Thai man abandons 2-week-old baby in forest to punish wife for refusing sex, arrested

In the country, the potential punishment for abandoning a child under nine years old, which does not lead to further bodily harm to the child, is up to three years’ imprisonment and a fine of 6,000 baht (about Rs 15,000). (Representational image)

The father of a two-week-old boy in Thailand has been arrested for abandoning the baby in a forest after his wife refused him sex right after she gave birth. The 21-year-old, who is also a drug addict, has been arrested after his wife filed a complaint.

The accused, identified only by his surname, Wuttichai, allegedly took their infant to a banana grove, took a photo of him on the ground, and sent it to his wife, who was at a friend’s home, suggesting that he had abandoned his son.

Alarmed, the 22-year-old woman, Orathai, immediately contacted the village chief, and shared a screenshot of her conversation with Wuttichai on social media. While Wuttichai had returned home with the baby, the police launched an investigation and discovered that the man was also a gambler and was often violent with his older, one-year-old child, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

Orathai told the police that she and her husband had been arguing because she did not want to get intimate with him so soon after giving birth to their second child. Wuttichai admitted to this but claimed that he did not abandon the baby. He said he had only put his sleeping son in the forest for a photo and had no intentions of leaving him there.

Wuttichai also tested positive for drugs and will have to undergo rehabilitation as per Thailand's laws. He is facing charges of child abandonment and drug use.

In the country, the potential punishment for abandoning a child under nine years old, which does not lead to further bodily harm to the child, is up to three years’ imprisonment and a fine of 6,000 baht (about Rs 15,000).