The Social Development and Human Security Ministry has kicked off a campaign intended to curb the problem of unwanted children being abandoned by their parents.
The main messages to convey to the public, especially those with unwanted pregnancies, is an emphasis on the rights to life of the newborn babies, the illegality of abandoning a child, and channels for troubled parents to reach out for help from state agencies, said Pol Gen Suwat Janitthikul, assistant to the Social Development and Human Security minister yesterday.
Speaking at the launch of the campaign denouncing child abandonment, Pol Gen Suwat said every child has the right to live. Those who abandon a child could face up to three years in jail and/or a maximum fine of 6,000 baht. "If you're thinking about leaving your child, think of the ministry," he said.
Those who need help with unwanted pregnancies or raising children are encouraged to contact the ministry's One Stop Crisis Centre hotline No. 1300 for advice, he said.
Despite the ministry's efforts to combat child abandonment, the number of abandoned children remains high, said Napha Setthakorn, director-general of the Department of Children and Youth.
Between 2012 and 2015, 662 children were abandoned across the country, she said. Only abandoned babies and children who were found alive are included in that figure, she said.
The most common place where babies were abandoned was in hospitals, she said. Public restrooms and sidewalks were other spots where many abandoned babies and children were also found, she said.
Sometimes, babies and children were left with people hired by their parents to take care of them, with parents never returning to pick up their children, she said.
When a child is found abandoned, the ministry usually tries to find the parents first. If the parents aren't found the adoption process can begin for the child, she said.
In Chon Buri's Sattahip district, a dead foetus wrapped in a white towel was found in a rubbish dump by a scavenger, police said yesterday. The foetus, believed to be about five months old, possibly died as the result of an illegal abortion, police said.