Australian women share horror stories from cosmetic surgeries in Thailand

When Lynda Lazaridis gets dressed, she chooses her clothes carefully.

The Melbourne grandmother’s breasts were virtually removed, and her nipples relocated up near her armpits.

Her arms and legs too are covered in a patchwork of scars.

It’s the result of a slew of cosmetic surgeries Lynda had in Thailand – a gift to herself for her 60th birthday, four years ago, that she now wishes she could return. 

“Looking at yourself in the mirror every day, and seeing all those scars, it’s overwhelming,” she said.

In 2022, after losing more than 15 kilograms, Lynda booked with Bangkok-based Destination Beauty, a cosmetic tourism company offering surgeries to foreigners.

She wanted to remove excess skin, and a breast reduction to ease her back pain.

“They recommended I have a butt lift, thigh lift inner and outer, liposuction, something called a reversed tummy tuck - I had no idea what that was - and arms,” she recalls.

Like thousands of Australians, Lynda was lured by the price; cosmetic procedures in Thailand can cost a third of what patients pay back home. 

She says Destination Beauty suggested she could apply to access her superannuation to pay for the operations, by declaring her weight loss surgery was “treatment for a life threatening illness.”

But her dream of a better body was shattered, when she came out of breast reduction surgery in Bangkok. She’d asked the surgeon, Destination Beauty’s Dr Rungkit Tanjapatkul - known as Dr Ring - for a C-cup.

“I woke up to no breasts. They were gone, completely gone,” she said.

“My nipple was up here,” she explained, pointing to her armpit. 

“It was right in my face!”

Even after months of additional surgeries and treatment, Lynda still can’t wear normal bras or clothes without revealing her oddly placed nipples.

Sophie Tsivoglou was also left scarred for life by Destination Beauty’s Dr Ring. 

Like Lynda, she underwent multiple surgeries in Bangkok in 2022, in a matter of weeks. 

Sophie thought she had good reason to trust the company, as she’d had weight loss surgery with them in 2018 and was delighted with the results. 

But when she returned for a raft of operations to remove excess skin and improve her body, she says Dr Ring did a disastrous job.

“I’ve always covered myself before getting in front of a mirror,” she said.

“It’s just terrible.”

After liposuction and a thigh lift, Sophie says she collapsed, unable to feel her legs. 

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She was also alarmed to discover a scar on the side of her body, an area she didn’t expect her surgeon to touch. 

Gold Coast mum Angelina Rice also regrets putting her faith in Destination Beauty and Dr Ring.

“You did feel like you were jumping onto a conveyor belt,” Angelina said.

She booked with Destination Beauty for breast implants and skin tightening on her tummy.

She says she was encouraged to add on some work on her hips, after arriving in Thailand. 

Angelina started to worry soon after she arrived at the hospital in Bangkok.

“My surgery was due for 2PM but I didn’t get in until about midnight… I was really worried,” she explained.

“The next minute I had a bunch of paperwork that was not in English in front of me, I was wheeled into the theatre and I was put to sleep.”

Angelina says she woke up from surgery to find a wound on her leg, a part of her body she didn’t expect to be operated on.

“The surgeon came in the following day, he didn’t look at my body at all,” she said.

“He just said there was a bit of a mistake and you have a burn.”

After leaving Thailand, Angelina required five additional surgeries on her leg.

“I wish that I just stayed happy with how I was and didn’t even consider going under the knife, especially in Thailand,” she said.

Plastic surgeon and Chairman of the WA branch of the Australian Medical Association, Dr Mark Duncan-Smith, was stunned by Angelina’s case. 

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“I can’t understand at all why someone having abdominal surgery and breast surgery would end up with a scar on their leg,” he said.

Photos of several Destination Beauty clients post-surgery left Dr Duncan-Smith almost speechless.

“It actually gave me goosebumps to see how terrible some of these results were, and how severe the acute problems were,” he said.

“It’s just terrible. I just can’t believe that doctors would do that to patients.”

