Together, We Weave Change
We bring together community members, creative practitioners, researchers, businesses, public institutions, and allies to build a future in which transgender people are recognized not through stereotypes, but through their talents, contributions, experiences, and potential.
Our work is rooted in a simple belief: lasting change cannot be created by one person, one campaign, or one institution alone. It must be woven collectively.
Who We Are
Lookmai Project is a community-centered platform dedicated to changing public perception, strengthening collective belonging, and expanding the possibilities available to transgender people in Thailand.
We began by examining the experiences of transgender women working in the sex industry and the social conditions that often shape their choices. As our work developed, we came to understand that sex workers are not separate from the transgender community. They are part of a much larger and more diverse collective that also includes artists, teachers, performers, designers, entrepreneurs, students, professionals, craftspeople, and many others.
Today, our work is no longer defined by a single occupation or social issue. Instead, we explore how culture, employment, education, tourism, creativity, media, and public perception influence the lives of transgender people across society.
We create spaces where different voices can meet, where lived experiences can be understood with greater depth, and where individuals and institutions can work together toward meaningful and lasting change.
What We Believe
We believe opportunity and perception are deeply connected.
The way society understands transgender people shapes who is hired, who is trusted, who is represented, who is invited into decision-making spaces, and whose potential is allowed to grow. For transgender people to access broader opportunities, society must first expand its understanding of who they are and what they can contribute.
But perception does not change through visibility alone. It changes when people encounter fuller stories, work together across differences, and witness transgender people participating meaningfully in every part of society.
For this reason, Lookmai Project does not treat transgender people as passive recipients of support. We see them as creators, collaborators, leaders, knowledge holders, and active participants in shaping the future.
Our goal is not simply to ask society to accept transgender people. It is to help build a society in which their presence, perspectives, and contributions are understood as part of the collective whole.
The name Lookmai is inspired by the Thai word for lace.
Lace is created by connecting individual threads into something stronger, more intricate, and more meaningful than any single thread could become on its own. This reflects the heart of our work.
Each person carries a different story. Each community holds different knowledge. Each organization, institution, and partner contributes a different form of strength. When these threads are connected with care, they can create new possibilities for understanding, opportunity, and collective progress.
For us, change is not something delivered from one group to another. It is something woven together.
Why Lookmai?
What We Do
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![Community and Collective Dialogue]()
Community and Collective Dialogue
We create spaces where transgender people, allies, researchers, businesses, public institutions, and cultural leaders can exchange experiences and ideas. These conversations help move public understanding beyond simplified narratives and toward a more complete view of transgender lives.
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Culture and Storytelling
We use fashion, design, performance, craft, visual culture, interviews, and public events to explore how transgender people contribute to Thailand’s cultural identity. Through storytelling, we challenge narrow representations and create space for dignity, complexity, and pride.
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Research and Public Learning
We work with academics, practitioners, and community members to examine the intersections of gender, employment, tourism, culture, identity, and social inclusion. We translate these ideas into accessible content that can support deeper public discussion.
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Opportunity and Participation
We support initiatives that help transgender people develop their skills, build professional networks, access new industries, and participate more fully in economic and cultural life. Opportunity is not the only goal of our work, but it is one of the outcomes of changing how society sees and values transgender people.
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Cross-Sector Collaboration
We connect communities with businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, cultural organizations, and creative industries. By working across sectors, we aim to move beyond isolated efforts and contribute to more sustainable systems of inclusion.
A Community Without Separation
Lookmai Project began with a strong focus on transgender women working in the sex industry. Their experiences continue to play an important role in our work because they reveal how stigma, economic inequality, public perception, gender identity, tourism, and employment are deeply connected.
However, we do not define transgender sex workers only through hardship, nor do we position them as separate from the wider transgender community.
They are community members, workers, caregivers, creators, friends, leaders, and individuals with different ambitions and experiences. Some may wish to pursue other forms of employment, while others may not. Our role is not to decide what a dignified life should look like for someone else.
Instead, we seek to understand the conditions that shape people’s choices, expand the range of possibilities available to them, and ensure that every person is treated with dignity and respect.
Their voices remain an essential thread in the wider story of transgender life in Thailand.
How We Create Change
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Perception
We create stories, conversations, and cultural experiences that broaden how transgender people are understood.
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Participation
We create opportunities for transgender people to contribute, lead, collaborate, and be visible in spaces where decisions and culture are shaped.
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Collective Action
We bring together individuals and institutions that may not normally work with one another, creating partnerships that can carry ideas beyond a single event or project.
When perception changes, participation becomes more possible. When participation grows, society begins to see transgender people differently. Each reinforces the other.
Our Allies
Trans for Career Thailand is a non-profit group that is a dedicated ally to the Lookmai Project. Our core mission revolves around empowering transgender individuals across Thailand and supporting their journey toward a brighter future. We are determined to assist transgender individuals in securing meaningful and inclusive employment opportunities. We recognize their unique challenges in the job market and strive to bridge the gap. At Trans for Career Thailand, we believe actual change comes through advocacy and action. We are committed to fighting discrimination and harassment against transgender individuals, creating a more inclusive and accepting society. Our partnership with the Lookmai Project reflects our shared vision of empowerment, inclusivity, and positive change. Together, we work tirelessly to challenge stereotypes, break down misconceptions, and promote understanding.
Our Vision
We envision a Thailand in which transgender people are not confined by a single narrative, profession, image, or expectation.
We imagine a society where transgender people can be recognized as artists, educators, entrepreneurs, public servants, performers, craftspeople, professionals, community leaders, and contributors to the nation’s cultural and economic future.
We want to help create a future in which opportunity is not offered as charity, acceptance is not conditional, and progress is not measured only through the success of exceptional individuals.
Our vision is collective: a society in which every person has the freedom to build a life shaped by their abilities, aspirations, and humanity.
Meet Our Community
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Maxy Harnsongkram
FOUNDER OF LOOKMAI PROJECT
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![DR. Khemmanath Naradech]()
Khemmanath Naradech Ph.D
CO-FOUNDER OF TRANS FOR CAREER THAILAND
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Risa Siriwat, CFA
CO-FOUNDER OF TRANS FOR CAREER THAILAND
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Charlenar (Somon) Rungrueang
SEX CONTENT CREATOR
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MT. Sarocha (Piano) Akaros
MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIST SPECIALIZING IN STDs
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Jesselyn (Jessie) Nakprasit
ACTIVIST
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DR. Pathompong (Paulie) Paomephan
MISS TRANS THAILAND 2023
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Chatchapa (Baipai) Thepkunanon
ACTIVIST FOR SEX WORKERS
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Phornlaphat (Tawan) Chansiri
FASHION MODEL
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Sarina Thai
CO-FOUNDER OF TRANS FOR CAREER THAILAND
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Muangthai Sarupakarn
FILM DIRECTOR
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