Adopting step son in Thailand

[stament]

I want to adopt my step son in Thailand and wondered if any TVM had gone through the process and could share their experience, requirements, etc.

 

I plan to contact the Thailand authorities this morning but in my experience you learn more from TVM than from the authorities, e.g immigration, etc.   I have been based in Thailand now for the last 18 months.

 

I did search on the government website for the criteria in English but sadly wasn't able to find the exact document despite there being many other documents.  Hence I will contact the authorities today.

 

Looking forward to receiving responses.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

[tonray]

Nothing to offer as far as info...but bravo to you for considering this and best of luck !

[bobandyson]

I enquired in the mid 90's about the same thing for my step-daughter who was about 10 years old at the time. There was an office somewhere around Victory Monument, Bangkok on Rachathevi Rd that informed me of the documents and process needed. I was told it could take a few years as home visits by officials would have to be done several times.

 

Can't recall all the criteria but I remember that I had to have a certain amount money and an address in Thailand.

 

I wanted her to have my name to show that there was no love lost between her and my own two kids who where younger.

I feared that she might think that I loved my own kids more with having to show them more attention with being younger.

 

When she found out she wasn't particularly bothered and she's kept her surname ever since. She's 38 yo now and I still think of her as my own daughter.

 

 

[Joe Medina]

Hi, it depends on the lineage of your blood connection with your stepson. I could arrange a legal consultation with my Senior lawyer, kindly message me privately to arrange

[thailand49]

I went through the process 15 years ago I first started with a lawyer but a 3rd in the process I got a call from the agency after the conversation thereafter I let the lawyer go and allowed the agency to complete the process the reason they convince me I was wasting my time with the lawyer and since my plan was to adopt and live in Thailand they would do it for Free!

 

As noted by another poster there is an office up from Monument Road I can't remember the name but I call it myself government road it is a red brick building on the right. Even if you have it in Thai which I did I walked up and ask a number of others and people seem to know and pointed it to me.  You are thinking will I be able to communicate I thought all those working there are some of the best English speaking Thais I have ever met so if it is the same you shouldn't have a problem.

 

When I was still using a lawyer I remember I needed to go to the U.S. Embassy for something maybe some clearance, also when in Bangkok I had to go to the Police HQ and get a criminal clearance that I didn't have a record in Thailand.  I was also required to obtain a police history from my home town you can just go down to your City police department and get one. What was just pointed out wasn't isn't in order.

 

Then the process it took a bit over a year I hear now it might take longer. I live in Pattaya,  then the first requirement was you need to have lived in Thailand for six month straight before applying. They ask for financial records like bank accounts here and abroad if applicable, pensions etc future projection like Social security basically they want to know if you have enough funds.

 

Since my son never knew his father passed away before he was born we had to go up to the village in which he passed and obtain the death certificate. Him dying was a benefit since many stories I hear if the father just took off still alive getting a release might be tough some I hear although gone for year once they hear the wife has a new foreign man hold the process up blackmailing.

 

I remember having to go down to Chon Buri and doing a interview with some government guy then having to pay him to put a noticed newspaper?  announcing the adoption to the public so anyone can contest?  Then I got a home visit from a car load from the Bangkok office purpose was to see where you live is the home and environment suitable we showed them paper of the school he was enrolled and they did a short interview with our son.

 

Once the agency took over actually went much faster we got calls with instructions each time anything was needed or we needed to make a visit. Oh backtrack a bit, they also requested recommendation from one family and close friend basically something about yourself I and the wife was ask to write something about ourselves.

 

In the end, a bit over a year we got a call from the agency to come to Bangkok for the final interview when we were there I notice lots of other foreigner majority of them were adopting but taken them to their home country.  In our interview there were like 10 people majority of them I had already seen from the home visit they were all smiling ( good sign ) it was more like a family gathering lots of questions and comments from the panel. Then they ask me to leave 10 minutes later I was called back into the room I noticed many of the panel were crying?  I ask if there was a problem they just said after talking to my son ( then 7 ) how much he loves you I first held him when he was 6 months old. 

 

We left pretty confident the adoption would be approved months later we got a call that it was approved and the final documents would be mail, I had everything translated during the process including the final approval make copies even laminated. Today my son is 22 years old working and has his own family I and the wife babysit daily with our lovely granddaughter.

 

Good luck!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[brianthainess]

I can only contribute what a friend told me one time, when he tried to adopt, he had known the mother since she was pregnant, and had been working in the 'night entertainment' business. The child then was 7yrs old. When asked about the fathers name, she had no clue. Sorry need the fathers permission. end of. 

[khunPer]

First check the the father will approve an adoption. From experience from a friend, you'll need the father's permission. In my friend's case - the friend is the mother that got married to foreigner - it was extremely difficult, but finally settled by a (relative small) sum of money in exchange for a signature on the right document.

[stament]

3 minutes ago, khunPer said:

First check the the father will approve an adoption. From experience from a friend, you'll need the father's permission. In my friend's case - the friend is the mother that got married to foreigner - it was extremely difficult, but finally settled by a (relative small) sum of money in exchange for a signature on the right document.

Out of interest @khunPer how long did the process take after the tea money was paid?

 

[khunPer]

23 minutes ago, stament said:

Out of interest @khunPer how long did the process take after the tea money was paid?

 

Extremely fast, payment followed signature; i.e. no honey, no money...????

[jcmj]

I always wanted to adopt my foster son, Get along with both parents well. The father has been out of the scene for many years. Just pops up here and there. My son calls me daddy even at 19 now and asks if I can now adopt him cause he’s old enough to sign the documents. Put a tear in my eye and so I will look ???? k into that. I told him he is a young man now and I’m not sure if they will allow it but he’ll always be my son. 

[unblocktheplanet]

We had an in-family adoption. I believe that red brick building was on Sri Ayutthaya Road.

 

Regardless of the child's mother, this is a good karma act for the child. A foreign passport is gold.

 

Our daughter has the same initials as my grown children & graduated university in Canada last year.

[thailand49]

Not pushing the suggestion.  If there is a Will there is a way?  years after my adoption another family member introduced me to a lawyer friend in Bangkok, it is a large firm across the road from the U.S. Embassy. She and the brother were raised in the U.S. speaks perfect English I've used her for a number of things and recommended to lots of people in Thailand particularly for visa matters.

 

There is a way to by pass the parent particularly the father signature but it means going to court. Sounds scary right you know the word " abandonment "  for me at least I would rather spend the money and go to court than succumb too their blackmail.  Off topic there are laws on the books even in Thailand for child support never enforced due to the bias in the men judges and unless you have money to take someone to court and when it comes to the majority in general these deadbeats are rarely going to show up.

 

I ran into a old friend we got talking he mentioned his situation that he has been caring for his Thai lady kid close to 10 years the last few been trying to gain legal custody using another lawyer in the end after close to 200,000 nothing said he could barely understand the lawyer and he was a retired lawyer himself. After I heard his story I threw out my friends name six months later I got a call said he got Thai legal custody, the mother served never showed up now the lawyer was working on a passport so he could take the girl to the U.S. and adopt her there.

 

Shoot me a PM if you want the name.

Edited August 31, 2021 by thailand49