BANGKOK — A Thai court on Tuesday said it ruled in favor of a wealthy Japanese man who had fathered 13 surrogate children in Thailand, naming him their legal parent and sole guardian. The case harks back to late 2014, when police said they had found 13 babies fathered by a Japanese national with nine Thai surrogate mothers. The children were taken to foster homes and the father has petitioned for custody since early 2015. The man had his sperm fertilize donor eggs, which were then planted in the wombs of the surrogate mothers in 2013, according to a press statement given by the court. No details were given on where the donor eggs were from. The scandal at the time shone an international spotlight on Thailand’s largely unregulated surrogacy business, prompting authorities to crack down on clinics with nationwide inspections and later to ban commercial surrogacy. The Japanese man was given custody of the 13 children on Tuesday largely due to his financial and professional stability, and he was found to have no links to human trafficking, the court said. Growing up with a biological parent will also be in the children’s best interests, the court added. “The petitioner is an heir and president of a well-known company listed in a stock exchange in Japan, owner and shareholder in many companies, and receives dividend of more than 100 million baht ($3.18 million) from a single company in a year, which shows the petitioner has professional stability and an ample… [Read full story]
A DNA test of a Japanese man embroiled in a surrogacy scandal in Thailand shows that he is the biological father of at least 15 babies, police said Wednesday. But his motives remained a mystery two weeks after the discovery of nine babies in a Bangkok apartment triggered a human trafficking probe. The alleged father, who is reported by Japanese media to be the son of an IT millionaire, has left Thailand but voluntarily sent the DNA sample to try to clear his name. "It is confirmed that he is the father of all the babies -- the 15 babies…... [read more]
The Criminal Court on Tuesday morning decided to grant bails for two core Red-shirt leaders Jatuporn Prompan and Nisit Sinthuprai. The Court ordered the temporary release of the two Red-shirts with the bail bond of 600,000 Baht (20,188 US dollars) and asked both not to instigate political unrest. Jatuporn's lawyer Winyat Chartmontri said the two detainees would be released at about 3-4:00 p.m. The red-clad United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship core members Jatuporn and Nisit were put in jail on May 12 after their bails were revoked by the Criminal Court. The two were among nine Red-shirt leaders who…... [read more]
A Thai appeals court on Friday granted a request by the United States to extradite Viktor Bout, an alleged Russian arms dealer dubbed the "Merchant of Death", on terrorism charges. Bout, said to have inspired the Hollywood film "Lord of War" starring Nicolas Cage, has been fighting extradition since his March 2008 arrest in Bangkok in a sting operation involving US agents. He faces life in prison if convicted in the United States on terrorism charges, including conspiracy to kill US officers or employees and conspiracy to acquire and use an anti-aircraft missile. A Thai appeals court on Friday granted…... [read more]
Thailand's Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn attends an event commemorating the death of King Chulalongkorn, known as King Rama V, as he joins people during the mourning of his father, the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, at the Royal Plaza in Bangkok, Thailand, October 23, 2016. Photo by Reuters/Athit Perawongmetha A Thai court on Thursday jailed a blind woman for 1-1/2 years for violating the country's royal insult law, her lawyer and a court official said. Thailand's lese-majeste law is the toughest in the world, and those judged guilty of breaking it face up to 15 years in jail for each count…... [read more]
391 young married couples in Kim Thanh district have participated in a project to enhance the role of fathers in the intellectual development of young children. After two years of implementing project "Enhancing fathers' role in children's development" in Kim Thanh district (Hai Duong), 391 young married couples in 13 communes of the district have participated in the intervention research project to enhance the role of fathers in the intellectual development of young children. The intervention was conducted for couples 8 – 24 weeks pregnant, and the fathers were given knowledge to take care of their wives during pregnancy, care…... [read more]