After repeated attempts to organise an interview with someone from Destination Beauty, no one was available. 

In a statement to 60 Minutes, Destination Beauty said “patient safety, appropriate treatment, support and quality of care take priority over patient volume.”

The company said they’ve made more than 30,000 patients look and feel better over the years. 

They suggested Peta Denning as one of them.

The Brisbane mum said she was “ecstatic” with the outcomes of her procedures, which included a face lift, neck lift, liposuction, laser treatment on her face and dental work.

“The aftercare I had in Thailand, the nurses, were amazing.”

Destination Beauty admitted complications can happen, but insisted they’re dealt with in an understanding and supportive way.

When asked what went wrong for the women in this story, the company refused to comment on individual cases.

“Our door remains open to Lynda, Sophie and Angelina,” the statement said. 

“We are willing to listen to any outstanding concerns and discuss possible solutions directly, respectfully and in good faith.”

Statement from Destination Beauty

Our door remains open to Lynda, Emily, Sophie and Angelina. We are willing to listen to any outstanding concerns and discuss possible solutions directly, respectfully and in good faith. 

How much money do patients pay before they arrive in Thailand? What is the minimum and maximum amount?

Patients may travel to Thailand for a consultation without booking or prepaying for surgery. Therefore, the minimum amount prepaid toward surgery is zero.

Patients who decide to reserve surgery may choose to prepay some or all of the estimated surgical costs. Payment options include several currencies, including Thai baht. Patients may also pay by credit card after their consultation in Thailand, and cash payment is supported, although it is not commonly used. 

Our prices are published on our website, and patients receive a written quotation showing the estimated costs before deciding whether to proceed.

Why does Destination Beauty require patients to make payments worth thousands of dollars in AUD or NZD before they arrive in Thailand?

Destination Beauty does not require every patient to prepay for surgery before travelling. Patients may book a consultation only and decide whether to proceed after meeting the surgeon in Thailand.

When surgery has been reserved, we recommend advance payment because it confirms the booking and avoids difficulties with large international card transactions immediately before surgery. A surgical payment of THB 700,000, for example, is approximately AUD 30,000.

Transactions of that size may be declined initially by an Australian or New Zealand bank because of credit limits, fraud-prevention controls or restrictions on unusually large overseas transactions. 

Advance payment also allows time to resolve any banking or currency-transfer issue without placing pressure on the patient immediately before a scheduled hospital admission. Nevertheless, payment does not replace medical screening, informed consent or consultation, and it does not guarantee that surgery will proceed.

Patients must complete detailed medical screening and have at least one consultation with their surgeon before surgery.

Currently, approximately 60 per cent of our patients attend two consultations on separate days. One being a pre-consult with the nurse, and another with the surgeon. This gives them additional time to ask questions, understand the proposed procedures and risks, and consider whether surgery is right for them.

Before travelling, patients will typically also have had several telephone or video conversations with their Destination Beauty representative and extensive written communication. Many have researched Destination Beauty for months or years or know someone who has previously travelled with us.

Some patients felt it would be too late to cancel or change surgery once they arrived in Thailand because they had already paid so much money. How do you respond?

We understand why travelling internationally and having already paid money could make a patient feel committed. That is why we must make it clear that payment does not remove the patient’s right to say no.

A patient is under no obligation to undergo surgery merely because they have travelled to Thailand or paid in advance. Surgery can proceed only after medical screening, consultation with the surgeon, informed financial consent and informed consent.

A surgeon may also postpone, modify or decline a procedure where it is not considered medically appropriate.

Patients are encouraged to use their consultation to ask questions and raise any uncertainty. As noted, approximately 60% of patients currently attend consultations on two separate days, providing additional time for consideration.

If a patient decides not to proceed, or surgery is declined by the surgeon, a refund will be processed same week (if not same day).

In the past five years, were English-speaking patients provided with all documentation—including consent forms and other documents at the hotel, clinic and hospital—written in Thai or English?

