The 2016 Miss Transsexual Australia beauty pageant being held in Melbourne on January 30 offers the winner sex change surgery at Kamol Hospital in Bangkok. Not only will the organizers pay for the surgery, but they will also chip in for return airfares, accomodation and cash. Gayzha Davao said that the transsexual participants are not obliged to undergo the procedure. At best, it can be a holiday with some plastic surgery in the bargain.

The reason a Thai hospital was chosen, as opposed to an Australian one was because no Aussie hospital offered the operation for free. The competition also claims to have a wider following in Thailand and the Philippines that in its own home country. Organizers say that the Australian community is slowly becoming more tolerant of the transgender community though discrimination was still a problem.

All up eight contestants are taking part in the transsexual sex-change category but there are also other competitions for female impersonators and drag queens.

The current queen J. O. Rojas was crowned in 2015.