Immigrating with a young Grandchild

[BuriramRes]

I am planning to shift back to Australia with my wife of 7 years. Our problem is that we have been bringing up our grandchild.

He is 4yo and we would like to take him with us.

His mother, my wife's daughter & my daughter by adoption, works as a masseur at a large multi-site Thai tourist resort. She really does not have the ability to keep him there as she lives in the resort in shared accommodation with other female workers.

The young guy has lived with us virtually all his life and would be devastated if we were to leave him in the care of strangers, even if they lived together in our Thai house.

I guess our first step would be to obtain formal guardianship of him, which his mother would agree to and also his father if we could contact him.

His father is a nice Thai guy and he supported him financially for a year or so but is not on the scene now.

Has anyone else done such a thing?

If so, I would appreciate it if you would share your experiences with me.

[Mario2008]

Moved to visa for other countries section.

[Jay Sata]

You are going to have to go down the adoption route in Thailand as you did with your daughter. As you've done it before you know what is involved.

[Mario2008]

But adoption will probably have to be an international adoption, according to both the standerds from Australaia and Thailand to be accepted. Which will make it a lenghty process.

[Jay Sata]

But adoption will probably have to be an international adoption, according to both the standerds from Australaia and Thailand to be accepted. Which will make it a lenghty process.

Sadly that is the way it works.

Not an easy task but we must admire anyone who wants to take care of a child in this situation.

Good luck.

[David48]

Well, here is the first stumbling block ...

I guess our first step would be to obtain formal guardianship of him, which his mother would agree to and also his father if we could contact him.

So, just some facts for confirmation.

You legally adopted, under Thai law, your step daughter, your wife's daughter?

What is the age difference between you and the son of your adopted daughter?

If you have been unable to contact the Father of the son of your adopted daughter, how do you know he would consent to his son leaving Thailand?

.

.

[BuriramRes]

Well, here is the first stumbling block ...

I guess our first step would be to obtain formal guardianship of him, which his mother would agree to and also his father if we could contact him.

So, just some facts for confirmation.

You legally adopted, under Thai law, your step daughter, your wife's daughter?

What is the age difference between you and the son of your adopted daughter?

If you have been unable to contact the Father of the son of your adopted daughter, how do you know he would consent to his son leaving Thailand?

.

.My daughter just

With the adoption of my daughter, I was not aware that I had adopted her.

She simply got the shits about something in her family & wanted to take my name, so I was presented with a piece of paper to sign. I thought it was simply for me to agree to her name change, but I found out later that it was an adoption paper.

Age difference is 68 years. I am 72 & my wife is 52. The plan is for her to apply for Australian residence along with her grand child.

We met the father a couple of times when he visited our house. (nice guy). He also provided support for his child for about 2 years but he lives with his gf/wife in Bangkok. He has not been in touch with us or our daughter for over 2 years. We have not tried to contact him after he cried poor & stopped giving support.

I am currently about to launch a website addressing on-line ordering within the restaurant business so this would have to gain traction before we actually have the finances to establish ourselves back in AUS.

Edited August 28, 2013 by BuriramRes

[harrry]

If you adopted her in this manner it is unlikly that it would be recognised as an adoption by Australia.

[Mario2008]

If you adopted her in this manner it is unlikly that it would be recognised as an adoption by Australia.

Correct, but that was his wife's daughter. We are now talking about the wife's grand-daughter.

[David48]

If you adopted her in this manner it is unlikly that it would be recognised as an adoption by Australia.

Correct, but that was his wife's daughter. We are now talking about the wife's grand-daughter.

Considering the age difference between adopting father and prospective adopted child of "Age difference is 68 years" ... how do the Thai authorities view that?

If the Thai authorities accept that, does the Australian government 'review' the adoption, or simply accept that the Thai Government as approved it, thus OK for Australia.

For example 2 gays can legally marry in say New Zealand, though that marriage not be recognised in Australia ... (no comparison to the OP ... none whatsoever ... more an example on how actions taken in one country are viewed by a second country).

BTW, it's a view that I've read before here ... if you do need the Girl's Fathers approval for this to occur ... there maybe some recompense requested by the biological Father.

Thanks to the OP for an interesting set of circumstances ... I've not seen this before.

Good luck ...

[Jay Sata]

I assumed you had already been through the proper legal adoption route but it appears not so.

You have a lot of paperwork ahead to adopt the child in Thailand which includes dialogue and correspondence from social services in your home country plus police checks to establish you are fit and proper.

[BuriramRes]

I assumed you had already been through the proper legal adoption route but it appears not so.

You have a lot of paperwork ahead to adopt the child in Thailand which includes dialogue and correspondence from social services in your home country plus police checks to establish you are fit and proper.

My wife contacted an official Thai government department in Bangkok and reported that they required something like 26 forms to be filled out including one to be presented to the Australian Police to ensure my criminal background.

It is premature to take the matter further at this time but next time we are in BKK we will pick up the paperwork.

Thanks everyone for your replies!

[BuriramRes]

I assumed you had already been through the proper legal adoption route but it appears not so.

You have a lot of paperwork ahead to adopt the child in Thailand which includes dialogue and correspondence from social services in your home country plus police checks to establish you are fit and proper.

I do not think I could go through the whole adoption process. Think now I will get his mother to get him a Thai passport & then we will probably go to the AUS embassy for the next step. See what they require.

The AUS embassy have quite a neat arrangement for applying for a resident visa for a spouce. You can put in the application, which takes up to 6 months to be processed, but they will give you a second visa (at no extra cost) which enables your wife to travel to AUS during the approval period. If her resident visa is not granted, then the interum one is then cancelled of course. Don't expect that would happen for the young guy though, although if he has a passport & authority from his Mum, then we could probably take him. We'll see!

[Jay Sata]

That sounds like a better idea to me.

You sound like a nice guy and I wish you good luck in your efforts.

[BuriramRes]

I assumed you had already been through the proper legal adoption route but it appears not so.

You have a lot of paperwork ahead to adopt the child in Thailand which includes dialogue and correspondence from social services in your home country plus police checks to establish you are fit and proper.

Of course it is different for a child over 20. My wife's daughter was about 25 when that happened.

[BuriramRes]

That sounds like a better idea to me.

You sound like a nice guy and I wish you good luck in your efforts.

Thanks Jay, not used to compliments.

Edited September 11, 2013 by BuriramRes