A transgender woman is standing for election for the first time in provincial elections in Thailand.

Yonlada Suanyos, president of the Trans Female Association of Thailand, is a candidate for local government in Nan province in northern Thailand.

'I want to represent the trans women and all groups of homosexuals across the country in parliament and press the government to pay more interest to women and trans women,' said Yonlada, as reported in the Bangkok Post.

Yonlada had gender realignment surgery when she was 16 and has lived as a woman since then. But because it is not possible to legally change gender in Thailand, official documents still list her as male.

A PhD candidate who runs a satellite TV station and has her own jewellery business, Yonlada was a member of transgender pop group Venus Flytrap and was known as Posh Venus, according to Global Post.

Yonlada's campaign manifesto includes addressing the threat of flood, services for youth and the elderly and opening a 24-hour citizen complaint hotline.

Thai society has a reputation of accepting transsexuals or 'kathoey' in Thai. But although there several famous kathoey models, singers, film stars and even a boxer called Nong Tom in Thailand, beyond the entertainment business the kathoey community (estimated as one in 165 Thai males) is not repressented. 

The election, in which Yonlada competes against two male candidates, will be held on 27 May.