Adoption In Thailand

[lightstar]

I'm wondering about adoption and how difficult it is from inside Thailand.

I'm unfamiliar with the adoption process, and am just curious how difficult/easy it is to non-Thias. If it were possible, I'd love to give a child a loving home and family. But I fear it would be a long and difficult process. Does anyone have any experience of adopting a Thai child that they'd like to share?

Thanks.

[Mario2008]

For some more information have a look here:

http://www.neiu.edu/~rghiggin/Thaiadopt/program.html#GENERAL

Don't know if you live in Thailand or outside the country. Makes a big difference.

[onzestan]

Don't know if you live in Thailand or outside the country. Makes a big difference.

Concur.

If you live in Thailand I would say it is near to impossible unless a lot of under the table, and extended help from your embassy.

cheers

onzestan

Edited December 8, 2008 by onzestan

[Mosha]

I have a good friend who is a nurse. She says it is quite comon for newborn babies to be abandoned in hospitals. She actually cared for oneherself before passing her on to a friend. I don't know about foreigners, but she said they do do background checks, to check the ability of the adoptees to have the finances to care for the child. So at least it does appear there are some checks and balances in place.

[kamalabob2]

If you are doing an adoption of a Thai Child you already know and one of the parents is "deceased" or "missing" (for example Thai man is long gone, you married the Thai Mother) it is SIMPLE and EASY. If you are NOT married, the child is from an orphanage much of my experience might not apply. In my case I picked UP the application forms PRIOR to marriage, but submitted the forms a few months after we wed.

I have a recent real life experience in Adopting a Thai child. I live in Thailand and am a US Citizen, now married to a Thai woman. If you LIVE in Thailand, it is easy and FREE (absolutely no bribes) other than a MINOR postage fee to the Thai Royal Police to MAIL a copy of your Thailand criminal background check ( you can go back and pick it up in person, I live Up Country and they mailed it for 40 baht) AND for you to pay some mailing fees and minor Government Processing fee on your fingerprint/criminal background check of your HOME Country. The process can be done in LESS than one year if you pay close attention to the application forms.

I know for a fact that you can NOT bring an attorney with you to the Thailand Government office in Bangkok that will 1) Give you the application forms 2) accept the application forms in person, 3) do a formal interview at different Thailand Government office the day they tell you YES or NO. You will have to go to one "local" Thailand Government office to have them schedule a "home study visit". You will have to go to your own Nations Embassy for a VERY SPECIFIC LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION, the ONLY letter I EVER got for FREE from the US Embassy.

If you are from an ENGLISH speaking nation, none of your forms have to be translated. If you LIVE in Thailand and plan to keep the child in Thailand it was 100% easy. In our case my wife offered to pay for EMS mailing of the final APPROVAL letter when we spoke in person to the Thailand Government employee who was in charge of our application from step one all the way to the finish. That staff person politely refused our sincere offer to pay the postage and said "WE HAVE A BUDGET".

Frankly I have mixed opinions about many Thailand Government offices. However 100% the DSDW

THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT and WELFARE are the BEST and most organized Thailand officials I have ever met.

Your FIRST step is to phone and make an appointment so you can pick up the ENGLISH LANGUAGE (and Thai version) of the APPLICATIONS.

There were no "tricks". Yes you'll need TWO certificates from a Thailand Doctor, lots of Banking information, a BIOGRAPHY, one letter of recommendation written by a Thai person in Thai and one letter written by an Expat in ENGLISH. FOUR photos of each person, photos of your home, two Nations background criminal investigation verification, etc... It is ALL laid out in the application forms. Remember the LETTER OF INTRODUCTION from your Embassy regarding adoption and you will need to bring the name and information on the child you wish to adopt to your Embassy. If you have previously been married, you need to have papers that PROVE your divorce was finalized and/or the previous wife is deceased. If you are presently married then copies of the marriage certificate.

"PRIVATE ADOPTION IS NOT ALLOWED" is BOLD on the "GUIDELINES FOR INTER-COUNTRY ADOPTION OF A THAI CHILD" You MUST go through the DSDW. They have an e-mail address. They only have one scanner in the office, they sometimes like to fax examples of completed forms if you do not quite understand the application requirements, but really it was easy to coordinate with the ENGLISH speaking staff person.

You must be at least 25 years of age and at least 15 years OLDER than the child to be adopted.

Have a LEGITIMATE spouse in case of applying as a family.

The GUIDELINES are SIMPLE and if you phone -2-354-7511 or 02-354-7500 that is the CHILD ADOPTION CENTER in Bangkok.

The office is on the 2nd floor of 255 Ratchawithi Road Bangkok 10400 You must make an appointment to pick up the application.

ALL of the staff were very nice. All this said, the German couple who live in Germany who were departing to Germany with a Thai orphan who sat next to me on the final interview day in Bangkok, said it took them 6 years and thousands of Euro to accomplish the adoption of an orphan Thai baby, with MOST of the money being for German requirements and travel costs to Thailand, TRANSLATIONS from German, Medical tests done in Thailand. If you are English speaking you will have a pleasant experience if you are assigned Mrs. Anchalle Danwirunhawanich.

[TEFLMike]

A very informative post

[canadianmonkey]

1) drive to bar

2) brag that you live in thailand

3) drink a lot

4) fall in love with a very tanned girl with very poor english

5) wear cheap condom

it's all done, she'll tell you that her child that has been inside for 3months is yours(after she broke your condom while you were passed out) and that police with get involved if you try to run...

There's at least one of those at every bar.

[sassienie]

I have a good friend who is a nurse. She says it is quite comon for newborn babies to be abandoned in hospitals. She actually cared for oneherself before passing her on to a friend. I don't know about foreigners, but she said they do do background checks, to check the ability of the adoptees to have the finances to care for the child. So at least it does appear there are some checks and balances in place.

I was abandoned in the hospital as a baby and later on in my adult life, I was dumped off in Thailand.

Sad, Isn`t it.

[londonthai]

the agency has a site http://www.dsdw.go.th/

with some english http://www.adoption.dsdw.go.th/adoption-03-02-e.html

[Considered Opinion]

the agency has a site http://www.dsdw.go.th/

with some english http://www.adoption.dsdw.go.th/adoption-03-02-e.html

I adopted in Thailand. Took 4 months and got heaps of help from people who knew what to ask and where.

Good luck.

[Considered Opinion]

I have a good friend who is a nurse. She says it is quite comon for newborn babies to be abandoned in hospitals. She actually cared for oneherself before passing her on to a friend. I don't know about foreigners, but she said they do do background checks, to check the ability of the adoptees to have the finances to care for the child. So at least it does appear there are some checks and balances in place.

I was abandoned in the hospital as a baby and later on in my adult life, I was dumped off in Thailand.

Sad, Isn`t it.

Yes. But totally understandable.