PET PET
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
Become a Friend Donate
  • About Us
    • People
    • Press Office
    • Our History
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Friend of PET
    • Volunteer
    • Campaigns
    • Writing Scheme
    • Partnership and Sponsorship
    • Advertise with Us
  • Donate
    • Become a Friend of PET
  • BioNews
    • News
    • Comment
    • Reviews
    • Elsewhere
    • Topics
    • Glossary
    • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
  • Engagement
    • Policy and Projects
      • Resources
    • Education
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
    • People
    • Press Office
    • Our History
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Friend of PET
    • Volunteer
    • Campaigns
    • Writing Scheme
    • Partnership and Sponsorship
    • Advertise with Us
  • Donate
    • Become a Friend of PET
  • BioNews
    • News
    • Comment
    • Reviews
    • Elsewhere
    • Topics
    • Glossary
    • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
  • Engagement
    • Policy and Projects
      • Resources
    • Education
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements
PETBioNewsNewsThai surrogates battle for babies birthed for Japanese millionaire

BioNews

Thai surrogates battle for babies birthed for Japanese millionaire

Published 16 January 2015 posted in News and appears in BioNews 786

Authors

Ayesha Ahmad

James Brooks

Image by Dr Christina Weis. © Christina Weis
Image by Dr Christina Weis. © Christina Weis

The surrogate mothers of nine of the babies fathered by a Japanese man and taken into care by the Thai authorities have filed for custody of the children...

The surrogate mothers of nine of the babies fathered by a Japanese man and
taken into care by the Thai authorities (see BioNews 768) have filed for custody of the children.

Some sources report that the father, 24 year-old Mitsutoki Shigeta, also launched legal
proceedings demanding the babies' release. The Bangkok Post, however, reports
this as a 'mistaken' announcement from Thai Social Development and Human Security Ministry permanent secretary Vichien Chavalit.

Chavalit subsequently said that 'it is actually the Thai mothers who have filed the suit with the Central Juvenile and Family Court', the newspaper says.

Suwanna Pinkaew,
director of the Women and Child Welfare Protection Bureau, which is currently
taking care of the children, has confirmed that six of the surrogate mothers,
three of whom gave birth to twins, are seeking custody.

Their lawsuit
alleges that the Thai authorities are failing to
care for the children adequately, according to the AFP news agency.
Something which Pinkaew, speaking to The Bangkok Post, refutes.

'Every child being cared for at the babies' home is receiving
quality childcare and their development has greatly improved. The mothers are
not prohibited from seeing their babies but must follow the home’s regulations,' she said.

As to custody, Pinkaew
says: 'After the requests were received, we have initiated and are in the
process of evaluating the circumstances and the women's readiness before making
a decision.'

The peculiar case came to light last year when police raided an
apartment in Bangkok and discovered between nine and thirteen babies (reports
vary) living in a few unfurnished rooms and being cared for by nannies. The surrogates
had allegedly been paid US $12,500 each.

Sky News Australia reports that Shigeta 'fled' Thailand following investigations related to the
legitimacy of the surrogacy arrangements.

The broadcaster adds
that he told Mariam Kukunashvili of surrogacy agency New Life Global Network: 'The
best thing I can do for the world is to leave many children.' He had apparently hoped to father between 100 and 1,000 babies. There
is no suggestion that New Life Global Network was in any way involved with
Shigeta's arrangements.

Sam Everingham of the Australian non-profit organisation
Families Through Surrogacy told Voice of America that Shigeta's case is 'a
pretty appalling example of abuse of international surrogacy by foreigners. And
it's one of the reasons which led to the acceleration of the closure of access
to surrogacy in Thailand by foreigners.'

The interim
parliament of Thailand approved a ban on commercial surrogacy late last year
(reported in BioNews 782).

Related Articles

Image by Dr Christina Weis. © Christina Weis
Image by Dr Christina Weis. © Christina Weis
News
25 May 2016 • 3 minutes read

Gay couple win custody in Thai surrogacy dispute

by Ryan Ross

A same-sex couple have won a custody battle in Thailand against their surrogate after she allegedly refused to allow them to leave the country with their baby because they were not 'an ordinary couple'...

