Thai doctor faces charges for involvement in cross-border surrogacy racket

[webfact]

Thai doctor faces charges for involvement in cross-border surrogacy racket

 

photo from Phuphat Vonwattanakit

 

Anti-human trafficking police have summoned a Thai doctor to acknowledge charges of involvement in a Chinese-funded cross-border surrogacy service, using Thai women to bear babies for Chinese couples.

 

The police said that the doctor, whose name is being withheld, used to work at a state hospital in the Victory Monument area of Bangkok and is allegedly responsible for providing assisted-reproductive services to surrogate Thai mothers, usually at clinics in the Lao Republic. The surrogate mothers then return to Thailand until enter their third trimester, when they are sent to China for delivery.

 

Four other doctors at state hospitals will also be invited to provide information to anti-human trafficking police about the racket.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thai-doctor-faces-charges-for-involvement-in-cross-border-surrogacy-racket/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2020-05-27

 

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[Puchaiyank]

If he was an abortion Doctor, would that be ok?

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Four other doctors at state hospitals will also be invited to provide information to anti-human trafficking police about the racket.

lol

[nahkit]

1 hour ago, Puchaiyank said:

If he was an abortion Doctor, would that be ok?

No, it wouldn't, because abortion is illegal in Thailand except in certain special circumstances such as rape of a minor.

[khunjeff]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

the doctor, whose name is being withheld

Of course, if the accused were a foreigner we would have his full name and a photo of his passport bio page.

[spidermike007]

Sounds like this kind of thing would have been completely legal, had he been licensed to do so. So, all that was missing was the revenue paid to the appropriate persons or agency? Or, am I missing something here? How is this considered human trafficking, when all parties are consenting?

 

I think this entire story is deflection. Thailand wants desperately to appear to be doing something about trafficking and slavery. And they are doing nothing, thanks to an administration that does not have any interest in pursuing convictions against anyone who is in power, the police, the army, very wealthy or connected. So, they pursue a lowly individual for doing what, exactly? This does not sound like trafficking, at all. Not on any level. 

Edited May 27, 2020 by spidermike007

[khunjeff]

12 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Sounds like this kind of thing would have been completely legal, had he been licensed to do so. So, all that was missing was the revenue paid to the appropriate persons or agency? Or, am I missing something here? How is this considered human trafficking, when all parties are consenting?

 

I think this entire story is deflection. Thailand wants desperately to appear to be doing something about trafficking and slavery. And they are doing nothing, thanks to an administration that does not have any interest in pursuing convictions against anyone who is in power, the police, the army, very wealthy or connected. So, they pursue a lowly individual for doing what, exactly? This does not sound like trafficking, at all. Not on any level. 

I agree that it's a big, big stretch to call it human trafficking - that label is probably just applied so they can hold it up to the US and EU in an effort to avoid watch lists - but surrogacy and fertility treatments for foreigners really are illegal under Thai law:

 

"Thailand bans commercial surrogacy for foreigners - BBC News"

 

Thai police arrest man smuggling semen into Laos - BBC News

Edited May 27, 2020 by khunjeff

[spidermike007]

6 minutes ago, khunjeff said:

I agree that it's a big, big stretch to call it human trafficking - that label is probably just applied so they can hold it up to the US and EU in an effort to avoid watch lists - but surrogacy and fertility treatments for foreigners really are illegal under Thai law:

 

"Thailand bans commercial surrogacy for foreigners - BBC News"

 

Thai police arrest man smuggling semen into Laos - BBC News

Well, we all know there is a huge gap between what is illegal, and what is immoral or unethical. Perhaps this ban is nothing more than blind nationalism, or based largely on xenophobia. One of the most bizarre aspects of Thai culture, is that mixed babies here are literally worshipped. Most of the movie stars here are from mixed families. Yet, the administration and immigration are totally racist and very fearful of outsiders. 

[StevieAus]

2 hours ago, khunjeff said:

I agree that it's a big, big stretch to call it human trafficking - that label is probably just applied so they can hold it up to the US and EU in an effort to avoid watch lists - but surrogacy and fertility treatments for foreigners really are illegal under Thai law:

 

"Thailand bans commercial surrogacy for foreigners - BBC News"

 

Thai police arrest man smuggling semen into Laos - BBC News

The government introduced some pretty restrictive legislation about five years ago due to what appeared to be some alleged abuses.

I recall there was a Japanese guy who was involved in what could be described as “factory farming” and an Australia couple who used a surrogate mother to deliver twins then allegedly left one behind as it had a birth defect.