Lost in Narratives of Identity: The Predicament of Surrogates in Thailand

Commercial surrogacy used to be booming business in Thailand, but our understanding of local surrogates remains vague. This article conducts textual analysis on interviews and statistical analysis on related comments from internet forums to identify narratives and ethical beliefs about surrogacy among surrogates, their families, and their society in Thailand. Traditional narratives of collective bioethics, which consider longer temporalities, tend to overlook individual surrogates. This omission makes it difficult to respect surrogates' individual identities. They get lost in narratives of being surrogates. In this light, the concept of "civilized bodies" can help us understand the shame feelings sometimes associated with surrogacy.