Destination Beauty will provide a pro forma invoice for accommodation and transfers, a booking confirmation listing the booked procedures, informed financial consent, receipts for payments and terms and conditions all in English (and Thai). 

At the hospital the patient will sign consent forms in English, admission forms, registration forms, sign informed financial consent, and before leaving Thailand the patient receives a medical certificate, a discharge summary with all tests herunder EKG, Chest Xray, Blood Tests, medicine list and fit to fly certificate. Patients may request more detailed records if required.

This is the current high level document flow.

Has Destination Beauty asked patients to delete negative online reviews? Or removed patients from online forums where they shared negative comments? If so, why?

Our social-media communities are moderated according to straightforward rules: interaction must remain polite, respectful and supportive. Bullying, threats, personal attacks, publication of private information and abusive or persistently disruptive conduct are not accepted. These standards apply regardless of whether a comment is positive or negative.

Where a patient raises a concern, our usual response is to ask how we can assist. We have a customer-experience manager who works closely with patients who have concerns and helps connect them with the appropriate clinical or administrative support.

There may be individual dispute-resolution discussions in which online material is discussed, particularly where content is alleged to be false, defamatory or threatening. 

Has Destination Beauty sent patients cease-and-desist letters? If so, why?

Yes, legal correspondence has been sent in a limited number of serious cases. It is not sent simply because a patient is dissatisfied or publishes a negative review.

Such correspondence may be considered where there are allegations of repeated false statements, threats, harassment or coordinated conduct that may be unlawful. Patients remain entitled to describe their genuine experiences and raise concerns through appropriate channels.

However, legal correspondence does not replace our responsibility to assess and respond to legitimate clinical concerns.

Has Destination Beauty told patients they are the subject of police reports and may be arrested at the border if they try to enter Thailand? If so, why?

In a small number of serious cases, Destination Beauty has informed individuals that a complaint had been made to the Thai authorities. This was not done because they posted a negative review or complained about their treatment.

Those matters involved conduct that Destination Beauty believed may constitute a criminal offence under Thai law. Where a police complaint exists, we may inform the person of that fact. However, Destination Beauty does not control police investigations, arrest decisions, immigration systems or entry into Thailand and should not represent that an arrest is certain.

Has Destination Beauty offered patients free revision surgery in exchange for deleting negative reviews? If so, why?

No. Access to clinical assessment or revision support is not determined by whether a patient has posted a positive or negative review.

If a patient is interested in exploring revision surgery, we take them through a supportive assessment process. We clarify their concerns and expectations and seek an assessment from at least one plastic surgeon. Whether revision surgery is appropriate — depends on the clinical findings, the original treatment, the stage of healing and the circumstances of the individual case.

We expect all communication to remain respectful, but a patient is not denied clinical consideration simply because they have criticised us. Any discussion about inaccurate, unlawful or confidential online content is treated separately from the clinical assessment.

Does Destination Beauty prioritise patient numbers and subsequent profits over patient safety and quality of care?

No. Patient safety, appropriate treatment, support and quality of care take priority over patient volume.

Patients undergo medical screening and consultation before surgery, and surgery may be modified, postponed or declined if the surgeon or hospital considers that necessary. Patients are not obligated to proceed simply because they have travelled or made a payment.

We have continued to invest substantially in postoperative care. Our recovery model includes extended stays in Thailand, hospital and hotel-based support, and two medical clinics located within the recovery hotel. To our knowledge, no comparable international medical-travel facilitator provides the same combination of accommodation-based clinical support and coordinated postoperative care.

We take quality and patient satisfaction seriously. When a patient expresses concern, our first response is to ask how we can assist, assess the issue and help the patient access appropriate support. Negative feedback does not remove a patient’s right to be heard or affect whether a clinical concern is assessed.

Our combination of longer hospital admissions, intensive post-surgery support at the recovery hotel, and social activities with fellow patients creates a unique experience. Our focus on patient care and creating a supportive healing oasis in Bangkok is genuinely appreciated by our patients.

