SRS in Thailand
Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2005 12:46 am
Beautiful 'Man'
Tour guide undergoes televised sex change after single psychiatric check, lifetime of waiting
Story by Tul Pinkaew
Bangkok Post, December 11, 2004, Page 1
The boy wearing blue, and little girl in pink, the journey to manhood and womanhood - for many people it is all settled at a baby shower months before a child is born.
From adolescence to adulthood, people live out their lives according to the gender roles society assigns them, based on their sex.
Some, however, want to break the mould. Nathanan wanted to become a woman spiritually and physically and underwent a sex change operation beamed live yesterday to international experts. She undertook the procedure after just one psychiatric evaluation.
"Since I can remember, I have always wanted to be a woman and I have been saving money for this sex change operation since I graduated from university," said Nathanan.
Working as a tour guide, Nathanan said her only meeting with a psychiatrist took place about a month ago in which the doctor took one look at her and said she was ready for the life-changing process.
"It was obvious how I felt about my sexuality and the doctor saw it straight away.
Now 27, Nathanan has been taking female hormones in the form of birth control pills since the age of 15.
"There is no doubt in my mind that I needed to be rid of my male sex organs, and my family supported me," she said.
The operation, which was televised on a closed circuit system to an audience of 12 international doctors, a world's first for this kind of procedure, was performed by Dr Preecha Tiewtranon, known to his colleagues as the godfather of sex reassignment. The hospital said the operation was a success and the patient can leave hospital in seven days.
"Twenty-five years ago I pioneered the practice in this country and performed sex change operations on Thais First. But in the past five years 90% of the cases have come from overseas," he said.
Dr Preecha said he has performed more than 2,600 sex reassignments. Westerners, he said, came to the Preecha Aesthetic Institute, at BNH Hospital, because of its relatively low cost, 300,000 baht (about US$ 7,500) for a sex change operation, and high standard of treatment.
"For Thais just one psychiatric consultation is enough to evaluate whether he or she is ready for the sex change," the doctor argued.
Dr Preecha said Thai transvestites look feminine because they are able to acquire female hormones at a young age without a prescription.
"The hormones change the skin complexion, the metabolism of the body. That's why they are so beautiful. There's really no need for a consultation at all and we have never had a case of any of our patients wanting a reversal," he said.
For foreign patients, however, he needed to see all the paperwork to avoid any kind of legal mishap.
Sherri-Ann Higgins, a married 56-vear-old grandfather from Pittsburgh whose daughter found out about Dr Preecha's institute on the internet, said the process back home took too long.
"To prove your competence in the US you have to go through therapy for two years. Then take female hormones for a year and also testosterone blockers as well as dress as a woman before you are cleared to have sex change surgery," Ms Higgins said. When they make the decision to change, most people want to get through it fast, she said.
Tour guide undergoes televised sex change after single psychiatric check, lifetime of waiting
Story by Tul Pinkaew
Bangkok Post, December 11, 2004, Page 1
The boy wearing blue, and little girl in pink, the journey to manhood and womanhood - for many people it is all settled at a baby shower months before a child is born.
From adolescence to adulthood, people live out their lives according to the gender roles society assigns them, based on their sex.
Some, however, want to break the mould. Nathanan wanted to become a woman spiritually and physically and underwent a sex change operation beamed live yesterday to international experts. She undertook the procedure after just one psychiatric evaluation.
"Since I can remember, I have always wanted to be a woman and I have been saving money for this sex change operation since I graduated from university," said Nathanan.
Working as a tour guide, Nathanan said her only meeting with a psychiatrist took place about a month ago in which the doctor took one look at her and said she was ready for the life-changing process.
"It was obvious how I felt about my sexuality and the doctor saw it straight away.
Now 27, Nathanan has been taking female hormones in the form of birth control pills since the age of 15.
"There is no doubt in my mind that I needed to be rid of my male sex organs, and my family supported me," she said.
The operation, which was televised on a closed circuit system to an audience of 12 international doctors, a world's first for this kind of procedure, was performed by Dr Preecha Tiewtranon, known to his colleagues as the godfather of sex reassignment. The hospital said the operation was a success and the patient can leave hospital in seven days.
"Twenty-five years ago I pioneered the practice in this country and performed sex change operations on Thais First. But in the past five years 90% of the cases have come from overseas," he said.
Dr Preecha said he has performed more than 2,600 sex reassignments. Westerners, he said, came to the Preecha Aesthetic Institute, at BNH Hospital, because of its relatively low cost, 300,000 baht (about US$ 7,500) for a sex change operation, and high standard of treatment.
"For Thais just one psychiatric consultation is enough to evaluate whether he or she is ready for the sex change," the doctor argued.
Dr Preecha said Thai transvestites look feminine because they are able to acquire female hormones at a young age without a prescription.
"The hormones change the skin complexion, the metabolism of the body. That's why they are so beautiful. There's really no need for a consultation at all and we have never had a case of any of our patients wanting a reversal," he said.
For foreign patients, however, he needed to see all the paperwork to avoid any kind of legal mishap.
Sherri-Ann Higgins, a married 56-vear-old grandfather from Pittsburgh whose daughter found out about Dr Preecha's institute on the internet, said the process back home took too long.
"To prove your competence in the US you have to go through therapy for two years. Then take female hormones for a year and also testosterone blockers as well as dress as a woman before you are cleared to have sex change surgery," Ms Higgins said. When they make the decision to change, most people want to get through it fast, she said.
Hey Pre-Op TG/TS Girls! This article is a Happy one for Nathanan. While we all eat our hearts out. O well, Nice article.Hugs,Leona 
