Adoption

[geordie]

My wife has a daughter off her marraige before. Her daughter is 7 years old, her daughters father has never bothered about her, my wife split up with him when the baby was only 2 months old and he has only seen her once since then.

My wife has my family name and our daughter has my name. Her daughter is very happy and excepts that i am her father. I think it would be good for her if i legally adopted her. I love her as if she was my own.

I am just wondering if anyone has been through the process of adoption, and is it along drawn out process, and what does it involve. any information would be gratefull.

Cheers Geordie.

[IMA_FARANG]

My wife has a daughter off her marraige before. Her daughter is 7 years old, her daughters father has never bothered about her, my wife split up with him when the baby was only 2 months old and he has only seen her once since then.

My wife has my family name and our daughter has my name. Her daughter is very happy and excepts that i am her father. I think it would be good for her if i legally adopted her. I love her as if she was my own.

I am just wondering if anyone has been through the process of adoption, and is it along drawn out process, and what does it involve. any information would be gratefull.

Cheers Geordie.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have not been through the process...so I can't really advise on that part. However, be aware that the father has rights under Thai law. Don't expect courts/officials to be favorable to you just because the father basically abandoned her. They will have to follow the law, and the thai father has legal rights. Another question: what does your Thai wife think about this? Be really sure you want to go through the hassle before you start, it could be a long and painful process.

P.S. my TG had roughly same problem. Some years back (about 1985) while trying to take her 3 children to Singapore for a holiday, she had to get passports for her children. She needed her ex-husbands signature to approve passports, even though she had not seen him in over 10 years. I think the law is more friendly to females now, but the father still is king, and mother second under Thai law.

[Gazza]

Going back about 12 years ago, I went to a place on Ratchathewi Road to see about adopting my step-daughter. I didn't meet some of the requirements needed for the process at the time. i.e. I didn't have somewhere to call a home as I was living in a GH and my family was in the NE.

Even if you meet all the requirements it could take several years as periodically they'll send an officer to check you out.

Anyway, my steppie was never really interested in changing her surname and she knows I love her the same as my own kids, so I never did go through with the adoption process. Personally, I've never encountered a problem not having her legally(?) as my own.

Edited March 14, 2005 by Gazza

[Diggerbasher]

To adopt a child here in Thailand is an horrendous process taking years and years.I gave up.

Best to take the child to your home country and adopt there.Far,far simpler.

[geordie]

I understand that the father has legal rights. My wife thinks it is good that i want to legally adopt her daughter. I was just looking for information before i start to go a head with it. To see how long it is going to take and what the requirements are for me to do it.

[qwertyuiop]

I understand that the father has legal rights. My wife thinks it is good that i want to legally adopt her daughter. I was just looking for information before i start to go a head with it. To see how long it is going to take and what the requirements are for me to do it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I for one would be very interested to read regular updates on your experience should you go ahead.

I am sure that many memebrs would have an interst in reading about "How To and How Not to Adopt in Thailand"

[geordie]

I understand that the father has legal rights. My wife thinks it is good that i want to legally adopt her daughter. I was just looking for information before i start to go a head with it. To see how long it is going to take and what the requirements are for me to do it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I for one would be very interested to read regular updates on your experience should you go ahead.

I am sure that many memebrs would have an interst in reading about "How To and How Not to Adopt in Thailand"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Once i start the process i will keep everyone up dated on how i am doing. The biggest problem that i see will be getting the fathers consent for the adoption, i will cross that hurdle when i get there one way or the other.

Geordie

[Pie Boy]

To adopt a child here in Thailand is an horrendous process taking years and years.I gave up.

Best to take the child to your home country and adopt there.Far,far simpler.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is this possible ? If so does anyone have any experiance of doing this in the UK?

[Richard Hall]

Don't be too pessimistic about this subject. I talked to the Thai Deparment of Social Welfare about 2 years ago and received lots of indepth information back then. The officiers there are very sensible and down to earth but the law rules that an adoption must to the only advantage of the child. ONLY advantages and nothing such as "at least the child is better off than in the present situation".

