PATTAYA, Thailand – On September 20, a newborn baby girl was discovered abandoned in a restroom at Khao Pong Saket Phutthacharn Temple in the Takhian Tia Sub-district of East Pattaya.
Phra Meekham Niphapayo, 48, a monk at the temple, found the infant wrapped in a towel and covered with a pink satin cloth. Though ants were seen crawling on the cloth, the baby, who has fair skin, was unharmed. Rescue workers quickly responded, transferring the newborn to Banglamung Hospital for a full medical check-up and care.
Phra Meekham recounted the moments leading up to the discovery, explaining how he had been drinking coffee when he heard faint cries. Unable to immediately locate the source, he followed the sound to a restroom with a tightly closed door. As the cries grew louder, he opened the door and found the infant abandoned inside.
Local resident Somporn Mee-alai, 50, who had come to the temple to make merit, expressed her desire to adopt the baby, as she has no children of her own. Villagers at the scene expressed sorrow and anger, condemning the parents’ actions. Some commented on how fortunate it was that the baby wasn’t found by one of the monitor lizards common in the surrounding forest.
Police arrived shortly after to document the scene and launched an investigation to identify the baby’s parents and bring them to justice.
