THAILAND — The Kingdom of Thailand is famous for its temples, its cuisine, its art, and its sex tourism. In addition to a myriad of bar, sauna, and massage girls eager to share their company for a fee, Thailand is known worldwide for the beauty and femininity of its “ladyboys,” both those employed as entertainers and those working in the mainstream. Alas for those of the third sex, the price of becoming a second kind of woman has gone up.Ladyboys range from effeminate gay men to men who enjoy dressing as women to those who have fully transitioned – but always, they search for inexpensive ways in which to accomplish their goals of beauty and grace.

Although the country has become a world leader in sex-change surgery, many budget conscious ladyboys have opted for cosmetic castration instead of full sexual reassignment surgery. Starting this month, that option will no longer be legally available.

Early this month, the Public Health Ministry sent out 16,000 letters ordering hospitals and clinics to stop offering cosmetic castration to men using the procedure as an inexpensive alternative to full surgery.

Patients who opt for the more expensive and slower process of sexual reassignment surgery must undergo both physical and mental evaluations before being allowed to progress; something that does not happen with quickie castrations. Now any medical professional who provides castration services for non-medical reasons faces six months in jail.

Enforcing the ban on removing testicles may be more difficult than spreading the word about it, however.

“It’s hard to track them down, as it takes only 15 – 20 minutes to get the surgery,” senior health official Tara Chinakarn explained to Reuters.

Internet advertisements for clinics that offer cosmetic castration services to teen boy list prices as low as $125.