May 14, 2024, Minister of Social Development and Human Security (MDSHS), Warawut Silpa-archa, addressed the case of Facebook groups that have been reportedly set up for child adoption where children are being advertised and potential adopters are able to indicate the age and gender of the child they would like to adopt.
Minister Warawut underscored that children are not merchandise and expressed concern that some of these adoptions may be used as pretexts for commercial purposes. He also warned that the administrators of these Facebook groups could face severe penalties if certain adoption cases are classified as human trafficking.
The movement is being closely monitored by MDSHS’ Human Security Emergency Management Center (HuSEC). Minister Warawut has tasked MDSHS to collaborate closely with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) and law enforcement agencies.
As MDSHS prioritizes child safety and wellbeing, Minister Warawut emphasized that those interested in adopting children or offering children for adoption should follow the legal process through the MDSHS’ Department of Children and Youth or other authorized agencies directly, and avoid unverified Facebook groups. Any suspicious illegal activity or concerns related to human trafficking or child exploitation should be promptly reported to HuSEC’s 24/7 hotline at 1300.
As of now, some of these groups are no longer accessible online. However, reports have shown that a number of teen moms offer their babies for bidding and many times the cases turn out to be scams.
Source:
https://www.thaigov.go.th/news/contents/details/83020
https://www.nationthailand.com/news/general/40037935
