Sunday, Nov 25, 2012
THAILAND - Police yesterday arrested three people in a raid on an abortion clinic in Pattaya. The body of a female foetus aged around five months recently aborted by a 20-year-old woman was found at the clinic.
Police arrested Arkhom Sarnmano, 31, a motorcycle taxi driver who took the woman to the clinic, as he had allegedly been hired to take many pregnant women to undergo abortions there. Also arrested was Jitra Masiyapak, 21, the clinic's receptionist, and Somjai Buasaen, 45, who allegedly performed the abortion for the woman. The foetus was found in a black plastic bag nearby.
Somjai reportedly confessed that she had operated the clinic for years and had been arrested four times. She was released on bail and reopened it as she earned a lot of money from it, she said. Each abortion cost at least Bt10,000 (S$400).
Police claimed the actual owner of the clinic was Charnwit Sattayaprasert, a physician who had fled an arrest warrant. Somjai was his assistant, they said.
