Trips and trannies

A leaflet for a student competition to win a trip to Thailand that featured a picture of a "ladyboy" was criticised this week by the Advertising Standards Authority. The leaflet - showing a photograph of a man dressed as a woman, with the message "your chance to come love me long time baby" - was distributed on campuses.

The advertising watchdog said it had received a complaint from a member of the public. It said the leaflet could be seen as advocating sexual tourism and insulting to the people of Thailand. The Journey Shoes company said the leaflet was "intended as a humorous, tongue-in-cheek advertisement that poked fun at the popular and incorrect stereotype of Thailand" and that the Thai owners of the company had backed the content of the leaflet.