The fake doctors behind Asia's cosmetic surgery boom
The market for cheap cosmetic procedures performed by fake "doctors" is exploding across Asia. But while the rewards can be cut-price K-pop looks, botched operations can leave you disfigured for life.
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00:00 This eye thread lift is technically illegal
00:04 because it's being carried out by a fake doctor.
00:07 Here in Thailand, they're known as bag doctors.
00:16 Since they travel from client to client
00:18 with all their tools of the trade in a bag,
00:21 they charge hundreds of dollars less than licensed clinics.
00:25 The bag will have a "come back" effect.
00:30 I want to look good, so I have to cover my face with a wall.
00:33 It's risky.
00:35 And things can go wrong.
00:38 Just one bad injection could nearly ruin a person's face forever.
00:42 I really want to die.
00:45 If I die, it'll be easier.
00:47 The demand for aesthetic treatments is exploding across Asia.
00:52 What's the most dangerous thing is that it doesn't end.
00:58 And unrealistic beauty standards are driving more and more people
01:01 to seek out underground operators.
01:03 I don't know where they're from.
01:06 So why are people gambling with their looks?
01:09 And what is the true cost of rolling the dice?
01:13 Everybody, hands up, hands up, hands up!
01:16 We do love you!
01:18 Molly Kansana Phuphiang works as an emcee at a nightclub here in Bangkok.
01:24 For her, looks are everything.
01:27 She got her first nose job at 16.
01:32 Now she's about to get her fifth.
01:34 I've always wanted to get a nose job.
01:40 People have it, but I don't.
01:42 And I've always been bullied for it.
01:46 She says each procedure is inspired by the current trend.
01:50 And this one's no different.
01:52 I've been bullied for a long time.
01:54 I don't know what to do.
01:57 Dr. Natawat Weewatjanasaran is a legitimate doctor.
02:01 But for years, Molly got Botox injections and threadlifts
02:05 from a nurse who wasn't qualified for cosmetic procedures.
02:09 Until March 2022, when it all went wrong.
02:13 A simple filler injection in her cheeks turned into a nightmare
02:16 after a bag doctor hit a blood vessel.
02:19 The right side was very painful.
02:21 I couldn't breathe.
02:23 I couldn't breathe. It was painful.
02:26 It took two weeks for her to recover.
02:30 I couldn't breathe. I couldn't breathe. It was painful.
02:34 I didn't know how long I would have to be treated.
02:40 She was even featured on local TV.
02:42 Did she apologize and change anything?
02:45 I'm not sure if the filler was real or fake.
02:49 Despite the ordeal, Molly still wants more.
02:52 Will you do it again?
02:54 I'll do it again.
02:55 But I'll choose a good clinic, a good doctor, a good drug.
02:59 I'll check for more details.
03:04 Aesthetic surgery has grown worldwide by more than 40%
03:08 over the past four years.
03:10 And in Thailand, the market value is an estimated $1.8 billion.
03:15 Between 2021 and 2022, the number of reported procedures
03:19 jumped by 25%, the most popular being eyelid surgery,
03:23 rhinoplasty, and Botox injections.
03:27 The country's become one of the top destinations
03:29 for so-called medical tourism.
03:32 While foreigners tend to seek out authentic clinics,
03:34 there's an entire underworld of unqualified doctors
03:38 performing facelifts, tummy tucks,
03:40 and countless other procedures.
03:44 And in South Korea, there have been cases
03:46 where surgeons have delegated procedures
03:48 to unqualified assistants while a patient was unconscious.
03:52 Now the country is the first to mandate cameras
03:55 in operating rooms.
03:57 A reputable clinic in Thailand could charge roughly $280
04:01 for a thread lift, but bag doctors only ask for around $60.
04:06 Unlicensed practitioners are now so common
04:09 that many people don't think twice about seeing them.
04:12 This is Fah, not her real name.
04:17 I don't want to reveal my identity
04:19 because it's illegal.
04:22 I'm not a doctor.
04:23 For years, she practiced cosmetic procedures on herself
04:30 before treating others.
04:31 Now she sees about two clients a day.
04:34 I only treat people I know, people I trust.
04:37 Today, she's visiting one of her regulars, Da,
04:43 for an eye thread lift.
04:46 Put this in here.
04:49 One in between the eyes,
04:52 and one in between the brows.
04:53 We'll pull a lot,
04:56 because when we cut the thread, it'll fall.
04:58 Fah says she learned her craft
05:00 shadowing a cosmetic doctor,
05:02 but she can't afford to get a license herself.
05:05 That means she can't advertise,
05:08 so people hear about her through word of mouth.
05:10 It's a bit painful.
05:15 Fah starts by injecting a local anesthetic
05:17 to numb the treatment area.
05:20 Then she uses a needle to puncture the skin
05:22 and pull the threads through.
05:24 That's it.
