Thailand prohibits surrogacy for foreigners

Thailand: Bangkok bans foreigners commercial surrogacy

02/21/2015

After several scandals, the Thai government has banned commercial surrogacy for foreigners. According to media reports, the Legislative Assembly has passed a law. However, it is feared that the business will continue in secret.

New law on surrogacy
In Thailand, commercial surrogate business for foreigners was finally banned. According to media reports such as the „Bangkok Post“, the Legislative Assembly passed a law. Even same-sex couples are thus "any access to surrogacy forbidden," reports the news agency dpa. According to the online service Matichon it was said that only married heterosexual couples with at least one Thai citizen may work with surrogate mothers, if they are not paid directly.

Agencies lured with surrogacy offers
Thailand has not had a democratically elected parliament since the coup last May, but a government set up by the military. The laws of the Southeast Asian country on surrogacy have so far been obscure. According to the dpa, "numerous agencies use loopholes to lure parents from all over the world to Thailand with surrogate items." But with the „Rent-you-a-belly“-Tourism should be over. „Thailand and the wombs of Thai women are no longer a center“ For surrogacy, Wallop Tungkananurak, a member of parliament, will be replaced by the „Bangkok Post“ cited.

Business could be continued in secret
The change was preceded by two scandals that made headlines worldwide. In one case, an Australian couple has that „Baby gammy“, a sick twin left behind with his surrogate mother in Thailand and only the healthy girl taken to Australia. The parents denied the allegations. And in another case, a wealthy Japanese man reportedly fathered at least ten babies with surrogate mothers to secure his offspring. Local media wrote of one at that time „Baby Factory“. Domestic and foreign experts in the country fear that the surrogacy business will continue after the amendment. However, since it must be done in secret, it will be harder for affected women to receive adequate medical care.

Many countries allow surrogate motherhood
Surrogacy is legal in many countries around the world, such as the United States, Australia, Russia or Israel. In the European Union, surrogacy is banned in over half of the member states. In Germany too, the Embryo Protection Act prohibits surrogate motherhoods from any medical service. However, the intervention of the surrogate mother and the person placing the order will not be punished. The mediation of surrogate mothers is prohibited by law in Germany according to the Adoption Mediation Act. (Ad)