Lots of issues are taken into consideration particularly also the solid financial situation of the adopting party (assets, income, retirment fund, insurances etc.). When a foreign male intends to adopt the legitimate child of his Thai wife there must be legal marriage for at least 6 months. A report needs to be written by the mother under what circumstances she has met her husband and under what conditions they live. Authorities are going to check your home and the environment (even if the child has been living with you already for years). If the domicil is outside of Thailand Thai authorities ask for cooperation by the foreign authorities. The home country of the adopting father must agree to issue a visa for the child once the adoption (or temporary custody) has been granted.

Anyway, when it comes to child care the role of the mother is of much greater importance than the father particularly if there has never been a legal marriage. Actually, essential is not really who is the biological father but rather who has been taking care of the child. As said the officiers are very down to earth and are well aware that are heaps of pricks that may be able to produce a child but give a &lt;deleted&gt; about caring for it. If in certain situations the separation has already been for a long time there might be the possibility of "the father can not be reached/found etc." and procedures can be carried out without the consent of the biological father. In many cases the law may require that something needs the signature of both parents but there are ways and also well-meaning and good hearted officiers.

It is surely a well known story that certain individuals try to benefit financially on that little drop of sperm they "misplaced" once but there is not always the absolute necessity of feeding the alligator. Awarding the beast for f... and dropping this can not be the right way. Thailand is catching up with great steps and good reasoning can get one much farther than one thinks at certain moment.

Nevertheless, adoption is quite a long and demanding process but mainly in the interest of the child to avoid any complications and life hardening situations in the future.

Have a good base to build on, argue wisely and reasonably and be persistent - and even the adoption of a child with Thai nationality can be managed.

Heaps of luck.

Richard

Edited March 15, 2005 by Richard Hall

[madmadang]

There is certainly a lot of documentation.The problem is that a lot of it has to produced by the authorities of the home country of the father,in the UK that means the adoption and fostering department of your local authority.They have an enormous workload meaning many visits home probably over a period of a couple of years.

Edited March 15, 2005 by madmadang

[Rolo Tomazi]

I had to travel SIX times to the next big city which is 100km away (total of 1200km), in a period of six months (had to get mentally ready for another setback) just to get my motorcycle registered, which I bought in another changwat...

Good luck!

[desi]

There is an orphanage north of Bangkok I believe, where a good number of the children are waiting for adoption to Australians. Perhaps give them a call and see what their experiences are? It's not the same for sure, but it's a start and they'll know the ropes.

desi

[lungbing]

What benefit is there is adopting your wife's child(ren) ?

Would they acquire the new father's nationality and right to , say, a British passport?

If they change their surname to their adopted father's surname would they lose property rights etc.

Whilst it would make you feel good (as it would me to adopt my wife's girls) what actual benefit would there be?

[bkk_mike]

What benefit is there is adopting your wife's child(ren) ?

Would they acquire the new father's nationality and right to , say, a British passport?

If adopted in the UK - yes. (or inter-country adoption)

If they change their surname to their adopted father's surname would they lose property rights etc.

No - they still have Thai nationality. After all, they still inherit that from their mother...

Whilst it would make you feel good (as it would me to adopt my wife's girls)  what actual benefit would there be?

Foreign passport is a great benefit for travel purposes in the future. Simply not having to apply for a visa to go to other countries saves so much time...

Edited March 25, 2005 by bkk_mike

[bkk_mike]

There is certainly a lot of documentation.The problem is that a  lot of it has to produced by the authorities of the home country of the father,in the UK that means the adoption and fostering department of your local authority.They have an enormous workload meaning many visits home probably over a period of a couple of years.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I believe this is only if you're habitually resident in the UK.

It isn't a requirement if you're living/working in Thailand, as a purely Thai adoption can be done. (and as Thailand is now a signatory to the Hague convention, I believe that the Thai adoption will be recognised at a later date if you return to the UK, although don't take my word on that - I think that's a matter for legal advice).