The child has been in her care since December 2013, when biological parents Farnell and Li left Thailand with baby Gammy's twin sister, Pipah.

][disputed – discuss] Chanbua refused, citing her Buddhist beliefs, and instead opted to raise the boy (named Gammy) on her own.

The fact that David Farnell is a convicted sex offender (he was sentenced to three years in prison in 1997 for molesting two girls aged 7 and 10) has also caused controversy.

[7][8] Since July 30 2015, Thailand has banned foreign residents from commercial surrogacy contract arrangements, under the Protection of Children Born from Assisted Reproductive Technologies Act.

[14] It was also ruled that Pipah is not allowed to be alone with David Farnell and with the agreement that she must be read a photobook with age-appropriate language every three months for the foreseeable future that explains her father's offences.