Thailand

Thailand Information Region Asia Population 63038247 GDP (millions USD) 245659 National Policies Eggs for assisted reproduction commercial prohibited Eggs for research ? Inheritable genetic modification ? Preimplantation genetic diagnosis social uses prohibited Reproductive cloning PROHIBITED Research cloning regulated Sex selection Social uses prohibited Surrogacy commercial prohibited International Agreements 2005 UN Cloning Vote no 2005 UNESCO Sports Doping Convention RATIFIED

Key laws and policies

Assisted Reproduction

• Protection of Children Born of Assisted Reproductive Technologies Act 2014 (passed February 2015, expected to become operative mid-2015 after Royal Assent)

(A draft translation of the law is available at http://www.thailawforum.com/thailand-draft-surrogacy-law/, accessed 23 February 2015.)

Human Cloning

• Medical Council of Thailand, Regulations on Human Cloning, No. 21/2544 (June 2002)

Prohibited practices

Reproductive Cloning

• Human reproductive cloning is banned by the Regulations on Human Cloning.

Sex Selection

• Selecting embryos for sex, unless screening for genetic disease (Art. 18)

Commercial Surrogacy

• Commercial surrogacy (Sect. 23)
• Brokering, acting as a middleman, or arranging surrogacy agreements for reward
• Advertising
• Promotion

Commercial Transactions Regarding Embryos, Eggs, or Sperm

• Buying or selling eggs, sperm, or embryos

Permitted and regulated practices

Assisted Reproduction

• Permitted for females with lawful husbands, with their consent (Sects. 15, 19)

Donor Sperm

• May be used with written consent of husband (Sect. 20)

Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis

• May be used to detect genetic disease, but not for sex selection (Sect. 18)

Surrogacy

• Altruistic surrogacy is permitted in the following circumstances:
  • Married couple (Thai)
  • Foreigners prohibited from surrogacy unless married to a Thai national for more than 3 years
  • Gestational only (cannot use surrogate's eggs)
  • Surrogate must have another child
  • Surrogate must be Thai
  • Surrogate must be over 25 years old

History

Following a number of disturbing scandals related to commercial surrogacy in Thailand, new laws were introduced in 2015 (as described above). The laws were voted in by an overwhelming 160-2 votes. Wanlop Tankananurak, a member of Thailand's National Legislative Assembly said, "This law aims to stop Thai women's wombs from becoming the world's womb."