Another IVF Clinic raided amid surrogate baby scandal

A Ratchaprasong-area IVF clinic was raided Wednesday by authorities, who said it was the ninth found to have provided illegal surrogacy services.

The Safety Fertility Center clinic, which has operated for five years, was said to cooperate with an agent who hires at least 1,000 Thai surrogate mothers annually.

An inspection of the clinic on the 18th floor of Amarin Plaza was led by Boonrueng Trairueng-worawattana, director-general of the Department of Health Service Support.

While the clinic did indeed have proper documentation with certified obstetricians and gynecologists, it could nevertheless face criminal charges for providing commercial surrogacy services to individuals that aren’t blood relatives of the surrogate mothers.

Up to 30 of its 1,000 annual clients were provided with the illegal service, including foreigners from Australia, Canada and Ukraine. Those found guilty can face a year in prison and a maximum fine of THB20,000.

Meanwhile, police are preparing a warrant for Shigeta Mitsutoki, the 24-year-old Japanese suspected of fathering almost 40 surrogate babies, who they seek for questioning. Mitsutoki fled the kingdom earlier this month after authorities found a baby factory linked to him in a Lat Phrao condominium. Police say Mitsutoki, who traveled in and out of Thailand many times with a number of children, should have received permission to take them from their respective surrogate mothers.

As for Dr. Pisit Tantiwattanakul, the owner of the All IVF Clinic which was recently shut down and linked to the Mitsutoki scandal, Thai PBS reported a warrant has also been issued for his arrest.



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