Thailand inter-country adoption operates in accordance with the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Inter-Country Adoption. Under Thailand’s Child Adoption Act of 1979, all inter-country adoption applications have to be processed through the Department of Social Development and Welfare (DSDW, referred to as a “Competent Authority”) or non-governmental child welfare agencies (authorized agencies), which are particularly authorized by DSDW and under the direction of the Child Adoption Board of Thailand.
Foreign applicants who intend to adopt a Thai child must apply through the Social Welfare authority in their country or the non-governmental Child Welfare Organization licensed by their government to handle matters of inter-country adoption.
A prospective foreign adoptive parent must:
1. be more than 25 years old and at least 15 years older than the adoptee;
2. have a legitimate spouse in case of applying as a couple or family;
3. be eligible to adopt a child from Thailand under the laws of their home country.
3. The adoptive parent and the adoptee must receive consent from their spouse except where the spouse is not capable of giving consent or the spouse has left the area and his or her whereabouts are unknown for more than one year.
4. A minor cannot be an adopted child of someone else, except where your spouse has adopted the child.
5. It is not possible to adopt more than one child at a time, except for twins, siblings, or in cases of adopting the children of the applicant’s Thai spouse.
6. DSDW advises that it is extremely unlikely that an abandoned child under the age of 1 year would be available for foreign adoption.
According to the Civil and Commercial Code of Thailand, a minor is a person under the age of 20.
Once registered, the Thai government recognizes the adoption and both parties gain the benefits of adoption.
According to the Ministerial Regulation, both of the prospective adoptive parents have to travel to Thailand. In the event of approval of the pre-adoption placement, DSDW will set up an appointment for the prospective adoptive parents to present themselves to the Child Adoption Board in Thailand. They need to come for an interview and to receive the child for pre-adoption placement.
For applicants who are temporarily residing in a foreign country, they must comply with a home study report. The competent authority in their country of residence will assess and confirm their eligibility. Unless the applicants have lived in that country for at least 6 months and will remain in that country until finalizing the adoption, they may need assistance from the competent authority in the country where they are temporarily residing. The competent authority may prepare the home study report and supervise the pre-adoption placement when it is due. The Embassy of their country of residence in such a country confirms their eligibility for inter-country adoption. Furthermore, the concerned authorities of both countries have to confirm with the DSDW the permission for the adopted child to enter the countries.
