The word “ladyboy” needs context rather than being treated as a universal name for trans women. Asia Pacific Transgender Network's discussion of its Thailand employment research describes the word as a colloquial term alongside the Thai term kathoey. That contextual usage does not establish what every individual wants to be called.
Separate regional usage from personal permission
Seeing a word in a local article, event title or dating search does not mean you should use it when introducing someone. A description of usage is not a rule for every speaker or situation. Start with the person's name and the words they choose for themselves.
If the term appears in someone's own description, you can ask a narrow question when relevant: “Would you like me to use that word, or another description?” Do not require a cultural explanation before accepting their answer. They are not responsible for representing a whole country.
Avoid making a translation into an identity test
Do not assume an English label and a local-language term are interchangeable in every context. Ask how the person would like to be described in the language you are using. You can leave a label untranslated rather than substituting one they dislike.
For example, when introducing a date to a friend, “This is Mai, whom I have been seeing” may provide everything needed. A regional identity label is not compulsory background information for an ordinary introduction.
Keep dating expectations individual
A word does not establish someone's body, occupation, attraction, personality or willingness to date a visitor. Avoid invitations that present the person as a local experience you want to try. Ask about their interests and the kind of connection they actually want.
If someone corrects your wording, change it without arguing that other people accepted it. One person's choice does not bind another. Likewise, do not repeat their term to an audience they did not choose merely because they used it with you.
Use context to reduce assumptions
Learning about regional language should make your questions more careful, not supply shortcuts around a person's own account. The useful outcome is a conversation that respects their description, rather than a claim that you have mastered everyone who uses the same word.
Source and scope
Asia Pacific Transgender Network: discussion of Denied Work in Thailand. Only its limited terminology context is used here; this is not a comprehensive cultural history or a statement about all Thai people.