In Thailand, most children needing a new family are between 1-2 years old but can be as old as 20, the age at which the country stops recognizing children as minors. Many foreigners choose to adopt for many reasons, including not having biological children, wanting to expand their family, and offering a less fortunate child a brighter future. If you’re considering adopting from Thailand to the US or the UK, you’ll require the assistance of ViZe Counselor, the #1 law firm for international adoption in Thailand.
Whether it’s a Thailand domestic adoption or an international adoption through a registered adoption agency in Thailand, many legal hurdles will require careful navigation to ensure that the Thailand adoption requirements are met. Adoption from Thailand to the USA or the United Kingdom can be a long and complicated journey but with the ultimate goal of making your family complete and welcoming in a new and much-loved child. ViZe Counselor of Bangkok has a team of Thailand adoption solicitors to ensure the adoption is completed legally and efficiently.
We serve our clients with a lineup of highly qualified and experienced international adoption lawyers with vast expertise in dealing with Thailand adoption laws. You could want to execute a private adoption in Thailand and adopt your husband or wife’s biological child or children. Or you are communicating with a Thailand adoption agency to add to your family and give a child a fresh start. Whichever path you are following, an adoption attorney in Thailand is essential to help bridge the gap and ensure all Thailand adoption laws are upheld and followed.
The legalities of the Thailand adoption requirements are never to be overlooked, regardless of whether you go through an adoption agency in Thailand or private adoption. The Thailand adoption laws are in place to protect the adoptee and the adoptive parent or parents. Adoption is a challenging and highly emotional procedure, and the ultimate goal is for the adoptee to be placed with a loving new family and for the child to be raised in a caring and doting environment, whether in Thailand or a foreign country, such as the US or the UK. ViZe can lend our expertise in adoption in Thailand for foreigners from our Bangkok office to ensure the process runs smoothly and legally.
Understanding how adoption in Thailand works goes a long way to reduce the stresses and anxiety you’ll be required to deal with for the duration of the adoption. Adopting from Thailand to the UK or the US can take 24-36 months and requires considerable financing. Currently, international Thailand adoption costs sit between $20,000-$35,000, roughly broken down into a Thai adoption agency fee of $8-$10,000, a foreign fee of $5-$8,000, and travel expenses that could run into thousands of dollars. The ViZe Counselor adoption lawyers in Bangkok will assist and guide you through the adoption, whether it’s a Thailand domestic adoption or international.
Two categories of adoption in Thailand allow foreigners to adopt a child. Foreigners can elect the Thailand domestic adoption if they have residency in the Kingdom or opt for inter-country adoption if they propose raising the adoptee outside the country. Several preliminary qualifying conditions must be met to be suitable under the Thailand adoption laws. A foreigner applying for a Thai adoption must be at least 25 years of age and a minimum of 15 years older than the adoptee. If applying as a couple, the foreign applicant must have a legitimate spouse and be legally qualified in their home country to adopt.
Adoptive parents must be over 25 years old and at least 15 years older than the adopted child | Adoptive parents must be married for at least six months | Must be legally qualified to adopt a child under the law in his/her home country |
Adoptive parents must receive confirmation from an authorised agency | International adoption will also usually involve immigration and nationality issues. | Private Adoptions: These are adoptions processed between individual natural and adoptive parents. |
Once a foreigner has met the Thailand adoption requirements and is qualified, an application can be submitted in one of the following ways. Suppose the foreign adoptive parents reside outside of Thailand. In that case, they must apply to the related authorities in their home country and the non-governmental child welfare agency approved to deal with the Child Adoption Centre of the Department of Social Development and Welfare of the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security of Thailand.
If you are a foreigner residing in Thailand permanently and meeting the Thailand adoption requirements, you must submit proof of residency and house registration. For adoption in Thailand, foreign applicants must apply to the Department of Social and Development Welfare in the province where they reside. Adoption in Thailand for foreigners is also permitted for those living within the country temporarily. With a valid work permit, at least six months of living in Thailand before applying, and capable of completing six months of residency pre-adoption placement, an application may be made to the DSDW.
In conclusion, multiple factors must be considered when applying to adopt. Speaking to a ViZe Counselor adoption attorney in Thailand will give you a clearer view of your options for domestic or international adoption in Thailand. An expert adoption lawyer from our Bangkok-based law firm will guide you through meeting the Thailand adoption requirements and ensuring the Thailand adoption laws are adhered to. You can look forward to growing your family with the addition of a Thai adoptee.
To learn more about adoption in Thailand and current waiting time requirements, our adoption lawyers in Bangkok await your call. Adoption from Thailand to the USA or the UK requires expert legal help, and we have a wealth of experience and expertise in international adoption in Thailand. Adoption for foreigners in Thailand has many obstacles, including the language, but our Thailand adoption solicitors speak Thai, English, German, Cantonese, and Mandarin. If you need a first-class international adoption lawyer, call our Bangkok office today!
If you go through a Thailand adoption agency, it’s reasonable to expect the entire process to cost between $20,000 and $35,000. Breaking down the Thailand adoption cost, you’re likely to pay a fee somewhere in the region of $8-$10,000 to a Thailand adoption agency, foreign program fees of $5-$8,000, and then you could be looking at another $5-$10,000 in travel expenses. If you are planning a private adoption in Thailand, you wouldn’t have the agency fees, but hiring an adoption lawyer would be highly recommended to assist in completing the process correctly and within the Thailand adoption laws.
Agency adoption in Thailand and current waiting time conditions are between 18 and 36 months. Once you have applied to a Thai adoption agency, if you are matched with a waiting child, a Thai adoption can be concluded in around one and a half years.
If you are looking at adopting from Thailand to the US, you’ll need to acquire the services of an agency that is Hague-accredited as well as licensed to work in Thailand. The Child Adoption Act of 1979 of Thailand regulates intercountry adoptions, and a ViZe adoption lawyer can help guide you through the legalities involved in the adoption process.
If you’ve tried searching the internet for adoption lawyers near me? or for an international adoption lawyer in Thailand, you’ll see that Thailand adoption solicitors bill clients on an hourly basis. Hourly fees can range from 1500-5000 baht for routine matters.
Adopting from Thailand to the UK, the US requires many conditions to be met. Adoptive parents will have their age and marital status considered as a part of deciding on their eligibility. Contacting an adoption lawyer or an adoption agency in Thailand and adoption agencies in your home country will help you understand the specific demands for adoption.
