Adoption Of Our Son In Los

[sirchai]

Hello,

I'm happily married since ten years and would like to adopt our son, who'd never seen his biological father. (Thai) We're living together now for 10 years and I'd like to adopt him. He's 13 now and I know that he can have a dual citizenship. Don't really know where to start, any idea?

As he had never seen his biological father, as my wife had left him being pregnant, it shouldn't be a problem to do so. We're living together and I'm trying to give him the possibility to decide when he's 18.

Any input would be deeply appreciated.

Cheers- .

[gregb]

Since I assume you are a foreigner and wish to impart your citizenship to your adopted son, your adoption will need to satisfy the laws of both countries. In particular, you will need to make sure that you seek an international adoption compliant with whatever laws your home country has.

In general, the place to begin your search is at your embassy. They will direct you to an appropriate agency that is certified to process an international adoption for your country of citizenship. Expect the process to take several years, and home visits here in Thailand by an agency accredited in your home country will usually be required.

By all means, adopt your son. There is no better idea I can think of. But be prepared for what you are getting yourself into. It will be an involved process.

If you happen to be American, I would recommend contacting Holt International. They have an office in Bangkok. They may not be the cheapest, but they understand all the legal hoops you will need to jump through, and make absolutely certain that the process goes smoothly. I am unable to comment on other countries, but there have been several discussions on this board in the past. You may find useful information by using the search utility at the top.

Whatever you do, do not simply go to the DSDW and adopt the child according to Thai law without speaking to your embassy first. That will almost certainly result in the child not being granted citizenship in your country.

Edit: BTW, you will need the biological father's permission to do this. You should make sure he agrees to this before starting on something that will be a long road.

[sirchai]

Since I assume you are a foreigner and wish to impart your citizenship to your adopted son, your adoption will need to satisfy the laws of both countries. In particular, you will need to make sure that you seek an international adoption compliant with whatever laws your home country has.

In general, the place to begin your search is at your embassy. They will direct you to an appropriate agency that is certified to process an international adoption for your country of citizenship. Expect the process to take several years, and home visits here in Thailand by an agency accredited in your home country will usually be required.

By all means, adopt your son. There is no better idea I can think of. But be prepared for what you are getting yourself into. It will be an involved process.

If you happen to be American, I would recommend contacting Holt International. They have an office in Bangkok. They may not be the cheapest, but they understand all the legal hoops you will need to jump through, and make absolutely certain that the process goes smoothly. I am unable to comment on other countries, but there have been several discussions on this board in the past. You may find useful information by using the search utility at the top.

Whatever you do, do not simply go to the DSDW and adopt the child according to Thai law without speaking to your embassy first. That will almost certainly result in the child not being granted citizenship in your country.

Edit: BTW, you will need the biological father's permission to do this. You should make sure he agrees to this before starting on something that will be a long road.

Thanks a lot! I'm a German national, was actually asking the freaking German embassy a few years ago, but they'd said it would be too difficult. But I've heard of the possibility to adopt him in Thailand, to make sure that he's my son. In addition to have him in my passport as well.

The German embassy had said something like there'd be the "soft" version of adoption in Thailand and the "hard" one through my country. I pretty much doubt that his biological father would have any rights, as he'd never seen him, never asking for him and nobody really knows where he's living now. Nor that they'd ask for his signature to do so.

Apparently, I'm legally married and there should be an easy way, after the Thai adoption to obtain a German passport for him. I'm living and working here, paying taxes and live a pretty much similar life like Thais do.

I know that my embassy isn't really interested in helping me and I'm not into looking for an "appropriate agency". Can't afford to spend a hell lot of money, but looking for a way to sort this out. We foreigners in this country will never really know what will happen in the future.

Wouldn't an adoption under Thai laws would be the most efficient way to start with ? Did anybody out there ever adopt a child in this country, being familiar with the procedure? Thanks a lot in advance for any answers. Cheers-

.

[gregb]

If you have already spoken with the German Embassy and they advised you there is a pathway from Thai adoption to citizenship for your adopted son then I would have to defer to them. You are lucky. Most nationalities do not have that option. If it were me, I might double check with them again just to make sure, but as long as you are confident there are no misunderstandings then you can proceed the Thai route.

As you are married to the child's legal mother the adoption through the DSDW is not difficult. You will need the permission of the biological father, even if he has never participated in the child's life. If it is not possible to obtain his permission, you will need to petition the family court to waive the requirement. Once you have either the court ruling or the agreement of the biological father, you can proceed to the DSDW where you can apply to register the adoption. The entire process takes anywhere from 6 months to 18 months depending on the complexity of your case and the schedule of the government workers. They will conduct independent interviews with you, your wife and the child since he is of age, and will also interview your neighbors. So make certain you don't say anything in your interview that your neighbors won't confirm.

If you are certain the biological father is not available, then your next step would be to hire a Thai family lawyer to initiate court proceedings. He will likely take you through the entire adoption process including the DSDW registration in your province. Your most critical step will be getting past the need for the father's signature. Once that is complete, the registration itself is quite simple as long as you meet the basic requirements such as being married, being 25 years older than the intended adoptee, etc.

You will need to discuss with the German Embassy or a German family lawyer on what the process is after that for your country.

Best of luck in your endeavor.

[sirchai]

If you have already spoken with the German Embassy and they advised you there is a pathway from Thai adoption to citizenship for your adopted son then I would have to defer to them. You are lucky. Most nationalities do not have that option. If it were me, I might double check with them again just to make sure, but as long as you are confident there are no misunderstandings then you can proceed the Thai route.

As you are married to the child's legal mother the adoption through the DSDW is not difficult. You will need the permission of the biological father, even if he has never participated in the child's life. If it is not possible to obtain his permission, you will need to petition the family court to waive the requirement. Once you have either the court ruling or the agreement of the biological father, you can proceed to the DSDW where you can apply to register the adoption. The entire process takes anywhere from 6 months to 18 months depending on the complexity of your case and the schedule of the government workers. They will conduct independent interviews with you, your wife and the child since he is of age, and will also interview your neighbors. So make certain you don't say anything in your interview that your neighbors won't confirm.

If you are certain the biological father is not available, then your next step would be to hire a Thai family lawyer to initiate court proceedings. He will likely take you through the entire adoption process including the DSDW registration in your province. Your most critical step will be getting past the need for the father's signature. Once that is complete, the registration itself is quite simple as long as you meet the basic requirements such as being married, being 25 years older than the intended adoptee, etc.

You will need to discuss with the German Embassy or a German family lawyer on what the process is after that for your country.

Best of luck in your endeavor.

I'd like to "say" thanks a lot. It's great to have such a forum and obviously enough users with a functioning brain.Will start my process next month and will write about the difficulty of it. Greetings from lower northeast...