Thai hospital offers free sex change to competition winners

Feb 24, 2011, 5:53 GMT

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1621634.php/Thai-hospital-offers-free-sex-change-to-competition-winners

Bangkok - A Bangkok hospital is to provide free surgery to five men who won a contest for sex-change operations, the Trans-Female Association of Thailand said Thursday.

The association's annual contest 'is to help trans-genders who cannot afford a sex operation,' the head of the association Yonlada Suanyod told a press conference.

This year's event attracted 100 applicants, out of whom five winners were selected according to three criteria - they had felt like trans-genders since birth, they could not afford the operation themselves, and they had 'interesting' life stories.

Transgenders offered free sex changes
Project to 'free' women trapped in men's bodies

    * Published: 25/02/2011 at 12:00 AM

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/223393/transgenders-offered-free-sex-changes

A transgender association is offering a free sex change for cash-strapped transgender people to fulfil their dream of becoming a woman.

More than 100 transgender people have applied for free sex-change surgery under the Sister's Hand project initiated by the TransFemale Association of Thailand.

But only five will be chosen to undergo operations.

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http://www.bangkokpost.com/multimedia/photo/223339/a-free-sex-change

Sexual reassignment surgery is not currently covered by any health care system in Thailand. The Sister's Hand foundation is a private organization that was set up to provide a small number of transgenders with the necessary funding for full surgery. Photos by Somchai Poomlard.