Community Teenage Mother Leaves Newborn Abandoned at Temple, Later Contacts Monk to Reclaim Baby

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of ThaiRath.

 

A 15-year-old girl left her newborn baby boy abandoned on a wooden seating platform outside a monk’s living quarters at Wat Pa Muang Nuea in Pa Chan subdistrict, Buriram province. The infant, weighing less than 2 kg, was discovered by monks. After the incident was publicly shared on social media, the young mother contacted the temple, expressing remorse and asking to take her child back.

 

The discovery was made around 21:00 on 1 July, when Phra Sunthorn Chatthan 74, a monk at Wat Pa Muang Nuea, heard dogs barking unusually near the wooden platform in front of Luang Ta Nuan’s kuti (monk’s residence). Investigating the noise, he found the abandoned newborn wrapped and left on the platform.

 

Phra Setthawat Thano, another monk at the temple who posted about the incident on his personal Facebook page, explained that they initially shared the image of the baby to help find the mother. “We did not expect anyone to come forward, but shortly after posting, a young woman sent a message confessing she was the mother and pleaded not to be imprisoned, promising to care for her child,” he said. After confirming her identity, the post was taken down.

 

Medical personnel from Plubplachai Hospital examined the infant and confirmed he was in stable condition despite his low birth weight.

 

In an interview, the young mother, Ms Nui, explained her situation. She is currently a student living with her grandmother. She had been in a relationship with her boyfriend for two years and discovered she was pregnant only several months into the pregnancy. Fearful of telling her grandmother, she kept the pregnancy secret.

 

On the day of delivery, Ms Nui said she was alone in her bedroom when she suddenly went into labour. “I heard a pop sound, and the baby was born,” she recounted. Unsure what to do, she asked a younger friend to help her take the baby by motorcycle to the temple and leave him on the wooden platform outside the monk’s kuti.

 

“I regret what I did and want to raise my baby myself now,” she added.

 

Phra Sunthorn remarked that the child was fortunate to have been left where the temple’s dogs would not harm him, unlike if he had been hidden in a more isolated spot.

 

The case has since drawn attention to the challenges faced by teenage mothers and the importance of community support. Local authorities and social services are monitoring the situation to ensure the well-being of both mother and child.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from ThaiRath 2025-07-03

 

 

 

[Geoffggi]

Words fail me, she is 15 & been in a relationship for two years how old is the boyfriend??

[SAFETY FIRST]

2 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Unsure what to do, she asked a younger friend to help her take the baby by motorcycle to the temple

It's sad these 12, 13 year old girls are having sex with school boys.

Once the school boy is done having fun with her he just moves on.

Now she has to get her younger friend to take her to the temple.

 

Maybe schools and parents should be telling these school girls, 9 out of 10 times her boyfriend won't stick around.

 

[bg53]

A tragic but far too common story.

 

The mother has made a brave choice.

[Briggsy]

This issue is repeatedly addressed in Thai schools and learning material from the age of 8 onwards. They even point out the boy will get bored and move on leaving the girl "with her life destroyed". This is the phrase they commonly use. 

 

I have no idea if this approach reduces the frequency of teenage pregnancies / motherhood.

[EVENKEEL]

Next stop.....Pattaya.

[SAFETY FIRST]

16 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

They even point out the boy will get bored and move on leaving the girl "with her life destroyed

Please provide a link 

 

[MalcolmB]

59 minutes ago, bg53 said:

A tragic but far too common story.

 

The mother has made a brave choice.

Sounds like she was trying to avoid prison actually.

 

4 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

a young woman sent a message confessing she was the mother and pleaded not to be imprisoned,

 

[SAFETY FIRST]

15 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

Are you still with your high school girlfriend?

Yes 

[MalcolmB]

1 hour ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Yes 

There is one couple from my high school also. 
one out of 100.

 

[sqwakvfr]

Maybe Thailand can consider a Safe Surrender Law. It goes like this,  a baby  within 48 hours of birth and can be safely surrendered to any Fire Station, Police Station or hospital.  The mother regardless of age is not questionned.  It is tough being a single mother in any country.  In many Asian countries single mothers face judgement and are stigmatized. This poor girl already faces a difficlut life and it just more difficult now with a new born to raise.  I give her credit for leaving the baby at a temple and not in dumpster. She and what remains of her family will probably have to raise the chiild alone.  In LOS can a mother sue for child support?   I hope at least members of the community help and not judge her. 

 

 

[Briggsy]

4 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Please provide a link 

 

I am not allowed to post Thai language in this forum. Also I am not going to scan Thai school books just for it to be deleted by a mod. It is a standard part of the syllabus woven into Social Studies, Thai language often through stories. It is a subject that crops up over and over. 

 

 

[SAFETY FIRST]

On 7/3/2025 at 4:51 AM, Georgealbert said:

She had been in a relationship with her boyfriend for two years

 

young woman sent a message confessing she was the mother and pleaded not to be imprisoned 

Most guys here are not having regular sex, this girl would have been having regular sex at 13 years old with her school boy boyfriend. 

 

It's obvious someone spoke to her about prison, why didn't they mention to her about boyfriends abandoning her. 

 

 

BTW, you guys not being intimate or having regular sex etc, you are contenders for prostate cancer.

 

 

[SAFETY FIRST]

17 hours ago, Briggsy said:

am not allowed to post Thai language in this forum

You can post a sentence or two in Thai, you won't get in trouble. 

 

[Briggsy]

58 minutes ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

You can post a sentence or two in Thai, you won't get in trouble. 

 

I'm not bothered about "getting in trouble". I am bothered about scanning stuff or typing it out just for it to be deleted. And if you can't read Thai, what's the point of insisting I do it. 

 

I have read enough Thai school books to know that warning girls of the dangers of teen pregnancy and irresponsible teenage fathers is commonly covered in Thai education.

 

Remember Thai schooling differs from Western schooling in that it is often referred to as behaviour-focused whilst Western education is referred to as knowledge-focused, (although the trend in recent years has been a move to a focus on critical thinking).

 

So, a lot of Thai schooling is "Do it like this, don't do that. Behave in this way" This is reflected very heavily in the course material.