Have you ever had complaints about Dr Ring’s surgery? How many (in all the time he’s been working for Destination Beauty)?

Yes. Over the many years Dr Ring has worked with Destination Beauty, some patients have raised concerns or expressed dissatisfaction with aspects of their surgery or results. It would not be credible to suggest that any plastic surgeon performing complex procedures over many years has never received a complaint.

However, a complaint does not necessarily mean that the surgery was performed incorrectly or that a medical complication occurred. Concerns may involve healing, scarring, communication, symmetry or a difference between the patient’s expectations and the result.

Each concern must be considered individually and, where appropriate, clinically assessed.

Dr Ring is a highly respected plastic and reconstructive surgeon. He is humble, passionate and meticulous, and particularly enjoys complex body transformations following massive weight loss. He has consistently achieved high patient satisfaction and, in our experience, a low rate of complications.

How many operations has Dr Ring done in the last year, and the last six months? How does this compare to the other surgeons who work for Destination Beauty?

We have worked with Dr. Ring for 14 years and during that time he has carried out several thousand surgical procedures. He is currently our most requested plastic surgeon and his schedule is nearly full for the next 6 months.

We do not publicly disclose detailed operating volumes for individual surgeons or comparative surgeon-by-surgeon breakdowns, as this information is confidential and commercially sensitive.

However, we can confirm that all plastic and reconstructive surgeons working with Destination Beauty are appropriately qualified and credentialed by the hospitals in which they operate.

What is Dr Ring’s complication rate? Over the last year, and the last 5 years? How does this compare to the other surgeons who work for Destination Beauty?

Plastic surgery is real surgery, and complications can occur even when treatment is provided by highly experienced and highly qualified surgeons. Any surgeon performing hundreds of procedures each year—particularly complex, combined procedures—will encounter complications. Dr Ring and our other surgeons are no exception. 

We do not publicly disclose individual surgeon-level complication rates or comparative breakdowns between surgeons.

Such figures can also be misleading without considering the complexity of the procedures performed, the number of procedures combined in a single operation, patients’ underlying health and the surgeon’s particular case mix.

Generally, our complication rates are low, particularly when considered in the context of published studies involving complex skin-removal surgery following massive weight loss. We continuously monitor complications and patient outcomes and review any significant cases with the treating surgeon and hospital.

Has Dr Ring faced any disciplinary action? If so, what kind of action and why

Dr. Ring is a highly respected plastic surgeon in Thailand and I am not aware of any current or past disciplinary action.

Did Peta Denning receive any payment, compensation (including flights, accommodation, travel costs, meals, etc) or inducement for the tour group she helped Destination Beauty with in Thailand in 2024?

We paid Peta’s plane ticket and hotel.

Has she ever received any payment, compensation or inducement for promoting Destination Beauty, on social media or in any other context?

No, Destination Beauty does not provide payment or compensation for social media engagement. The hundreds of stories on our website are all from patients who wish to share their stories and educate others.

Did Peta receive a discount on her dental work and/or laser treatment on her face earlier this year? If so, how much and why?

Peta did not receive any discount. We offer very attractive pricing for both dental and skin treatments, resulting in massive savings compared to AU prices.

Has she ever received any payment or compensation from Destination Beauty for any purpose? If so, how much and for what purpose?

No.

Did/will Peta receive any payment, compensation or inducement for her participation in this story?

No. Peta has not received, and will not receive, any payment, compensation or other inducement for participating in this story.

In our 20 years of operation, we have never paid a patient to participate in a patient story. We have many thousands of satisfied patients. While most understandably prefer to keep their experiences private, others feel strongly about sharing their journeys and personal observations.

Our social-media channels regularly show patients during the early stages of recovery, including the bruising and swelling that can occur after surgery. We do not seek to present an unrealistic picture of recovery; we use these stories to help educate prospective patients about what the surgical and recovery journey can genuinely involve.

Watch the full episode of 60 Minutes on 9Now.