Question about PAI

[Danielle P]

I have been corresponding with Peera from PAI about having GCS.

In the first email he said this:

How to make an appointment/surgery; (Only 1 letter)
1.       Letter from Psychiatrist doctor*    2.       Hormone Therapist
In the letter, your local doctor should write you the letter to qualify for surgery.
3.       Plan your available date to be surgery and departure from Bangkok
4.       We will confirm you for surgery date
5.       You may start to book your airline ticket
6.       We will confirm you all detail and hotel booking, if require
7.       For transportation to be pick up from the airport, we need you to confirm your airline flight itinerary

Anyone who has had surgery at PAI, what does he mean by points 1 & 2? Do I need a letter from both, or is it one or the other? Does the letter from my endo need to refer me for surgery or does it just need to save I have been on hormones for more than 1 year?

Thanks

[warlockmaker]

Point 1 & 2 only requires only one letter from either your therapist or from your hormone therapist.

If its from your endo, it should state how long you have been under their care and your prescription. Maybe also which doctor did the referral.

If you need any additional help please p.m.me.

[Kendra]

> or does it just need to save I have been on hormones for more than 1 year?

I haven't seen 1 year of hormones/HRT required anywhere in the world.  I had GCS 6 months after starting HRT.

[Megan.]

I haven't seen 1 year of hormones/HRT required anywhere in the world.  I had GCS 6 months after starting HRT.

FYI, for GRS in the UK by the NHS, 1 year HRT and 1 year RLE are both required. X

Sent from my MI 5s using Tapatalk

[Kendra]

Good point   - I was wrong on that, some countries including UK have additional requirements for GCS coverage.

[Dena]

I haven't seen 1 year of hormones/HRT required anywhere in the world.  I had GCS 6 months after starting HRT.

It probably comes form the standard I transitioned under.
1 year HRT
1 year RLE
1 year therapy
at least half your facial hair removed
Meeting those requirements were sufficient to get you the two letters you required and only one needed to be from a Psychiatrist. A letter from my Endo wasn't required as one of the therapist letters would have documented the above treatment. 

Naturally, the FTMs didn't require the facial hair removal   

[PurplePelican]

I haven't seen 1 year of hormones/HRT required anywhere in the world.  I had GCS 6 months after starting HRT.

How nice for you, you found a short cut. But the WPATH Standards of Care V7 state the following:

Criteria for metoidioplasty or phalloplasty in FtM patients and for vaginoplasty in MtF patients:
1. Persistent, well documented gender dysphoria;
2. Capacity to make a fully informed decision and to consent for treatment;
3. Age of majority in a given country;
4. If significant medical or mental health concerns are present, they must be well controlled;
5. 12 continuous months of hormone therapy as appropriate to the patient's gender goals (unless
the patient has a medical contraindication or is otherwise unable or unwilling to take
hormones).
6. 12 continuous months of living in a gender role that is congruent with their gender identity;

Although not an explicit criterion, it is recommended that these patients also have regular visits
with a mental health or other medical professional.

These are the guidelines followed by many surgeons..

[Mendi]

I´m heading for PAI in 3 weeks. I only presented 1 letter of recommendation from a gender therapists, and that is enough.

You still need to see 1 psychiatrist in Thailand, before the surgery, but what I´ve understood, is that it is more or less a formality, due to the law in Thailand.

By the time of my surgery, I´ve been on HRT for about 8 months and RLE for 9 months. It was ok for PAI and few other places in the world also, don´t use that requirement, as long as you have the letter. And as long as you are paying the surgery. Of course public healthcare, here also, places all kind of obstacles that you need to jump, when someone says so.

I´m still thinking of taking my prescriptions with me, even though they are in a language that they cannot understand.

[Danielle P]

Thank you everyone for your advice 

I will send an email with the letter attached.