Yeah, Thailand has fairly sizable numbers of tourists that just disappear. It also has a very capable medical industry around gender affirming care. You hear stories about people going there, having procedures done and just never being heard from again by family or work.
Some folks take it as the perfect opportunity to just step into their new life under a new name post transition. Since there’s also a fairly well known trade in false identification items, it’s supposedly one of the best places to go for that whether one is trans or cis and looking for an escape.
But I’d always assumed it was a rare thing. If it’s common enough to have reached meme status, it may be that assumption was wrong. Gods know trans people have every reason to look for a way out of their old life. Maybe it’s happening more than anyone thought. Tbh it’s a comforting idea that a person can find a new life that way.
I lived and worked there, and transgender farang were near zero. They are treated worse than kathoey or tom which isn’t a very high bar. You can get surgery done cheap and well, but it is usually cosmetic stuff (top surgery, generic facial plastic suegery) rather than more complex bottom surgery. And you can’t legally change your gender in Thailand - all those kathoey are still treated in paperwork as men.
As for fake documents, maybe. I knew people that had visuals convincing visas in visually convincing passports for the purposes of carrying around in Thailand. However in this day of magnetic and RFID digital passports, document theft is far more realistic and common than fakes.
Yeah, I was discounting that because of the context. Didn’t figure it was related to the meme, and it didn’t factor into the idea of how common someone going there to disappear on purpose might be.
… does it?
Yeah, Thailand has fairly sizable numbers of tourists that just disappear. It also has a very capable medical industry around gender affirming care. You hear stories about people going there, having procedures done and just never being heard from again by family or work.
Some folks take it as the perfect opportunity to just step into their new life under a new name post transition. Since there’s also a fairly well known trade in false identification items, it’s supposedly one of the best places to go for that whether one is trans or cis and looking for an escape.
But I’d always assumed it was a rare thing. If it’s common enough to have reached meme status, it may be that assumption was wrong. Gods know trans people have every reason to look for a way out of their old life. Maybe it’s happening more than anyone thought. Tbh it’s a comforting idea that a person can find a new life that way.
I lived and worked there, and transgender farang were near zero. They are treated worse than kathoey or tom which isn’t a very high bar. You can get surgery done cheap and well, but it is usually cosmetic stuff (top surgery, generic facial plastic suegery) rather than more complex bottom surgery. And you can’t legally change your gender in Thailand - all those kathoey are still treated in paperwork as men.
As for fake documents, maybe. I knew people that had visuals convincing visas in visually convincing passports for the purposes of carrying around in Thailand. However in this day of magnetic and RFID digital passports, document theft is far more realistic and common than fakes.
Fair enough! Thanks for the info.
you know thailand is also pretty high in missing because of human trafficing list?
Yeah, I was discounting that because of the context. Didn’t figure it was related to the meme, and it didn’t factor into the idea of how common someone going there to disappear on purpose might be.
Thailand can be dangerous. Hopefully the friend is ok.