Young children are being put "on display" at orphanages in Southeast Asia and beyond to entice cash donations from visitors. That's the claim of rights' campaigners, which say children are being used as "tourist attractions" for western holidaymakers. Due to the controversy, Australia has outlawed orphanage tourism, becoming the first country to do so. But some also claim that children can face even worse abuses without these institutions. CGTN's Martin Lowe has the story.

This house in Bangkok is home to former street children; orphans, those abandoned by their parents, runaways and youngsters whose families simply couldn't cope.

Like orphanages across Southeast Asia, it relies on donations to remain open. Its director says without refuges like this, children would fall prey to abuse, drugs and sexual exploitation.

He says he's witnessed children kidnapped from the streets and forced to work as beggars or worse.

SURACHAI SUKKIEO, DIRECTOR BAAN NOKKAMIN FOUNDATION "Yes, some orphanages use children just to get money. But there are worse cases, bad people who break children's arms and legs to make them look more appealing when they send them out begging. I would say don't give money to children or you may be helping mafia gangs."

There's concern from the US state department and charities including Re-Think Orphanages, Forget Me Not and Lumos, that unscrupulous organizations recruit children to orphanages as "tourist attractions" to bring in donations.

Australia has become the first country to criminalize "orphanage trafficking", luring children to orphanages for gain. It comes amid the growing popularity of "voluntourism", where people spend their holidays helping others. But one of the largest volunteer organizations, says it never places volunteers in orphanages.

MATUMON KATERENCHUK, DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST VOLUNTARY SERVICE OVERSEAS "It's just like you're using vulnerable children to raise funds, which is unethical in our opinion. The children should not be in those kinds of orphanages."

MARTIN LOWE BANGKOK "It's estimated up to 80 percent of children in orphanages actually have a parent who could look after them. But often they're sent to institutions by poor families, in the hope they'll receive a better start in life."

This orphanage says it ensures no child is exploited and it's open to independent inspection at any time. But in unregulated homes, the trafficking of children to make money, say campaigners, is nothing less than modern-day slavery. Martin Lowe, CGTN, Bangkok.