Court jails eight for illegal surrogacy network

A Bangkok court has sentenced eight people, including four obstetricians and four brokers, to prison for their roles in a transnational commercial surrogacy network. The sentences range up to 15 years, with the court ruling that the defendants treated human bodies as commodities and deliberately circumvented the law.

The case stems from a 2020 investigation that dismantled a surrogacy network allegedly financed by Chinese national Ran Zhao. The syndicate recruited Thai women to act as surrogate mothers or sell their eggs for in-vitro fertilization. Investigators revealed that these women were paid between 400,000 and 450,000 baht. To bypass Thailand's ban on commercial surrogacy, the women were taken to Laos and Cambodia for embryo implantation. They would then return to Thailand for prenatal care before traveling to China for the birth.

Dr. Chanin Asawataret was identified as a key figure among the medical professionals, responsible for preparing sperm samples and performing embryo implantations. A Thai female broker managed the financial transactions, with investigators tracing over 70 international money transfers linked to the network. The court found that the obstetricians and gynecologists were aware that commercial surrogacy and the sale of human eggs violated both law and medical ethics but proceeded with procedures abroad to evade Thai legislation.

The four brokers were found to have played crucial roles, compromising the rights and welfare of children born through the scheme. These children faced potential long-term psychological harm due to separation from their biological families. While the court reduced sentences by one-quarter due to cooperation, the severity of the offenses led to lengthy prison terms. Dr. Chanin received a 15-year sentence, while the other doctors received sentences between 10 and 13 years. The brokers received sentences ranging from four to over 13 years. Two other defendants were acquitted.