Number of Thai teen mums second highest within Asean
Poungchompoo Prasert
The Sunday Nation

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's ratio of young teenage mothers is now the second highest in Asean.

With a pregnancy rate of 54 out of every 100,000 teenage girls under 18, this figure puts the Kingdom just behind the number of young mothers in Laos, a senior official said yesterday.

The figure, based on the National Statistics Office's 2013 report, was also way beyond the World Health Organisation's standard of 15 per 100,000 teenagers. Laos reported a ratio of 56 young mums, according to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Rajanagarindra Institute (CAMRI) director Mathurada Suwannapho.

Citing another report in 2012 by the Health Department's Bureau of Reproductive Health, she said a total of 3,725 girls under 15 gave birth while some 15,443 women under 20 were "repeatedly pregnant" and giving birth.

"The issue of teenage mums needs all sides to help solve it because immature pregnancy could affect the new-born's development. Hence the institute launched the 'Love Say Play' project after 2012 to provide accurate information regarding sex to high school and university students, in the hope of keeping them well-informed and to try to prevent immature pregnancy," she said.

Youngsters were at risk in other ways too, she said. Some 723,268 Thais aged from 15-19 drank alcohol, while 9 per cent of Thai teens aged from 15-18 were smokers, and some 1.5 million youths over 12 liked playing online games, which could draw them into online vices

-- The Nation 2014-01-05

Kick out the expats. See if that makes a difference in "new arrivals".

#2 in Asia for teen child births

#3 in the world for road deaths

Way to go!

Don't hold back now, go for the gold.

Kick out the expats. See if that makes a difference in "new arrivals".

As I understand it a large proportion of bars girls get pregnant in their teens to their Thai boyfriend/husbands. When the relationship goes sour, as teenage relationships tend to, then the bars of Pattaya and Bangkok become the best way to provide for their kid(s).

Better education, clear opportunities for young girls to aspire to other than finding a husband or prostituting themselves for quick cash and expansion of a true educated middle class that will bring around the needed cultural changes are the only way to bring down teenage pregnancy rates.

"Thailand's ratio of young teenage mothers is now the second highest in Asean."

Finally, approaching number one is something. << Profane generalization removed >>.

Edited January 5, 201412 yr by metisdead

Kick out the expats. See if that makes a difference in "new arrivals".

As I understand it a large proportion of bars girls get pregnant in their teens to their Thai boyfriend/husbands. When the relationship goes sour, as teenage relationships tend to, then the bars of Pattaya and Bangkok become the best way to provide for their kid(s).

Better education, clear opportunities for young girls to aspire to other than finding a husband or prostituting themselves for quick cash and expansion of a true educated middle class that will bring around the needed cultural changes are the only way to bring down teenage pregnancy rates.

Ah yes, but only if the government cared. Does it? Do they help single mothers retrieve support payments from "dead beat" dads? lol HELL NO. Men can just walk away w/out any responsibility. And most times never interact w/ the child.. ever. The governments of Thailand have shown REPEATEDLY what they really care about e.g. self preservation, increased personal wealth, securing power/profit/business etc. And sadly the BIB and others benefit from this pitiful situation of young, ignorant, desperate mothers.

Kick out the expats. See if that makes a difference in "new arrivals".

As I understand it a large proportion of bars girls get pregnant in their teens to their Thai boyfriend/husbands. When the relationship goes sour, as teenage relationships tend to, then the bars of Pattaya and Bangkok become the best way to provide for their kid(s).

Better education, clear opportunities for young girls to aspire to other than finding a husband or prostituting themselves for quick cash and expansion of a true educated middle class that will bring around the needed cultural changes are the only way to bring down teenage pregnancy rates.

Ah yes, but only if the government cared. Does it? Do they help single mothers retrieve support payments from "dead beat" dads? lol HELL NO. Men can just walk away w/out any responsibility. And most times never interact w/ the child.. ever. The governments of Thailand have shown REPEATEDLY what they really care about e.g. self preservation, increased personal wealth, securing power/profit/business etc. And sadly the BIB and others benefit from this pitiful situation of young, ignorant, desperate mothers.

My wife's niece got pregnant. Her auntie who is married to a police officer, sent him round to collect. The threat being charging the boy with under age sex. A woman up the road threatened to sue someone for going round saying her daughter was not a virgin. She was 4 months pregnant!

i would have titled this story, "Number of scamming NGOs second highest within ASEAN" but then you'd have to relegate them to third as cambodia is also in ASEAN

It all stems from education at the home, schools, and by example from elders. All of which Thailand's ranks are atrocious.

When Thailand's moral compass has been skewed off course for so long, what else do you expect?

Edited January 5, 201412 yr by tomyummer

I thought they were virgins.

Clearly the solution is to stop calling them teens, or mums.

"Well informed in Thailand?" The only thing they learn is pass along Thai old wives tales and hearsay. No real parenting and development in Thailand.

Kick out the expats. See if that makes a difference in "new arrivals".

2014 is only 5 days old, but already an early entry for the most stupid post of the year award!!

"Well informed in Thailand?" The only thing they learn is pass along Thai old wives tales and hearsay. No real parenting and development in Thailand.

Good old saying in England.

" Keep your hand over your halfpenny girl"

Kick out the expats. See if that makes a difference in "new arrivals".

