Thai authorities try to solve surrogacy cases

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BANGKOK, Aug 12 — The Royal Thai Police Office convened the first meeting of all officers responsible for surrogacy cases to speed up legal action, including those to be taken tomorrow against the owner of a surrogacy clinic on Witthayu Road.

Deputy National Police Chief Pol Gen Aek Angsananont chaired today’s meeting.

It was agreed to quickly conclude all investigation into surrogacy cases, including that of 24-year-old Japanese Shigeta Mitsutoki who claimed to be the biological father of 15 surrogacy children found to be recorded at a surrogacy clinic in Bangkok.

Concerned officers will question doctors and persons involved in these cases.

Tomorrow, health officials will ask officers at Lumpini police station to take legal action against the owner of the surrogacy clinic on Witthayu Road allegedly for conducting an unauthorized business and letting professionals violate the medical profession law and code of ethics.

Under relevant laws, wrongdoers are liable to jail terms of one year and/or a fine of Bt20,000.

The developments follow the reports that an Australian couple, David and Wendy Farnell, left their twin male baby with Down’s syndrome with the surrogate Thai mother aged 21 and brought home only the twin sister. The couple later denied the reports.

After the case of the ill twin baby named Gammy, the authorities discovered nine surrogate infants allegedly from the Japanese man and a pregnant woman at a condominium on Lat Phrao Road.

Afterwards authorities searched SART and all In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) gynecological clinics in Bangkok’s Lumpini area.

An online Good search indicates there are 163 locations in Bangkok and its adjacent provinces where fertilitity treatments are on offer.