A court in Bangkok has now accepted that explanation: Thai officials told the court they had travelled to Cambodia and Japan, and found he had enough carers and facilities to bring up the 13 children who are still in state care in Thailand. Mitsutoki Shigeta, 28, became the centre of a “baby factory” scandal in 2014 after Thai police linked him via DNA to nine infants found under the care of 24-hour nannies in a luxury Bangkok apartment. A probe later found he had fathered 19 children in total, 13 surrogate babies living in Thailand and six others living in Cambodia and Japan, according to an official from Thailand's Social Development and Welfare Department. “For the happiness and opportunities the 13 children will receive from their biological father — who does not have a history of bad behaviour — the court rules them to be the plaintiff's legal children,” the Central Juvenile Court said in a statement which did not mention Shigeta by name for privacy reasons. Mr Shigeta, who was not present at the trial, was awarded "sole parent" rights after the Thai surrogates forfeited their rights, according to the court, which did not name him. You may also like:

'He wanted a very large family'

By Jonathan Head, BBC News, South East Asia correspondent

When a blurred airport security photo was published, more than three years ago, of Mitsutoki Shigeta, holding an infant as he left Thailand, there was fevered speculation over his motives for siring so many children with surrogate mothers.
A court in Thailand awards a Japanese man paternity rights over 13 of his children from Thai surrogate mothers.