Chalerm (also known as The Love of My Life) was summoned to the studios of Channel 3 here in Bangkok last week. They were making a segment about the “insane” ladyboys in the military for a morning talk show.
Chalerm went there with the group of gay and ladyboy celebrities that accompanied him when he was at the Ministry of Defence. It turned out that the television presenter lady who was at the Ministry is the host of the TV show. She interviewed the military spokesman.
Anyway, Chalerm went to Channel 3 with great expectations and came home in a bad mood. It was Chalerm’s initiative and his “insane” stamp in the military book when they sent him home, but he wasn’t asked about anything. Toom the Beautiful Boxer and the other celebrities were on camera and Chalerm was reduced to sitting in the audience watching the stars talk about his pioneering case – or talk about themselves, more likely.
Poor Chalerm. This was his first contact with mass media and now he saw how it works. Even more than in Western countries Thai television is celebrity-focused. They are not terribly interested in ordinary people.
The talk show is Monday at 10am on Channel 3, which incidentally is owned by the Thai Army. I don’t know when this specific segment will be on the air.