The craze among teen kathoey males to get their testicles removed started gathering pace after the government changed the law allowing men who had undergone gender re-assignment surgery to use the word 'Miss' or 'Mrs' in front of their name, says gay activist Natee Teerarojjanapong.
After that law was passed, increasing numbers of kathoey - boys who want to be girls - decided they would like to be women, and turned to this low-cost procedure as a way to achieve it.
'I believe that if you asked 100 kathoey now if they had undergone the procedure to remove their testicles, 80 would say yes,' he told Kom Chad Leuk newspaper.
One Chiang Mai clinic said that on average, four kathoey came to the clinic asking to have their testicles removed every day.
The law change last year by the National Legislative Assembly allowed men who had become women to use the honorific. It was sought in the name of equality and progress, but led to unforseen consequences, he said.
Natee Teerarojjanapong and nine other gay activists today paid a visit to the Medical Council to demand that it stop clinics offering castration surgery to kathoey teens.
In the kathoey community, a clinic in Pratunam of Bangkok, was well-known for offering the procedure. However, Natee had also heard of clinics and hospitals offering the 15-minute procedure in Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Chon Buri.
His gay coalition had received complaints from custodians of kathoey guys aged 16, who had pressured them to consent to their undergoing the surgery. Some kathoey were aged 14 and 15 were joining the waiting list at clinics for the chance to get their testicles removed when they 'come of age' at 16.
Natee says that when he was 16, he thought he would like to change his sex. When he grew older he realised he was merely gay, and that it was not necessary to take such a step.
Emboldened by the law change, many young kathoey were going ahead with the operation, which could have drastic consequences for the rest of their lives. 'If we do not act now, we could end up with many people who are crippled and maligned for life,' he said.
'I don't want surgeons to feed off young people in this way. These clinics need a code of moral conduct. Patients should be examined by a psychologist, and given more information.
'Patients who have their testicles removed have to take hormones for the rest of their lives. Do they have the money?'
Kathoey had also read chatter on webboards which said the procedure would make them look more beautiful. At some webboards, clinics were offering such services openly.
'That's wrong. In fact, they could end up being intellectually retarded instead.'
Few young men could find the B100,000 needed for gender re-assignment surgery. By comparison, the B4000-5000 needed to get their testicles removed looked cheap and affordable.
now, see part 2
After that law was passed, increasing numbers of kathoey - boys who want to be girls - decided they would like to be women, and turned to this low-cost procedure as a way to achieve it.
'I believe that if you asked 100 kathoey now if they had undergone the procedure to remove their testicles, 80 would say yes,' he told Kom Chad Leuk newspaper.
One Chiang Mai clinic said that on average, four kathoey came to the clinic asking to have their testicles removed every day.
The law change last year by the National Legislative Assembly allowed men who had become women to use the honorific. It was sought in the name of equality and progress, but led to unforseen consequences, he said.
Natee Teerarojjanapong and nine other gay activists today paid a visit to the Medical Council to demand that it stop clinics offering castration surgery to kathoey teens.
In the kathoey community, a clinic in Pratunam of Bangkok, was well-known for offering the procedure. However, Natee had also heard of clinics and hospitals offering the 15-minute procedure in Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Chon Buri.
His gay coalition had received complaints from custodians of kathoey guys aged 16, who had pressured them to consent to their undergoing the surgery. Some kathoey were aged 14 and 15 were joining the waiting list at clinics for the chance to get their testicles removed when they 'come of age' at 16.
Natee says that when he was 16, he thought he would like to change his sex. When he grew older he realised he was merely gay, and that it was not necessary to take such a step.
Emboldened by the law change, many young kathoey were going ahead with the operation, which could have drastic consequences for the rest of their lives. 'If we do not act now, we could end up with many people who are crippled and maligned for life,' he said.
'I don't want surgeons to feed off young people in this way. These clinics need a code of moral conduct. Patients should be examined by a psychologist, and given more information.
'Patients who have their testicles removed have to take hormones for the rest of their lives. Do they have the money?'
Kathoey had also read chatter on webboards which said the procedure would make them look more beautiful. At some webboards, clinics were offering such services openly.
'That's wrong. In fact, they could end up being intellectually retarded instead.'
Few young men could find the B100,000 needed for gender re-assignment surgery. By comparison, the B4000-5000 needed to get their testicles removed looked cheap and affordable.
now, see part 2
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