? Australian Broadcasting agency reported on the 15th that four couples in Australia and the United States were prevented from leaving the country when they were planning to return home with a baby born by a Thai female surrogate
Two same-sex Australian couples with surrogate children were intercepted by Thai officials at Bangkok airport on the afternoon of the 14th
One couple also tried to take the surrogate mother back together to avoid being questioned by Thai officials when leaving the country
Two other American couples were also prevented from leaving the country on the 13th
Thai officials said the couple needed court approval to take their surrogate child out of the country, and the court hearing process could last for months
The Australian Ministry of foreign affairs and Trade issued a statement on the 15th, saying: "we urge Australians seeking commercial surrogacy in Thailand to conduct legal consultation in Thailand and Australia respectively before implementing the action
In particular, they should consult (Thailand) for new exit requirements
" In Thailand, many women who surrogate Australian couples are currently pregnant
These couples may also face the situation that they cannot take their surrogate children out of the country
The recent exposure of several surrogacy incidents in Thailand has caused no small international controversy
After a surrogate mother in Thailand gave birth to a dragon and Phoenix fetus for an Australian couple, the latter only took away a healthy female baby, leaving a male baby suffering from Down syndrome
In addition, the Thai police found in a raid against illegal surrogacy earlier this month that the biological father of the nine surrogacy children was a Japanese rich man
In order to combat paid surrogacy, Thailand approved a draft law on the 13th to classify commercial surrogacy as a criminal act
One of Thailand's measures is to prevent surrogate children from being taken out of the country
(anxiaomeng)