On 25 Nov, a Thai trans woman shared a heartwarming video of her interaction with a taxi driver who was so captivated by her beauty that he showered her with compliments throughout the ride.
The video quickly went viral, receiving over 180,000 likes on Instagram and amassing over 2.5 million views on X.
The 20-year-old, Aric, told MS News that the encounter took place on 19 Sept, as she was on her way to Chiang Mai International Airport.
That day had started like any other, as Aric was heading to Bangkok to visit her sister.
But the ride took a surprising turn when the private hire driver made a candid remark about her appearance.
“Even if I prefer 100% women, I was stunned when I saw you,” the driver said, clearly awestruck by her beauty.
He added that she was so pretty, it left him “gobsmacked”.
When Aric asked if he could tell she was a trans woman, the driver immediately replied, “No,” repeating it twice for emphasis.
Despite suggesting she might want to consider working on her vocal cords, Aric responded that she loved her more baritone voice.
He then insisted she was perfect just the way she was.
To Aric’s surprise, the driver continued encouraging her to pursue her dreams and even suggested she enter a beauty pageant.
When she mentioned that she had already failed once, he reassured her, saying, “Not everyone succeeds in the first attempt.”
He went as far as comparing her to Yoshi, the famous Thai trans woman who won Miss Tiffany’s Universe 2017, telling Aric she was at the same level.
Source: @aricpkk on Instagram
Although Aric is frequently recognised for her striking appearance, the exchange with the driver made her feel “particularly happy”.
Standing at 181cm tall and with a slim figure, Aric explained that she often draws attention when in public.
“My voice and my appearance don’t align in the way people expect,” Aric said, reflecting on how society pressures individuals to fit traditional notions of masculinity or femininity.
However, she firmly believes that the world is far too diverse for anyone to be confined to such narrow categories.
Aric also shared an amusing story about her name. She said her sister was the one who gave it to her, naming her after Prince Eric from My Little Mermaid.
“Since my father is Chinese and my mother is Thai, no one noticed, which I find quite amusing,” she said.
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Featured image adapted from @aricpkk on Instagram.