2014 Thai surrogacy controversy

Controversy in Thailand and Australia November 2025 November 2025 In July 2014, a Thai woman, Pattaramon Chanbua, sought to raise money for her critically-ill surrogate son, Gammy. She had been hired as a surrogate mother by an Australian couple, David John Farnell and Wenyu Wendy Li, and the child had been in her care since December 2013, when Farnell and Li left Thailand with baby Gammy's twin sister, Pipah.http://www.smh.com.au/world/david-and-wendy-farnell-demanded-refund-for-gammy-20140810-102kpn.html https://web.archive.org/web/20140810184727/http://www.smh.com.au/world/david-and-wendy-farnell-demanded-refund-for-gammy-20140810-102kpn.html 10 August 2014 David and Wendy Farnell demanded refund for Gammy Rachel Browne 11 August 2014 The Sydney Morning Herald Fairfax Media Chanbua claimed that when ultrasound results seven months into the surrogate pregnancy indicated that Chanbua was carrying twins and that one of the twins, a boy, had Down syndrome, Farnell and Li requested that she abort him, and that they would keep only the child's twin sister.http://www.smh.com.au/world/wendy-farnell-did-not-supply-the-egg-gammys-thai-mother-says-20140810-102joz.html https://web.archive.org/web/20140810162936/http://www.smh.com.au/world/wendy-farnell-did-not-supply-the-egg-gammys-thai-mother-says-20140810-102joz.html 10 August 2014 Lindsay Murdoch Wendy Farnell did not supply the egg, Gammy's Thai mother says 10 August 2014 The Sydney Morning Herald Fairfax Media Chanbua claimed she refused, citing her Buddhist beliefs, and instead opted to raise the boy (named Gammy) on her own. Farnell and Li claimed that they were only told about Pipah, the twin sister.2014-08-04 Conflicting claims over Thai surrogate baby case https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-28636126 2025-11-23 BBC News en-gb The Farnells returned to Australia in December 2013, bringing Pipah with them.http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/jane-farnell-daughter-of-gammys-dad-david-farnell-says-his-past-has-absolutely-nothing-to-do-with-this/story-fnhocxo3-1227022838981 Jane Farnell, daughter of Gammy's dad David Farnell, says his past has 'absolutely nothing to do with this' Calla Wahlquist Perth Now 13 August 2014 News Ltd 19 September 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140925014706/http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/jane-farnell-daughter-of-gammys-dad-david-farnell-says-his-past-has-absolutely-nothing-to-do-with-this/story-fnhocxo3-1227022838981 25 September 2014 dead right Tara Brown's interview with David and Wendy Farnell, 60 Minutes AustraliaAfter the story broke to media, donors amassed a fund of more than 250,000 AUD to help Gammy.http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2014/s4089822.htm Baby Gammy story takes startling turn as extreme options revealed Australian Broadcasting Corporation 17 September 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140919105934/http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2014/s4089822.htm 19 September 2014 Samantha Hawley The incident raised questions about the ethics of gestational surrogacy. The fact that David Farnell is a convicted sex offender (he was sentenced to three years in prison in 1997 for molesting two girls aged seven and ten) has also caused controversy.https://www.news.com.au/national/baby-gammys-sister-jane-farnell-defends-paedophile-dad/news-story/c4eaefd3d7d45b7a879cc0f89ed4ef05 Baby Gammy's sister Jane Farnell defends paedophile dad https://web.archive.org/web/20140819114123/http://www.news.com.au/national/baby-gammys-sister-jane-farnell-defends-paedophile-dad/story-fncynjr2-1227023252933 19 August 2014 13 August 2014 live News Limited There were also rumours that the Farnells believed that Gammy had died, but this was not true; it was David Farnell's adult daughter from his first marriage who claimed that Gammy died and she did so because she thought it would be easier to explain it to her friends.http://www.smh.com.au/national/i-thought-it-would-be-easier-to-say-gammy-died-farnell-daughter-20140813-103gs2.html 'I thought it would be easier to say Gammy died': Farnell daughter https://web.archive.org/web/20140906103042/http://www.smh.com.au/national/i-thought-it-would-be-easier-to-say-gammy-died-farnell-daughter-20140813-103gs2.html 6 September 2014 Shanelle Miller The Sydney Morning Herald Fairfax Media 13 August 2014 In response to the controversy, Thai authorities reportedly banned surrogate babies from leaving the country with their parents. Hundreds of foreign couples were reported to have been affected. A law was also drafted making commercial surrogacy a criminal offence in Thailand.