BANGKOK (AP) – A string of recent scandals has lifted a lid on Thailand’s largely unregulated commercial surrogacy industry, which has been around for over a decade. Here’s a look at the controversies, some of the ethical dilemmas they have raised and the Thai military government’s new draft law that is expected to outlaw the business of surrogacy.
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THREE SCANDALS: In late July, Thai media reported that an Australian couple who had paid a Thai surrogate to carry twins, returned home with a healthy baby girl but left behind her twin brother who had Down syndrome. The case sparked a national outcry and pleas of help for the surrogate who later said she kept the baby because she feared he would end up in a state institution.
Shortly after, police received a tip that uncovered a bizarre new case: a 24-year-old Japanese man who fathered at least 16 babies via Thai surrogates. Police are still investigating why the man, Mistutoki Shigeta, wanted so many children and are trying to confirm reports that he is the son of a Japanese billionaire.
A third case emerged this week: An Australian man charged with sexually abusing twin girls he fathered several years ago with a Thai surrogate. The man was charged in an Australian court last year for committing indecent acts with a child. Court documents show that the father has also been charged with possessing child pornography materials found in a raid on his home, Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported. He goes on trial in December and is currently free on bail.