A gay couple is embroiled in a custody battle in Thailand after the surrogate mother decided to keep the baby girl after learning she was giving her baby to same-sex partners. The case has become more complicated since same-sex marriage is not recognized in Thailand.
In an Associated Press report published by ABC News, it was noted that Gordon Lake and Manuel Santos have stayed more than a year in Thailand after they filed a legal case versus the baby Carmen's mother in January 2015. They are faced with strict laws in the country including a ban on commercial surrogacy.
"It's the day we've been waiting for - for a long, long time. Today is one of the most IMPORTANT days of our lives," said Lake. "The court should give us custody of Carmen because it's the right thing to do."
Surrogate mother Patidta Kusolsang reportedly gave the baby to the couple after she was born. However, she had a sudden change of mind and decided not to sign any documents to allow the baby to leave the country and have a passport.
The Associated Press learned that Kusolsang was concerned with how her child will be raised by the gay couple and claimed that she thought they were "an ordinary family."
The surrogate told NPR accused the couple of not letting her see the baby when she wanted to. "They are same-sex, not like male and female that can take care of babies," she added.
"When I tried to contact them to visit the baby, they didn't want to talk to me," Kusolsang explained. "I was begging them to see the baby but they didn't allow me to see her. They treated me very badly and said I have no right to see the baby."
Santos and Lake denied all allegations. However, they fear that they have very low chances of winning the custody battle.
"Despite the fact there are temporary provisions in the new law just published that say ... parents can ask for their parental rights to be recognized in court, unfortunately, it's worded as 'husband and wife,'" Lake noted. His partner said this is very unfair since they are legally recognized as a couple in the United States and other countries as well.