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
News
3 August 2015 • 2 minutes read

Japan allows egg donation from strangers

by Ayala Ochert

Two women in Japan have received eggs from donors who are strangers — the first time this has happened in the country, following approval by an ethics committee earlier this year...

Image by Dr Christina Weis. © Christina Weis
Image by Dr Christina Weis. © Christina Weis
News
5 May 2015 • 2 minutes read

Earthquake throws spotlight on Israeli use of Nepalese surrogacy

by Kirsty Oswald

Israel has evacuated a number of babies born to Israeli parents and surrogate mothers in Nepal, in the wake of the earthquake which killed at least 7500 people...

Image by Dr Christina Weis. © Christina Weis
Image by Dr Christina Weis. © Christina Weis
News
20 February 2015 • 2 minutes read

Thailand outlaws commercial surrogacy for foreigners

by Julianna Photopoulos

Thailand's parliament has passed a law banning surrogacy for foreign couples, after two scandals sparked worldwide attention last year...

Image by Dr Christina Weis. © Christina Weis
Image by Dr Christina Weis. © Christina Weis
News
28 November 2014 • 2 minutes read

Thai parliament votes to outlaw commercial surrogacy

by Jenny Sharpe

Thailand's interim parliament has voted in support of a law to ban its largely unregulated surrogacy trade.

Image by Dr Christina Weis. © Christina Weis
Image by Dr Christina Weis. © Christina Weis
News
1 September 2014 • 2 minutes read

Thai Prime Minister promises 'leniency' and 'case-by-case' approach in surrogacy crackdown

by Rebecca Carr

Thailand's military junta has pledged a transitional period of leniency in cases of babies born to surrogate mothers, as it prepares to tighten its laws on the country's surrogacy industry....

Image by Dr Christina Weis. © Christina Weis
Image by Dr Christina Weis. © Christina Weis
News
22 August 2014 • 2 minutes read

Man accused of fathering 12 surrogate babies in Thailand

by Jess Ware

A Japanese businessman may have fathered up to 15 children using Thai surrogates, 12 of whom remain in Thailand....

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
News
15 August 2014 • 3 minutes read

Thailand moves to ban commercial surrogacy

by Chee Hoe Low

Thailand's Government has approved a draft law intended to make commercial surrogacy a criminal offence, leaving foreign couples reportedly unable to take their surrogate-born children out of the country....

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

« Gene linked to aggressive breast cancers

Data-Label The UK's Leading Supplier Of Medical Labels & Asset Labels

RetiringDentist.co.uk The UK's Leading M&A Company.

Find out how you can advertise here
easyfundraising
amazon

This month in BioNews

  • Popular
  • Recent
8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Placenta and organ formation observed in mouse embryo models

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Lower hormone doses may improve IVF egg quality

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Boosting muscle cell production of gene therapy proteins

1 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

First UK medical guidelines issued for trans fertility preservation

1 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Male age has more impact on IVF birth rate than previously thought

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Placenta and organ formation observed in mouse embryo models

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Complex structures of the human heart bioengineered

8 August 2022 • 1 minute read

Brain tumour gene also linked to childhood cancers

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Lower hormone doses may improve IVF egg quality

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Boosting muscle cell production of gene therapy proteins

Subscribe to BioNews and other PET updates for free.

Subscribe
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Wellcome
Website redevelopment supported by Wellcome.

Website by Impact Media Impact Media

  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements

© 1992 - 2022 Progress Educational Trust. All rights reserved.

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 • Registered charity no 1139856

Subscribe to BioNews and other PET updates for free.

Subscribe
PET PET

PET is an independent charity that improves choices for people affected by infertility and genetic conditions.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Wellcome
Website redevelopment supported by Wellcome.

Navigation

  • About Us
  • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • BioNews
  • Events
  • Engagement
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us

BioNews

  • News
  • Comment
  • Reviews
  • Elsewhere
  • Topics
  • Glossary
  • Newsletters

Other

  • My Account
  • Subscribe

Website by Impact Media Impact Media

  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements

© 1992 - 2022 Progress Educational Trust. All rights reserved.

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 • Registered charity no 1139856