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A Thai woman was made to go back to Thailand barely 19 hours after touching down at the Dubai airport in the United Arab Emirates.
Thai model Rachaya Noppakaroon, who is transgender, claimed she was subsequently interrogated for hours because her passport stated that she was “male”.
What happened
She had arrived in the Middle Eastern country with the appropriate paperwork, but was still denied entry, she said.
Noppakaroom wrote on Facebook on March 16 a timeline of what happened when she arrived in Dubai to when she returned home to Thailand.
Who is she?
Noppakaroon was the 2014 Miss Tiffany’s pageant first runner-up.
Her trip to Dubai was for a Muay Thai demonstration at the World Expo.
She had earlier posted several photos on social media showing her outfit at the event.
Went straight back to quarantine
After she left Dubai, she went back to Thailand and was made to undergo immediate quarantine upon arrival.
Her post in Thai, when translated into English, read: “A nightmare while my eyes are open.”
“We were so determined to perform in Dubai.”
Her post also listed all the documents she had completed prior to flying.
Defends Dubai immigration employees
Noppakaroon also said she did not blame the Dubai immigration employees.
She took aim instead at Thai law that listed her as “male” on her passport.
She said this was something that needed to be fixed, or many others would face the same issues.
According to the Dubai's criminal code, it is illegal to be transgender or homosexual.
Sex between people of the same gender and gender expression of trans people are punishable by law.
Offenders can be jailed up to 14 years and fined some US$2,700.
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