Poyd Treechada, whose full name is Treechada Petcharat, is a Thai actress, model, beauty queen, entrepreneur, and LGBTQ+ advocate. Known to many simply as Poyd or Nong Poy, she has become one of Thailand's most recognizable openly transgender women.
From beauty competitions to modeling, movies, business, and advocacy, Poyd has built a career that reaches far beyond Thailand. Her visibility has also helped show audiences across Asia that a transgender woman can succeed while openly embracing who she is.
Becoming Comfortable With Who She Is
Poyd has spoken publicly about realizing when she was young that her gender identity did not match how others expected her to live.
She eventually underwent gender-affirming surgery as a teenager. Rather than hiding this part of her history as her fame grew, Poyd has continued to speak openly about being a transgender woman.
That openness is one reason she fits naturally into a story about transgender people who proudly show the world who they are.
The Beauty Queen Who Captured Attention
A major turning point came in 2004.
Poyd won Miss Tiffany's Universe, one of Thailand's best-known competitions for transgender women. She also won Miss International Queen 2004, an international competition based in Thailand.
Those victories brought her widespread recognition and helped open opportunities in modeling and entertainment.
But beauty competitions were only the beginning.
Moving Into Acting and Modeling
Poyd developed a career as both an actress and model.
Her film credits include With Love, The White Storm, From Vegas to Macau II, Insomnia Lover, and Witch Doctor. Her work also expanded outside Thailand, particularly into Hong Kong cinema.
This international exposure helped introduce Poyd to audiences who may never have followed Thai beauty competitions.
She also established herself in fashion, appearing at events and working with major luxury brands. Tatler Asia notes her associations with brands including Cartier, Louis Vuitton, and Off-White.
More Than Beauty and Entertainment
Poyd's public life has extended into advocacy.
She has spoken openly about transgender visibility and LGBTQ+ rights and participated in discussions supporting marriage equality in Thailand.
In 2023, while discussing gender equality, Poyd spoke about society becoming more diverse and the importance of accepting people who are different from ourselves.
Her willingness to discuss these subjects publicly is particularly meaningful because she has a large platform.
Instead of separating her success from her transgender identity, she has allowed both to exist openly.
Building a Life Beyond the Spotlight
Poyd is also an entrepreneur. She has taken on business responsibilities alongside her entertainment career, demonstrating that her public identity cannot be reduced to modeling, acting, or beauty competitions alone.
Another major chapter in her life came in 2023 when she married businessman Phakwa “Oak” Hongyok in Phuket.
Their traditional Peranakan wedding attracted significant media attention throughout Asia.
Why Poyd Treechada's Story Matters
Poyd's journey represents something important for transgender visibility in Asia.
She became known through a competition specifically celebrating transgender women, but she did not remain confined to that world. She moved into mainstream modeling, acting, business, fashion, and public advocacy.
That progression matters.
It allows audiences to see a transgender woman not simply through the story of her transition, but as an actress, model, entrepreneur, wife, advocate, and successful public figure with many different parts to her life.
Poyd Treechada has spent years showing that being openly transgender does not have to limit how large someone's ambitions can become.
Her story continues to reach people well beyond Thailand, making her an important addition to a worldwide collection celebrating transgender people who openly and proudly live as themselves.