Farang Adopting A Minor Thai National

[jeb]

I'm thinking of adopting my wife's son by a prior marriage. Our marriage is not officially registered. My visa is a retirement O-A.

I read Dirk_brijs' Visa Based On Having A Kid and browsed Thai visas, residency and work permits.

It seems that there is a one-year extension involved but I didn't find anything specificly relating to my situation.

It would really help to get pointers/references on:

1. Requirements and ball-park timeline for adoption

2. Requirements for visa based on the adoption

[ruddick]

As far as I am aware as a farang you can't adopt a Thai National under Thai law. Unless you adopt under the law of your home country.

Which means leaving Thailand and returning home.

[hansnl]

As far as I am aware as a farang you can't adopt a Thai National under Thai law. Unless you adopt under the law of your home country.

Which means leaving Thailand and returning home.

It is possible for a non-Thai to adopt Thai children!

Takes about 2 years.

I am at the end of the procedure, nearly there.

I adopted 3 Thai children!

The children will get your name, if you want, and depending on where you come from, they can also get your nationality, and keep the Thai nationality.

First step, official marriage, second step the Embassy letter stating you are in the process of adopting a Thai child.

Third step, the Thai adoption bureau.

You need a statement from the authorities of your own country that you have no criminal record, and one from the Royal Thai Police for Thailand, DNA testing, health certificate, certificate of income, fotos from yourself and your wife, and of course the child, birth certificates of all, marriage, divorce, maybe death certificates if the ex from the Thai wife has died.

If he is stillalive, I guess it will become more difficult, because then the ex has to agree, probably.

If I remember correctly, there were about 25 different forms and statements needed.

So a double visit to Krung Thep and the police in your home town are unavoidable

And a visit from the local welfare authorities or the police and the latter to your house, to see if the child will live in a suitable house!

And then flow with the stream, and when it is question time they will ask you why you want to adopt the child.

Never give the answer you adopt becasue you want to give the child another nationality, because that is not really liked, at all!

I did not, because I only heard that nice fact in the Adoption Bureau after the intake discussion.

Well, good luck!

[ruddick]

Well that's news to me. I tried to adopt a while ago and was told by a Thai lawyer it wasn't possible unless I was going to return home.

I am very pleased that you have been able to do it.

[hansnl]

Well that's news to me. I tried to adopt a while ago and was told by a Thai lawyer it wasn't possible unless I was going to return home.

I am very pleased that you have been able to do it.

Thank you Ruddick.

I was warned before I started the procedure, not to bother with a lawyer, because of the, well, you know, money?

I seems to be a lot of work for the lawyer, same as you do it yourself.

But I guess the Thai lawyers do not differ very much from lawyers elsewhere?

Money first, business maybe later?

Anyway, the whole procedure seems complicated, but is in fact rather straighforward.

In any case, better streamlined and clearer as in my own country, The Netherlands.

The application form is very clear, and as soon as you tell the representative that you live in Thailand, want to stay in Thailand, and don't want to take the child outside Thailand (bar the holidays) you get a lot of help.

If your aim is to adopt the child and take it outside Thailand to live with you, everything changes.

hans

[stevehaigh]

i am also in the process of adopting my wife's niece. i just sent my fingerprints to the FBI and get the letter from the embassy. we are waiting for the birth mother to sign the papers at the ampur which is a long way from he village, looks like we'll have to go up there and chaufer her around. anyhow, i've heard about 2 years is normal too and the thai adoption agency part is free. the us embassy said i should be about to get the child an immigrant visa for the US after about 5 years.

steve