How many surgeries does a Katoey needs to take to live like a real woman?

A "phuying praphet song" (ladyboy) from Bangkok. She has been taking hormone replacement therapy at an early age of 13 and had SRS at the age of 20. Looks like a cute and beautiful girl, right?

Undergo female sex hormone replacement therapy.

Have breast implants.

Undergo cosmetic surgeries to shape their bodies such as jawbone, hips and buttocks.

Undergo voice chord surgery and reduce the size of adam's apple. Finally undergo male-to-female sexual reassignment surgery (SRS) to complete the transition.

Thailand is the cheapest place to have SRS

Thailand is indeed the cheapest place in the world for ladyboys to perform any surgeries they want.

It is perhaps the only country that accepts transgenders in society due to the high value of tolerance the Buddhist culture places on.

Some families even welcome their new daughters and pay for the surgery cost.

Thailand is one of the cost effective (cheapest) places to perform male-to-female sexual reassignment surgery (SRS). In the West, it would cost around USD$25,000. In Thailand, USD$1600 would cover for the procedure. Countries such as Japan and Singapore will cost even more.

After SRS, they will be able to function like a real woman and engage in sexual intercourse of course.

Did you know that it is possible for a katoey to be pregnant? Doctor Chen Huanran, a Beijing sex change surgeon claimed that he has developed the technology to make a transgender pregnant and the cost of the procedure is around US$24,156.

The life of a katoey...

Most katoeys seek a world in which they can freely behave and live the way they want.

A place where no one will judge or laugh at them so that they can live their life as a real woman.

The transition of the famous Champion Thai kickboxer, Nong Tum who was banned from the ring after she had SRS.

That's why most katoeys choose to work in restuarants, or as a performer in the famous Ladyboy show. Others simply choose to work as a prostitute or sex workers because it's the easiest way to make quick money. Guess what will they do with the money? To pay for the surgeries of course!

Not all katoeys work in the nightlife industry though. Some katoeys do hold normal day jobs such as shop assistant, secretary, nurse, hairdresser, waitress, beautician and even TV stars where they can still have their freedom to live as a woman.

The life of a katoey is never easy. To make it worse, the law in Thailand doesn't recognize them as female even after they had SRS.

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RippaSama is a passionate Thai language lover who just can't stop learning Thai when he is on fire. If you want to read and learn more about his Thai language lessons and tips, you can visit (http://MyThaiSensei.com)

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