Childless woman returns stolen baby | Bangkok Post: learning

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Sureeporn Ratchawong, 33, is married but still childless. Her solution to her problem has, unfortunately, got her in big trouble.

Wanwisa Saenphan, 17, right, cries with one of her relatives after her three-month-old baby is returned to her at the office of a radio station in Bangkok yesterday.

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Childless woman returns stolen baby

Sureeporn Ratchawong

Sureeporn Ratchawong is 33 years old, married but still childless, a situation that obviously upsets her. Her solution, unfortunately, has got her in big trouble.

Last Monday, she allegedly stole a three-month-old baby from Bangkok’s Rajavithi Hospital. It didn’t take long, however, for her identity to become known.

A closed circuit camera at the hospital clearly showed her taking the baby, Thanapol Phiaphap (or Nong Title), the son of Ms Wanwisa Saenphan, 17, from the hospital. When the footage was broadcast by a local television station, Ms Sureeporn’s elder sister saw it.

She immediately called Ms Sureeporn and told her to take the baby back.

"I didn’t know what to do and how to return the baby," Ms Sureeporn said. "I was afraid of being put in jail. At the same time, I felt sorry for the mother. I took a taxi to take the baby back to the hospital. I asked the taxi driver what I should do."

The driver, 44-year-old Somkiat Pharakij, told her to return the baby with the help of Sor Wor Phor radio station.

At the radio station yesterday morning, Ms Sureeporn spoke live on a radio programme hosted by Natchaya Sriwangpol. She said she stole the baby because although she was married and badly wanted a child, she remained childless.

The radio station contacted Rajavithi Hospital, asking them to send doctors to examine the baby. It also called Phaya Thai police and told the baby's mother to retrieve her son.

Returning the baby, of course, does not absolve Ms Sureeporn of her guilt. She has been arrested and according to Pol Col Saman Rodkamnerd, the Phaya Thai police chief, she could get between three and 15 years in prison and/or a fine of 6,000 to 30,000 baht.
 
Adapted from a story in today’s Bangkok Post.

relative – a member of your family ญาติพี่น้อง
childless – having no children ไม่มีบุตร
situation – all the circumstances and things that are happening at a particular time and in a particular place  สถานการณ์
obviously – clearly เห็นได้ชัด, อย่างชัดแจ้ง
upset – to cause to be very worried, angry or sad about something  ทำให้หงุดหงิด  ทำให้วิตกกังวล
solution – a way of solving a problem or dealing with a difficult situation  วิธีแก้ปัญหา
unfortunately – making you sad or disappointed, or getting you into a difficult position น่าเสียดาย
allegedly – claimed to have done something wrong, but not yet proven ที่กล่าวหา
identity – who someone is ชื่อ, เอกลักษณ์, ลักษณะพิเศษ, ลักษณะเฉพาะ
closed circuit (TV) – a television system that works within a limited area, for example a public building, to protect it from crime โทรทัศน์วงจรปิด (ซีซีทีวี)
footage – film or video of a particular subject or event ฟิลม์หรือคลิปภาพยนตร์ หรือวิดีโอ
broadcast – to send out a programme on television or radio กระจายเสียง,กระจายข่าว
local – in or related to the area that you live, or to the particular area that you are talking about  ท้องถิ่น
elder – older ที่อายุมากกว่า
immediately – happening right after something else with no delay; right away ทันที
live – happening now, i.e., not recorded earlier ถ่ายทอดสด
host – to introduce a television or radio programme, a show, etc.  ทำหน้าที่เป็นพิธีกร
retrieve – to recover; to get something back, especially something that is not easy to find ได้กลับคืนมา
absolve – to state formally that somebody is not guilty or responsible for something  ปลดเปลื้อง, อภัยโทษ
guilt – the fact of having done something wrong or committed a crime ความผิด
arrest – (of the police or, in this case, soldiers) to take someone under control because they are believed to have committed a crime จับกุม
fine – an amount of money that you have to pay because you have broken the law ค่าปรับ

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