Yollada Suanyot

Who is Yollada Suanyot?

Yollada "Nok" Suanyot is a Thai politician and celebrity. On May 27, 2012, she was elected to represent Mueang Nan District on the Provincial Administration Organization of Nan Province in Thailand, running unaffiliated with any party. Previous to entering politics, Suanyot had been a model and beauty queen, and was a member of the pop group Venus Flytrap, where she performed under the name "Nok". Suanyot is a transgender woman and founded and chairs the TransFemale Association of Thailand, which advocates for transgender rights; because of the lack of legal recognition for transgenderism in Thailand, when running for office she appeared on the ballot under her male name as designated at birth. Suanyot graduated with a science degree from Thammasat University when she was 21, holds a master's degree in political science, and is currently working toward a Ph.D. in social science at Ramkhamhaeng University.