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/thailand/11035743/Thailand-bans-surrogate-babies-from-leaving-after-Baby-Gammy-controversy.html Thailand bans surrogate babies from leaving after Baby Gammy controversy 15 August 2014 The Telegraph Jonathan Pearlmanhttps://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/aug/13/thailand-ban-surrogacy-gammy Thailand to ban commercial surrogacy in wake of Gammy scandal https://web.archive.org/web/20140826122649/http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/aug/13/thailand-ban-surrogacy-gammy 26 August 2014 13 August 2014 The Guardian Since July 30 2015, Thailand has banned foreigners from commercial surrogacy contract arrangements, under the Protection of Children Born from Assisted Reproductive Technologies Act. Only opposite-sex married couples as residents of Thailand are allowed to have a commercial surrogacy contract arrangement. In the past, Thailand was a popular destination for fertility tourism.https://www.news.com.au/world/breaking-news/new-thai-surrogacy-law-bans-foreigners/news-story/eee539697c2864ecb71342df5fca0235 New Thai surrogacy law bans foreigners 5 August 2015 1 August 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150801222555/http://www.news.com.au/world/breaking-news/new-thai-surrogacy-law-bans-foreigners/story-e6frfkui-1227465560844 livehttp://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/637960/law-banning-commercial-surrogacy-takes-effect-thursday Law Banning commercial surrogacy takes effect Thursday Bangkok Posthttp://www.lgbtqnation.com/2015/08/thailand-bans-commercial-surrogacy-for-lgbts-singles-foreigners/ Thailand bans commercial surrogacy for LGBTs, singles, foreigners 7 August 2015 A charity involved in the case has stated that David Farnell has tried to access the funds raised for Gammy.http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-19/baby-gammys-biological-father-tries-to-access-raised-donations/6479346 Gammy's biological father tries to access donations raised for child ABC News 18 May 2015 However, an inquest into Farnell and Li's contact with his daughter by Australian authorities found that there was no evidence to suggest Farnell ever attempted to access the funds set aside for Gammy.https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/apr/14/baby-gammys-twin-sister-stays-with-western-australian-couple-court-orders Baby Gammy's twin can stay with Australian couple despite father's child sex offences Michael Safi TheGuardian.com 14 April 2016 Additionally, it was found Farnell and Li had attempted to bring Gammy home, but the surrogate mother initially had objections and had intended to adopt Gammy without Farnell and Li, so they had left Gammy behind in a mix-up of cultural and language barriers.Family cleared of abandoning baby Gammy http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-14/baby-gammy-twin-must-remain-with-family-wa-court-rules/7326196 23 February 2018 ABC News 14 April 2016 en-AU It was ruled that Pipah was not allowed to be alone with David Farnell, and with the agreement that she must be read a photobook with age-appropriate language every three months for the foreseeable future that explained her father's offences.Taylor Paige April 15, 2016 Gammys dad sex offender David Farnell Granted Custody https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/gammys-dad-sex-offender-david-farnell-granted-custody/news-story/11bda4f050f12da08aade51f4c613b4b https://web.archive.org/web/20220407064052/http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/gammys-dad-sex-offender-david-farnell-granted-custody/news-story/11bda4f050f12da08aade51f4c613b4b 2022-04-07 subscription live The Australian Gammy was later granted Australian citizenship on Chanbua's application on the basis that Gammy's biological father was Australian.Murdoch Lindsay A mother's anguish as Baby Gammy celebrates the fourth birthday https://www.smh.com.au/world/a-mothers-anguish-as-baby-gammy-celebrates-fourth-birthday-20171223-h09mem.html 31 October 2019 Sydney Morning Herald 23 December 2017 David Farnell died in July 2020, reportedly from an asbestos-related illness.2020-07-15 Baby Gammy's sex offender dad dies https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/david-farnell-father-of-baby-gammy-and-convicted-sex-offender-dies/news-story/5be57b260503c8445f18e168f6ab82e5 2020-12-25 NewsComAu en See also Google Baby (de) References Category:Surrogacy Category:2013 in Thailand Thai surrogacy controversy Surrogacy controversy Category:2015 in Thailand Category:2016 in Australia Thai surrogacy controversy Category:Controversies in Australia Category:Controversies in Thailand