THAILAND: Thousands of Thai lady boys apply for free sex change operation to fulfil their dream of being a woman

Record ID: 335183

  • Title: THAILAND: Thousands of Thai lady boys apply for free sex change operation to fulfil their dream of being a woman
  • Date: 25th March 2011
  • Summary: BANGKOK, THAILAND (MARCH 13, 2011) (REUTERS) LADY BOYS LINE UP FOR REGISTRATION VARIOUS OF LADY BOYS LINE UP VARIOUS OF LADY BOYS SIGN UP NAMES LADY BOYS OFFICER OF TRANS FEMALE ASSOCIATION OF THAILAND YOLLADA SUANYOT, PRESIDENT OF TRANS FEMALE ASSOCIATION OF THAILAND VARIOUS OF APPLICANTS ONE OF APPLICANTS SHOW HER IDENTITY CARD AS A MAN (SOUNDBITE) (Thai) ORNUMA HORACHORN, ONE OF THE APPLICANT SAYING: "Although I cannot show it in my identity card but emotionally I want myself to fully be a woman both my character and the other part" STAFF OF THE ASSOCIATION INTERVIEWING APPLICANT VARIOUS OF APPLICANT IN THE INTERVIEWING ROOM VARIOUS OF STAFF VARIOUS OF YOLLADA SUANYOT (SOUNDBITE) (Thai) PATTERA PATHUMAS, AN APPLICANT SAYING: "I hope transsexual to open themselves that we are not lady boy but we are women and hope to be more acceptable from society" BANGKOK, THAILAND (MARCH 8, 2011) (REUTERS) NATHEE TEERAROJJANAPONG, HEAD OF THE GAY GROUP IN CHIANGMAI WHO AGAINST SISTER'S HAND PROJECT VARIOUS OF NATHEE TEERAROJJANAPONG, HEAD OF GAY GROUP IN CHIANGMAI (SOUNDBITE) (Thai) NATHEE TEERAROJJANAPONG SAYING: "This kind of project can be dangerous to any person who hasn't decided which gender they really are which can cause fake transsexual. They might be only a lady boy who doesn't need sex change but they might get confused from this idea." BANGKOK, THAILAND (MARCH 7, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MEMBERS OF ASSOCIATION THATSARANGWAON MEESUK, A TRANSEXUAL WHO SUCCESSFULLY HAVE SEX OPERATION VARIOUS OF YOLLADA SUANYOT (SOUNDBITE) (Thai) YOLLADA SUANYOT SAYING: "I've been in this environment for 30 years. I can feel who they really are. I can tell whether they are woman in a man's body or they are just a man with a girl's habit" APPLICANTS APPLYING MAKE UP VARIOUS OF THATSARANGWAON MEESUK (SOUNDBITE) (Thai) THATSARANGWAON MEESUK SAYING: "I've been through this. I don't need anything else in life. I am in the happiest moment of my life. I never feel happy like this." VARIOUS YOLLADA SUANYOT WORKING
  • Embargoed: 9th April 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Thailand, Thailand
  • Country: Thailand
  • Topics: Health,Quirky,Lifestyle
  • Reuters ID: LVAD9PTS95JQ7QVMM23MIIZ5DTVY
  • Story Text: About 2,000 of Thai transvestites - commonly referred to as lady boys in Asia - registered to get a free sex-change operation, hoping to fulfil their dream on being a woman.
    With make-up, long hair, dressed in skirts and tight jeans with high-heels, the lady boys gathered at Thailand Trans Female Association in Bangkok for an interview on how to be perfect transsexual before having the operation but only five will be chosen for the free surgery.
    The applicants needed to go through a 15-minute interview and other medical process including consult with psychiatrist to make sure that they are ready to be a perfect transgender.
    While waiting for an interview, they talked about fashion, men and how to be a perfect woman if they have done the surgery.
    Even after the full operation of sex-change, the transgender will have to carry their original title as Mister according to Thai law.
    "Although I cannot show it in my identity card but emotionally I want myself to fully be a woman both my character and the other part," said 24-year-old Ornuma Horachorn (pron: On-u-ma Hor-ra-chorn) who has been wanted to be a girl since she was a kid.
    During an interview, the lady boys were asked about why do they want to be transgender and how they could cope with pressure after the operation.
    The best five candidates will be selected to represent the Thailand Trans Female Association to help publicise the campaign to improve the life quality of being transgender in Thailand.
    "I hope transsexual will open themselves that we are not lady boy but we are women and hope to be more acceptable from society," said the applicant Pattera Patumas. (pron: Pat-tee-ra Pa-tum-mart) To have a full sex operation is a dream for transsexual but it would cost them up to 150,000 baht (4,935 U.S. dollars) in Thailand where people earn lowest wage of 6,450 baht (212 U.S. dollars) a month.
    Many of lady boys said even without the free operation, they would try to save up money to have their own surgery.
    However, not so many people agree to the free sex-change project as some activists said it might misguide youth who haven't yet decided what they actually are.
    "This kind of project can be dangerous to any person who hasn't decided which gender they really are which can cause fake transsexual. They might be only a lady boy who doesn't need sex change but they might get confused from this idea," said Nathee Teerarojjanapong(pro: Na-tee Tee-ra-roaj-ja-na-pong), Leader of Gay group in Chiang Mai Most of the applicants are age from 14 to 60-year-old and those who age under 20 needed to be permitted by their parents before joining the programme.
    Yollada Suanyot (pron: Yon-la-da Suan-yord), President of Trans Female Association explained that transsexual is a kind of symptoms that a person's emotional doesn't match their physical.
    Last year, the group selected five best applicants who has been suffered in man body.
    "I've been in this environment for 30 years. I can feel who they really are. I can tell whether they are woman in a man's body or they just a man with a girl's habit," said Yollada For 24-year-old Thatsarangwaon Meesuk (pron: Tat-sa-rang-wa-on Mee-sook) was selected to have a free sex-change operation.
    She said she has a better life now as her mind can relax and does not need to worry about unwanted part in her body.
    "I've been through this. I don't need anything else in life. I am in the happiest moment of my life. I never feel happy like this," said Thatsarangwaon.
    Five candidates expected to be selected by June but they will not have operation until October as they need to prepare their bodies and mind.
    According to Gay Group, there are 10 percent of gays and transvestites out of a population of 63 million in Thailand.
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