Bangkok - A leading gay activist is expressing shock at reports of operations some boys and young men have undertaken to remove their testicles.

Nathee Rojanapongse is to hold talks with the Medical Council of Thailand on Thursday calling for an end to the surgery, which has become the latest trend among young gays.

“It’s worrying to know that an increasing number of children are asking for this kind of operation to be done on them. These people don’t have enough money to complete the entire sexual transformation process so they’re going ahead with only what they can afford. What’s worrying is that some of them will realise when it is already too late, that this is not who they really want to be,” he warned.

He added: “When I was 16, I thought that undergoing a sex-change operation would complete me. When I grew up, I knew that I was simply a gay man who comfortable in his own body. If these operations continue, some of these children may end up physically or, in some cases, mentally handicapped.”