Thailand has the second highest rate of mothers under 20, Office of Welfare Promotion, Protection and Empowerment of Vulnerable Group deputy chief Samatchai Chomvinya said on Monday. South Africa had the highest number of teenage pregnancy

About 70 women out of 1,000 under the age of 20 in Thailand already have children, Mr Samatchai said. "Parents don't have time to take care of their children because they are busy working, while different media lack appropriate filters, promoting teenagers to have sex too soon," he said. Teenage pregnancy created stress in both the mothers and their babies, causing slower child development as a consequence. "Studies show that children will listen to their parents at the age of three because they believe that their parents would know everything," Mr Samatchai said.