*Trigger Warning: Racism, Transphobia, Body Shaming and Theft.

Theerapong girl here, 2.5 years post-op after having the open sigmoid-colon technique, please see my review and pictures posted some time ago. Whilst some girls may have had positive experiences under Becky and Cherry's care, I am alarmed and gravely concerned that they are both still working with us, trans and intersex women, a misunderstood and vulnerable community.

The start of my experience was pleasant, however, I noticed red flags early on in my five-week stay and recovery in Bangkok. Becky’s ignorance towards women of trans-experience is antiquated and damaging. For instance, when I was undergoing my pre-operative psychological evaluation, the psychiatrist enquired about my intimate life and Becky retorted, "She has sex like a lady-boy." Yes, I am aware these terms are culturally relative, however, for Becky, a American from Texas, it's embarrassing that she would use this word, a slur in the Western world and a potential gender-dysphoria trigger.

Several girls have discovered that Becky, the driver and interpreter for Siam Transformative, would grossly inflate surgeries, pocketing this for herself without the Interplast Clinic's or Dr. Theerapong’s knowledge. She and Cherry also house clients in Nawamin which, one day, took over 2 hours just to go one way to the clinic (downtown Bangkok) for a follow up appointment with Dr. Theerapong. They do this because “Cherry” (nurse) lives there and it’s convenient for her to visit clients close to her home, completely disregarding the safety implications of being so far away from your surgeon and also sitting in a car for 4+ hours in one day after having surgery just to see your surgeon.

I originally planned to do the Sigmoid-Colon Laparoscopic Technique (580,000 Thai baht) but Dr Theerapong suggested the Sigmoid-Colon Open Technique (380,000 Thai baht) due to greater benefits. I had already paid for the Sigmoid-Colon Laparoscopic Technique and given that the Sigmoid-Colon Open Technique was lower in cost, meaning $6,000 was owed to me. Becky remained quiet about money owed to me, hoping I would remain silent, compliant and overwhelmed by everything that happened. It was only once I asserted myself twice and then returned to the West did Becky returned my money.

Becky's transphobia and views on trans people were evident from the outset, I recall both her and “Cherry” (nurse) remarking I was the 'prettiest one they've had..so far,' out of their clients, objectifying me like I was a Pokemon. The comparisons did not cease there, both Becky and Cherry felt comfortable telling me how previous clients behaved and reduced their womanhood to nothingness, pointing out their masculine features, stating 'a lot of them' smelled and acted like 'sloppy,' men and 'they will never be women' despite all the surgeries. Perhaps Becky felt comfortable around me enough to reveal herself as a bigot, on one occasion, a Filipina trans woman, residing in Norway was due to have surgery after mine, this client was early in transition and both Becky and Cherry had no reservations in joking she looked like a man! They later made fun of her “man underwear” having holes in it and decided to gift her women’s panties so she could “act like a lady for once”. They had nicknames for all her clients and I later recall how degrading she was about a vulnerable, young client from Cyprus, whom she regarded as a nuisance. I learned later that this woman was struggling with anxiety after surgery.

I am pretty thick-skinned, however, I became privy to Becky thinking it was amusing that I felt dysphoric about showing Dr Theerapong or her, my previous genitalia during our consultation and proceeded to gossip about this. I became aware of Becky informing Cherry and other staff about my 'massive' pre-op genitalia, again objectifying me. It was after this consultation and reluctantly showing the doctor my genitalia, that Becky's manner changed towards me and on a few occasions she misgendered me, correcting herself, thinking I did not hear. Passing is a relative and sensitive topic in the trans/intersex fem community, however, my ability to pass whether in rough parts of London or my father's native Spanish Harlem, New York has never been up for question, I have been able to navigate the cis-gendered world as an attractive and cultured, female in a long-term heterosexual relationship. I can only assume Becky's behaviour towards me changed after seeing my pre-op genitalia and her bigotry increased.

I'm unsure if Becky's Texan background influenced how she engages with people of colour, particularly those of African descent! On discovering my partner was black, Becky's staff informed me both she and Cherry made jokes insinuating my partner was my pimp and referring to me as a N er lover. Unfortunately, Cherry also outed this worker’s HIV status to me as well. I can’t even begin to unpack this until this day. As an ambiguous-looking, mixed-race woman post-George Floyd, being called a N er lover was disappointing and exhausting, Cherry expressed disgust at the texture of my long, thick hair, something I inherited from my Afro-Cuban father. My hair and Latin features aside, Cherry could also not make sense of how fair/'white' my skin was, speculating if I 'bleached' my skin, a phenomenon in her native, complexion-obsessed Philippines. Other clients have since expressed concerns about Cherry and her projection that she is being mistreated or patronised on the premise of her being Filipina, again, as another woman of colour, this is untrue.

My resilience allowed me to recover and complete my stay in Bangkok, however, upon my return and having complications, Becky, in true form, did not disappoint! I recall messaging her team, telling her I was experiencing loss of blood, Becky responded sarcastically, snarking, I was “having my first period”, completely dismissing my medical crisis and fragile emotional state. It was after this interaction, that I ensured it would be our last. In closing, Becky and Cherry are not safe people for anyone to be around, let alone trans people.

I want to reiterate that, while some people may have had positive experiences with Becky and Cherry (interpreter/driver and nurse) from previous company Siam Transformative (now guised as “Siam Transformation”?), please don’t invalidate those who had negative experiences in the hands of Becky and Cherry.

Feel free to message me.