many kathoey began adopting Western-influenced feminine styles to cater to international interest, which helped cement their role in the modern Thai fashion landscape. History of Hosiery in Fashion
While highly visible and generally tolerated, the community still faces significant legal hurdles, such as the inability to change legal gender markers on identification documents. Fashion, Performance, and Aesthetics