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Why do Ladyboys have an obsession with silicon?

It's very common in Thailand, and generally it becomes a rite of passage for many young Ladyboys; usually third in line on their way to becoming a ''lady'', behind taking hormones and growing out their hair beyond their shoulders. By the age of 18 or 19 most Ladyboys who live in the tourist areas such as Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket will already have them, and by age 21 it almost becomes a necessity; since all Thai males are inducted into the military at that age, and since the odds are virtually zero that one would be accepted with large silicon-enhanced breasts, most, if not all, Ladyboys wish to have them by that age at the latest.



Sizes, costs and procedures

For breasts, the choices seem endless, but the majority of Ladyboys seem to go with sizes which are frequently too big for their body and which most genetic Thai ladies would never have. This "more is better" approach is quite common, and again if you have walked around Pattaya or Bangkok late at night it becomes obvious what size the Ladyboys prefer their new breasts to be; large! Not all Ladyboys think this way, and in fact some of the small-in-stature girls will go with a smaller breast size to match their bodies. For instance, a Ladyboy who stands maybe 5 foot 3 would do well with silicon breasts which have 275cc of fluid in them; 250 would be too small, and something like 350 would be too large for her. At the 275cc level, that would be just a small handful. For the taller Ladyboys, say 5'7" and above, anything around the 300cc of fluid seems to be the norm. But some Ladyoys automatically go for 325, 350 or even 400cc of the fluid which makes up silicon breasts, based on what friends have done in the past or photos they have seen at the doctor's office or in magazines and online images. Many use western ideals of beauty and body shape to re-shape their own bodies, with the result oftentimes looking sexy, but also often looking like a caricature of a real lady. Wearing dresses which may be too tight for their body but which enhance their look is also a factor.

The costs for silicon breasts has changed little over the past 10 to 15 years in Thailand. Starting in the 40,000 baht range, it can go as high as 60,000 but rarely higher. The doctors who perform these procedures are usually well-qualified, perform several per week or even per day, and are oftentimes given positive referrals by friends who have already had the procedure, which can be done on an outpatient basis; the patient can usually be home and relaxing with her new breasts within hours, from start to finish. Other procedures which are common but not quite as popular as the breast procedure include slight additions to the chin to give them a more "pointed" look, similar to a western woman, nose jobs, and additions to the hips, to give the Ladyboy a more rounded, full-figured look (editors note: the cost and availability of hip injections has changed so much in recent years that many ladyboys will now have silicon hips, with some even taking their hip sizes to extremes).



The Happiness Factor

Almost ALL Thai Ladyboys want to have silicon breasts; along with grown-out hair it's a main symbol of their femininity. Breasts are undeniably female, and that's what these young Ladyboys want to be; female, at least in their appearance to the world. In fact, if you meet a Ladyboy in her mid-20's who has NOT yet had her breasts enhanced, the there are odds that she is not a ‘true Ladyboy’, and may perhaps be a gay male simply working as a Ladyboy to make more money than he could as a male prostitute. Generally, somewhere between 90 and 95% of all Ladyboys who have their breasts enhanced are happy with the outcome, and love showing them off to friends, potential boyfriends, customers [if they are prostitutes] and to family [if the family is accepting of her transition]. Most Ladyboys wear their new breasts as a badge of honor, something to be shown off as much as possible, by wearing tight outfits and dresses which expose the cleavage.



Not going away

Ladyboys have been getting their breasts enhanced in Thailand for well over 40 years now, and in fact the country has become a haven for male-to-female transgenders to have their new breasts put in at a cost which is oftentimes 25% of what it would cost in their own country. Thailand now has world-class doctors who devote their whole practice to these procedures, and multiple clinics in cities large and small who can perform the procedure quickly, safely, and for a small amount of money. For true, committed Thai Ladyboys, it's basically a fact of life; turn a certain age, usually 17, 18 or 19, and once you can raise the money you will be getting new breasts for yourself. Some of the people in their lives may not like it, be it their Mom or their Dad, potential boyfriends or western "sponsors" who help the girls with their daily expenses, but the bottom line is that this will not be going away anytime soon. Thai Ladyboys love their silicon, and as long as it remains as cheap and readily-available as it is now this is something which will continue for many years to come.



Written by: Cory Booker