A new law banning commercial surrogacy in Thailand has prevented all Australian and American couple from leaving the country with babies given to them by surrogate mothers.
After the draft law had been enacted, airport officials stopped the departure of two American couples at the Bangkok Airport. On the same day, two Australian same-sex couples were also forbidden to leave the country.
The couples who were intercepted at the airport were required to get a parental order from the country's juvenile court. The parental orders will be their proof that the child's custody has been transferred to them. They were also instructed to get Thai lawyers.
The surrogacy group Surrogacy Australia told Reuters about the news through a phone interview with their director, Sam Everingham.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia said that the Australian government has given assistance to Australian couples who have children born out of surrogacy in Thailand and were prevented from leaving the country.
"While regulation of surrogacy in Thailand is a matter for Thailand, we continue to encourage Thai authorities to adopt appropriate transitional arrangements for any new measures they may introduce, so concerned Australians are not unduly affected," the spokesperson said.
The Foreign Ministry of Thailand, on the other hand, clarified that they were not aware of any law preventing a couple from leaving the country with their baby unless there is a problem with their credentials and paperwork. The immigration officials working at Suvarnabhumi Airport, the international airport at Bangkok did not comment about the issue.
This law came about as a response to a global scandal involving an Australian couple leaving their son, who had Down syndrome, with a Thai surrogate mother they ahd hired and bringing their healthy daughter back to Australia.
