New Regulations for Sex Reassignment Surgery
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A 26 year old born as a male but who lives as a woman, Ms. Areeya Milintanapa, had hoped to undergo sexual reassignment surgery at a private clinic in Bangkok next year, but her plans were put on hold due to new regulations put forward by the Medical Council of Thailand.
The council put forward a new rule that require those who want to
undergo sexual reassignment to first consult with a psychiatrist and live as a woman for a year as well as receive hormone therapy before such an operation is allowed.The new rules are an inconvenience to Ms. Areeya because she already spent her whole life as a woman. “Since I was a little boy I have lived the life of a woman, so why do I have to wait another year before I can get a sex change?” asked Khun Milintanapa.
“I have wanted to be a woman since I was a young boy. I played with dolls like girls and even wore my mother’s skirts. I know that I have always been a woman not a man,” Ms. Areeya added.
Ms. Areeya started researching information about sex change operations many years ago as well as discussing the matter with transgendered people who had already undergone sex reassignment. Her plan was to undergo the operation herself next year.
“The operation was going to be a special New Year’s present for me,” she said.
Ms. Areeya plans were put on hold as the regulations mean that she cannot undergo the sex change without con
sulting with a psychiatrist first.Dr. Somsak Lohlekha, President of the Medical Council of Thailand said, "The council wants to make sure that the transgendered person really wants to be a woman and is truly willing to spend the rest of her life as a woman. This is a decision that they have to live with for the rest of their lives. It is not a decision that takes one second to make."
“A Sexual reassignment operation would affect the physical body of the person undergoing the operation as well as the person’s mental health plus society around them,” he added.
The new rule, which will be effective from November onwards, requires transgendered people to consult with psychiatrist to determine the person’s mental state before they can undergo hormone therapy from endocrinologists. After that, they will have to live as a woman for a year before they can have the sex change surgery.
“Each transgendered person must have approval from at least two psychiatrists to be allowed to have the surgery. As for foreigners, they have to have approval from a psychiatrist in their country of origin as well as a psychiatrist in Thailand,” added Dr. Lohlekha.
The new regulations require the surgeon who performs the surgery to follow up on their patient’s condition and provide further medical treatment,
as needed. Surgeons who are qualified to perform the surgery must be registered with the Medical Council. Those who break any regulations set by the council will face warnings and risk having their medical licenses revoked.Dr. Panom Ketman, of the Royal College of Psychiatrists of Thailand said, “The new rule does not say that the transgendered cannot undergo a sex change. They just have one more year to really ask themselves whether they really want to be a woman. If a year has passed and they are absolutely sure, psychiatrists will allow them to undergo such surgery.”
Dr. Paiboon Jittrapai of Thailand's Royal College of Surgeons, said, “The new rules would lift standards for sex change operations. Some patients have committed suicide after a sex change operation because they later rejected changing sex.”
"Some transgendered people underwent surgery because they wanted to do it for their job, such as performing in a cabaret show, not because they wanted it for their lives," added Dr. Jittrapai.
Yollada Suanyot, Chairperson of the Transgendered Women of Thai
land is satisfied with the new rule but said that relevant agencies, such as the Interior, Foreign and Justice Ministries, should revise laws to allow transgendered people to change their gender title from Mr. to Miss.Ms. Areeya added, “Things would be much easier if I could change from being a ‘Mr.’ to a ‘Miss’ because I
could then register a marriage certificate with my American husband like other women.” Ms. Areeya has been married to an American boyfriend for three years.The transgendered just want the life of a complete woman. They don’t want to have to go to another country to be allowed to register a
marriage certificate.“Why can't this country where I was born give it to me?” asked a transgendered woman.
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