If we talk about the situation about surrogacy in Thailand a decade back, the country used to be the preferred choice for thousands of child seeking parents from across every part of the globe. Still, given to a ruling passed by the Thai government in 2015, you can only utilize the services of a surrogate mother in Thailand where one of the intended parents is a local citizen.
What does surrogacy laws in Thailand say?
As mentioned earlier, surrogacy is not permitted for international citizens in Thailand and you can only pursue it in cases where one of the intended parents is a Thai citizen. On the other side, only heterosexual couples can opt for any such arrangement and they must be married for at least three years to be eligible for surrogacy.
Besides, the intended parents have to incur the required surrogacy cost in Thailand as per the terms agreed in the surrogacy agreement. On the other side, not everyone can become a surrogate mother and must fulfill the following criteria in the same regard.
● The surrogate mother in Thailand must be a sibling or close connect of one of the intended parents pursuing surrogacy in Thailand
● She must be in good physical and mental health and must have carried a healthy pregnancy in the past.
● Surrogate mother should be ready to go through a list of tests and diagnosis before coming onboard with the surrogacy program
● She also must have the permission of her husband before applying for the same
How’s things lined up for future for Surrogacy in Thailand?
According to several reports in the mainstream media, Thailand is changing its surrogacy legislation so that foreigners can use surrogate mother in Thailand without having to use Thai partners. As per the proposed bill, foreigners will be permitted to export Thai sperm and eggs for surrogacy overseas under the proposed changes.
Law changes are intended to help Thailand become a center for healthcare, generating more revenue for the nation via surrogacy cost in Thailand. According to the authorities, it will take around two months to evaluate the change, and it will need to be modified before being submitted to the Cabinet.
Surrogacy is only permitted for Thai couples or foreigners who have a Thai spouse under the current laws and regulations. Additionally, Thai citizens are unable to export their frozen sperm or eggs. According to Thares Krassanai-Rawiwong, Director-General of the Department of Health Service Support, Thailand is losing chances as a result of these two prohibitions.
If the legislation is changed, a system for Thai women interested in becoming surrogates to register will exist to ensure that the kids won't be sold into slavery. Moreover, hospitals will have a tracking system to monitor the mother and child during the nine months of pregnancy and after delivery.
There have also been some instances of illicit surrogacy in Thailand. A Thai doctor was accused of being involved in a criminal organization that recruited Thai women to deliver babies for clients in China back in May 2020.
In February 2021, authorities allegedly broke up a second international surrogacy racket. According to reports, travel restrictions during the corona virus pandemic prevented surrogate moms from delivering the infants to buyers in other countries.
During the raids, two infants were discovered. In addition, officers detained three suspects who were thought to be agents and four women who were thought to be surrogate moms.
Final words
It’s still a long way to go for surrogacy in this part of the planet and we advise you to connect with a reputed surrogacy agency before putting a step forward. Doing this, you can always be in safe hands while making the most of your surrogacy journey in Thailand.