Thai Adoption-me Usa, Wife Thai

[travelingmike]

My wife and I would like to adopt a thai child(we work at the khon kaen orphanage when we visit), we have 2 by birth. We live in california, my wife is from khon kaen. We visit every year. I would like to know if there is a way around the beaurocratic process-we accorcding to the rules need to use an agency here in united states(charging 12,000 $). I was hoping it would be easier (and cheaper) as my wife is thai. There is a central agency in bangkok they tell us to contact, the phone numbers are not correct(I also looked online for the numbers). i was hoping we could talk to the right person and they could see our sincerity and help move the process along. I would rather make a donation to the orphanage then pay it to some over priced social workers/agency here in california. We will be visiting again in November/december for 4 weeks . Any help/contacts would be apprecitated. Thank You, Michael and Thanyarat

[think_too_mut]

My wife and I would like to adopt a thai child(we work at the khon kaen orphanage when we visit), we have 2 by birth. We live in california, my wife is from khon kaen.

I posted it last year - about my conversation with an american man and his thai wife, both teachers. They had 2 daughters, adopted in China.

It's been 3 years ago, if my memory serves me well it was too complicated, long and expensive to adopt in Thai although his wife is a Thai.

They simply gave up on trying to adopt in Thailand and turned to China. When they said the reasons it sounded very reasonable, even though they had no biological children of their own.

Something like 3-5 years, 30K+ $ in Thailand and some other strings attached.

In China it was 2 years and 10K, baby girls only, no chosing, just accept the next one with a guarantee she is healthy.

Edited July 4, 2007 by think_too_mut

[drbill]

Travelingmike, Thai -USA adoptions are international adoptions and thus United Nations as well as Thai and US laws and regulations apply. Currently there are 3 NGO's approved for US Thai adoptions. There is a moratorium currently ,since 1/07 , on direct adoptions.Even if there weren't, an approved agency is much more easier and quicker.The US has alot of forms and red tape as do procedures originally set forth by the UN to protect children and rightfuly so.This is for all intercountry adoptions not just Thailand. A thai adoption takes 2 +/-alittle yrs average as of this date. Cost 10-13.5K as of this date.You will with at least one agency be adopting a child whom you will have much info regarding the mother ,her name ,id , address, circumstances involved. You will know prenatal care, birth hospital records, and every 3 mon. a pediatricians and social workers assessment .The child will be living in a foster home,almost always thai ,occassionaly upper income farang working here.Thai adoption medical assesments regarding accuracy are among the best in the world according to pediatricians subspecialzing in adoption medicine. The China rules were tightened recently regarding parents. You will adopt a girl in China.Cost 25-30k as of this date includes cash payment to local officials ,although the terminology is I believe facilitators.You will not know anything of the childs background...if needed in the future no chance for organ or marrow transplant by a compatable relative. You will recieve little medical data compared to thailand.You will have to trust a person from the Peoples Republic's word of the accurracy of the data. Think about that for awhile...we also have to trust thier fellow countrymen about ethylene glycol in cough syrups,tooth paste and a myriad of other unknowns that are not reported to mainstream americans back in the US. It is certainly not unusual for a negative hepatitis B report to turn positive upon retesting back home according to my pediatric gastroenterology colleagues.I have a healthy well adjusted bright 4 y/o bilingual daughter and a healthy ,developemently age appropriate 1 y/o son from Thai adoptions.My wife is Thai. I would and have considered a mainland chinese adoption if able to pay for my own Hiv,HVb,HVc studies to be performed elseware(Singapore,HK,Thailand)with blood drawn by a chinese collegue and sent express.Extra facilitator fee's of course. But,currently I am over 50 and the new regulations are in effect.I have to state that there are many,many,many happy parents with healthy children from both the PRC and Thailand, a number of whom I personally know. Best regards, Bill

[soic]

I hate to piggy back on another's thread, but my wife has an 8 year old son from her previous marraige. I wonder if it will be too difficult to adopt him as my son? I am 45, my wife is 40 and for all practicle purposes he's my son. He's never met his biological father, I'm the only father he has ever known.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Chris

[travelingmike]

Bill, thank you for the info, I only want to adopt thai, we are raising our children knowing both cultures and languages. I figured it would be less of a shock for the child coming into a family knowing his language and culture. We are on a 2-3 year plan before bringing a child home, I am gathering info before our trip home in November. I have heard that it is actually quicker to adopt with my wife being thai. Thank You, Michael

Edited July 5, 2007 by travelingmike

[travelingmike]

chris, we will be visiting(next week) a friend of mine who is married to a thai and also adopted and brought her son here to the states. I will get back after the trip. Michael

[Old Man River]

I hate to piggy back on another's thread, but my wife has an 8 year old son from her previous marraige. I wonder if it will be too difficult to adopt him as my son? I am 45, my wife is 40 and for all practicle purposes he's my son. He's never met his biological father, I'm the only father he has ever known.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Chris

Many of us have done it. You don't say which nationality you are nor where you will be living. In any case, the first hurdle for you would be to adopt the kid under Thai law. Before I could get my kid US citizenship, they had to ensure it was my kid (i.e. legally adopted under Thai law). It takes some time and requires a lot of paperwork (you know Thailand), but you have to start somewhere.

[drbill]

Mike, Agree with you that it's great for the kid's to know both US and Thai culture and languages and also that their transition into another home is made easier when they hear Thai words, at least in our experience.My wife and also I wanted Thai kids because of our ties to Thailand very likely similar to the feelings you and your wife have. Also, I feel that the Thai adoption officials look favorably upon those wanting to share Thai customs and ways with the children. Having a Thai wife certainly does not hurt. Working in a Thai orphanage I think will be a big positive in your favor. Of the 3 NGO's involved with Thai adoptions we used Holt International based in Eugene ,Oregon. They work through a Thai affiliate known as Holt Sahathai on Sukumvit(I think soi 79). If you really want to adopt I think that you should check out the 3 major agencies.Ask how many adoptions that they have completed in Thailand, for healthy and/or special needs kid's.Less than 100 adoptions to the US / yr by all three.I think when we got our daughtor it was under 80 in 2004. More people are now looking into Thai adoptions since the mainland chinese tightened their requirements so it might be best to start the process soon. Also with Holt (and possibly with the other 2 major agencies) the total amount of the adoption fee is not paid in the begining but near the end of the process. An application fee is paid first. Chokdee, Best regards, Bill

[coventry]

I'd just like to say a few words regarding "adopting a Thai child". Due to having had a vasectomy many years ago and then unsuccessfully going through 2 reversals I'd given up on having anymore children and tried adopting here in Thailand, with my Thai wife. Even she couldn't believe the bureaucratic proceedure that one has to go through to adopt. It's far easier to nip over into Cambodia and buy yourself a child but obviously that being illegal. Luckily I bumped into an expat who had been in similar circumstances and his recommendation was IVF. I thought that this wouldn't work as I'd tried it before in the UK.

To cut it short, my wife is now expecting and we have frozen fertilized eggs in storage for the future. Over all doing it this way over adoption, resulted in many a good thing. IVF is far cheaper, it's legal, the baby is really your own and finally no bureaucracy. The benefits are too many to mention over adoption ! IVF is so advanced now that no obsticle seems to be a problem. Anyone requiring the details of the clinic I used, then please drop me a line. It took from first clinic visit to implantation about 4 months. I can't swear it's 100% but for us as well as 1,000s of others it was. Sorry if I've took this tread of track a little.

Edited July 9, 2007 by coventry