05:26 While this procedure is less invasive
05:28 than a typical facelift, it doesn't come without risks,
05:31 like an allergic reaction to the threading material
05:34 or an infection around the incision.
05:36 I don't know where the infection came from.
05:38 I have my own method,
05:42 but I'm not sure if it's because of the media or YouTube.
05:49 But Fah knows her limits.
05:51 People are attracted to me.
05:53 I think it's enough to buy a filler.
05:56 I'm not just going to pay for it.
06:01 The average monthly salary in Bangkok is about $650,
06:05 but Fah earns roughly $2,800.
06:08 She says some bag doctors can earn up to $30,000 a month.
06:12 I don't have any problems.
06:14 But when I see a bag doctor,
06:16 they don't talk to me.
06:17 They're quiet. They ignore me.
06:18 They don't read my messages.
06:20 I have to rely on the insurance company
06:24 or go to a real doctor to pay.
06:28 Da does worry about possible side effects,
06:31 but she can't afford to pay top dollar
06:33 and is willing to take the risk.
06:36 I didn't know anything,
06:36 but one day I started to feel like I wanted to be pretty.
06:40 I started to do it.
06:42 She says she got her break in real estate
06:44 thanks to cosmetic enhancements.
06:46 Whether it's someone I know or someone else,
06:49 they came to know me and thought,
06:52 like Da did with Sangha,
06:53 they thought I was going to learn about investing.
06:55 I didn't know anything about investing.
06:57 I didn't know how to invest.
06:58 I didn't know how to invest.
07:00 I didn't know how to invest.
07:01 I didn't know how to invest.
07:02 I didn't know how to invest.
07:04 I didn't know how to invest.
07:05 I didn't know how to invest.
07:06 I didn't know how to invest.
07:07 I didn't know how to invest.
07:09 I didn't know how to invest.
07:10 I didn't know how to invest.
07:11 I didn't know how to invest.
07:13 I didn't know how to invest.
07:14 I didn't know how to invest.
07:15 I didn't know how to invest.
07:17 I didn't know how to invest.
07:18 I didn't know how to invest.
07:19 I didn't know how to invest.
07:21 I didn't know how to invest.
07:22 I didn't know how to invest.
07:24 I didn't know how to invest.
07:25 -Nose bridge, full lips, pale skin,
07:28 essentially looking perfect.
07:30 -Emi is a mental-health advocate in Bangkok.
07:33 She says young people feel the pressure
07:35 to conform more than most.
07:37 -So when you're constantly being reminded
07:39 that you're inadequate, that you're not good enough,
07:41 and you're being presented the solution
07:43 that if you get this nose job or this breast augmentation,
07:48 then you'll feel better about yourself
07:50 and you'll live a happier life.
07:51 It's this constant chase that never ends.
07:55 -Dr. Taep Widwaseed has been a plastic surgeon for 35 years.
08:00 He spends a lot of his time
08:01 undoing the mistakes of bad doctors.
08:04 -Most of the time, it breaks.
08:06 No matter how hard I try, I can't fix it.
08:11 -And sometimes their work is unfixable.
08:14 After a British woman died under anesthesia in 2014,
08:18 Thai police arrested and charged the practitioner
08:20 with causing death by reckless endangerment.
08:23 -The public must be investigated.
08:26 For example, this patient doesn't have a medical certificate.
08:32 -Dr. Simphop Sinsiri was reportedly only qualified
08:35 as a general practitioner.
08:37 But just weeks after the incident,
08:39 he was back treating patients at another clinic.
08:42 In Thailand, there are looser malpractice laws
08:45 and protections than in the US.
08:48 And it's rare for the courts to award significant damages.
08:52 Police are starting to crack down on illegal practices,
08:55 but they're still rampant.
08:57 In 2022, eight fake doctors were charged
09:00 with running medical clinics
09:01 and performing services without a license
09:03 and selling unregistered medications.
09:06 Thai authorities seized over 800 items in the raid.
09:11 Even after her botched procedure,
09:13 Mali isn't ready to give up
09:15 on cosmetic enhancements altogether.
09:17 -I'm not afraid of being judged.
09:20 I'm not afraid of being judged.
09:22 I'm not afraid of being judged.
09:24 I'm not afraid of being judged.
09:26 I'm not afraid of being judged.
09:28 I'm not afraid of being judged.
09:30 I'm not afraid of being judged.
09:32 I'm not afraid of being judged.
09:34 I'm not afraid of being judged.
09:36 I'm not afraid of being judged.
09:38 I'm not afraid of being judged.
09:40 I'm not afraid of being judged.
09:42 I'm not afraid of being judged.
09:44 I'm not afraid of being judged.
09:46 I'm not afraid of being judged.
09:48 -I'm not happy.
09:50 I'm not happy about the Korean incident.
09:54 I'm not happy about the Korean incident.
09:56 I'm not happy about the Korean incident.
09:58 I'm not happy about the Korean incident.
10:00 I'm not happy about the Korean incident.
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