Thailand bans surrogacy for foreigners

Thailand has passed a law banning foreign couples from using Thai women as surrogates after a series of high-profile scandals tainting the image of the hitherto unregulated industry.

The legislation was unanimously approved by Thailand's junta-picked parliament on Thursday in a bill spurred by the case of an Australian couple accused of abandoning a baby with Down's syndrome while taking his healthy twin sister carried by a Thai surrogate.

"Thailand and its women's uteruses will no longer be a hub" for surrogacy, said National Legislative Assembly member Wallop Tungkananurak.

Under the new law, likely to be enforced by June, only Thai couples or those where at least one partner comes from Thailand will be eligible to use surrogates in the kingdom.

People seeking surrogacy in Thailand will have to prove that they are unable to bear children and have no relatives to act as surrogates on their behalf.

Anyone found breaching the law could face up to 10 years in jail, said Wallop.