As I understand it a large proportion of bars girls get pregnant in their teens to their Thai boyfriend/husbands. When the relationship goes sour, as teenage relationships tend to, then the bars of Pattaya and Bangkok become the best way to provide for their kid(s).

Better education, clear opportunities for young girls to aspire to other than finding a husband or prostituting themselves for quick cash and expansion of a true educated middle class that will bring around the needed cultural changes are the only way to bring down teenage pregnancy rates.

Ah yes, but only if the government cared. Does it? Do they help single mothers retrieve support payments from "dead beat" dads? lol HELL NO. Men can just walk away w/out any responsibility. And most times never interact w/ the child.. ever. The governments of Thailand have shown REPEATEDLY what they really care about e.g. self preservation, increased personal wealth, securing power/profit/business etc. And sadly the BIB and others benefit from this pitiful situation of young, ignorant, desperate mothers.

Is that the description in your comment of a GLORIFIED BANANA REPUBLIC?

Am rather surprised the Philippines is not a contender

Catholicism may have something to do with that. Illegal to divorce too

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

No divorce, true, but annulment is legal and fairly uncomplicated.

Blame the Falang, the porn, the video games and the No.1 source the Internet and threaten to shut it down...

Am rather surprised the Philippines is not a contender

Catholicism may have something to do with that. Illegal to divorce too

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

No divorce, true, but annulment is legal and fairly uncomplicated.

Off topic a little, I took a young dog to the vets to have her pregnancy terminated...told sorry it's against the law in Thailand.

No wonder so many unwanted kids around--example---and STREET DOGS. same thinking.

Kick out the expats. See if that makes a difference in "new arrivals".

Hopefully that is tongue in cheek humor....Most of these kids are " farm mistakes" , where the

young girl is boinked by the farm kid up the road. Then the girl ends up in a bar trying to support

her child, because for sure the Thai boy is not doing much to help her.... :-)

Kick out the expats. See if that makes a difference in "new arrivals".

Hopefully that is tongue in cheek humor....Most of these kids are " farm mistakes" , where the

young girl is boinked by the farm kid up the road. Then the girl ends up in a bar trying to support

her child, because for sure the Thai boy is not doing much to help her.... :-)

And most wouldn't have the decency to put her knickers back on.

Am rather surprised the Philippines is not a contender

Catholicism may have something to do with that. Illegal to divorce too

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

No divorce, true, but annulment is legal and fairly uncomplicated.

Off topic a little, I took a young dog to the vets to have her pregnancy terminated...told sorry it's against the law in Thailand.

No wonder so many unwanted kids around--example---and STREET DOGS. same thinking.

In this so called Buddhist country. terminating the pregnancy of a puppy would amount to "possibly" killing someone they knew (or in their family) for which they will be banned from entering heaven when they die. They have their selfish motives. Nothing closely related to humanitarian or religious principles.

I see a few problems:

- Thai parents don't talk to their children about contraceptives. They believe doing so, it will encourage the child to start early with sex. The parents don't follow the children, the children are having sex long before the parents know it.

- When you're a teenage mum or even an adult mum, having a child will have very little influence on your personal freedom, because the child will be raised by his/her grandparents. Some mothers almost never go to see their child. This fact takes the feeling of responsibility away from the teenage girls - having a child doesn't affect them much.

- Thai guys don't take responsibility and leave the mother. It's not only shocking there are so many teenage mothers, it's even more shocking that they are single. Thai guys don't take responsibility, use the often younger girls as a tool for pleasure. The laws is also not on the side of the women, like in most western countries.

- sex education in school is un-personal. Sex education in Thailand comes down to biology lessons. That is plain stupid. They should invite young mothers to the classrooms and let them explain how having a child at early age had a big impact on their future. They should invite doctors, they clearly explain howto use contraceptives and where to buy them... much better than those stupid biology lessons.

I don't think we can expect a quick change in attitude. Focusing on contraceptives is probably the way to go.

Off-topic, inflammatory posts and replies deleted.

Kick out the expats. See if that makes a difference in "new arrivals".

I dont get it,gone over me head if it,s a joke.

I think it's called trolling and best ignored.

I say thanks to the teen mums. They make TATs job so much more easy.

Idiots who say "farang" are responsible for under 18 pregnancies. The girls and boys are engaged in sex because they are not taught safety and responsibilty.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Edited January 5, 201412 yr by kingalfred

Idiots who say "farang" are responsible for under 18 pregnancies. The girls and boys are engaged in sex because they are not taught safety and responsibilty.Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Nope, kids are encouraged, because their parents say "sex is nasty nasty bad", and EXACTLY such statement awakens the child's rebellious curiosity,... add the Internet access, Facebook LINE or any other social media tool in their homes and,... The rest is history

Edited January 5, 201412 yr by MaxLee

Idiots who say "farang" are responsible for under 18 pregnancies. The girls and boys are engaged in sex because they are not taught safety and responsibilty.Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Nope, kids are encouraged, because their parents say "sex is nasty nasty bad", and EXACTLY such statement awakens the child's rebellious curiosity,... add the Internet access, Facebook LINE or any other social media tool in their homes and,... The rest is history

Thank you Lord. For a moment I thought it had something to do with them being horny!!

#2 is only 'ASEAN Games', not Asia... so, there is still way to 'improve'...:)

#2 in Asia for teen child births

#3 in the world for road deaths

Way to go!

Don't hold back now, go for the gold.