International-Country Adoption in Thailand
Candidates wishing to adopt a Thai child must contact authorized agencies in their country of residence to begin the adoption process in Thailand, including obtaining an application form, preparing necessary documents, and conducting the home study.
Once the home study has been completed, the authorized agency will forward the documents to the Center for Adoption in Thailand for the Child Adoption Board (CAB) for verification.
List of documents for adoption in Thailand
- Application form for the adoption of a child in Thailand;
- Homeschooling report compiled by the authorized body on the physical and mental health as well as family and financial situation of the applicants;
- Approval statement made by an authorized agency confirming that the applicants are eligible to be adoptive parents
- A statement made by an authorized agency agreeing to supervise the pre-adoption of a child for three-day progress reports to DSDW;
- Medical certificates;
- Birth certificates;
- Marriage certificate;
- Certificate of dissolution of previous marriage (if applicable);
- Proof of profession and income;
- Full financial statements;
- Recommendations from two responsible persons;
- A valid foreign adoption agency license;
- Photographs of applicants (in prescribed format);
- Certification from the appropriate authority authorizing the immigration of the child.
All of the above adoption-related documents are in Thai and must be certified by the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate in the country where the applicants reside. Documents in a language other than English or Thai must be attached with an English or Thai translation and translated and certified by an authorized translator.
If the adopted child is the applicant's relative or adopted child, the application and all required documents will be forwarded to the CAB for adoption review and approval. The CAB's decision will be communicated to the applicant through a government agency in the applicant's country.
Suppose the adopted child is not a relative of the applicant before sending the application to the CAB for review. In that case, DSDW will arrange to match potential adopters with a child legally available for intercountry adoption in Thailand.
After matching and with CAB approval, photos and information related to the child's background and health status will be sent to the prospective adoptive parents for review.
If the prospective adopters accept the child, the case will be forwarded to the CAB and the DSDW Director General for placement approval before adoption.
However, suppose the prospective adopters live abroad and want to take the child out of Thailand for pre-adoption. In that case, the case must be referred to the Minister of Social Development and Human Security of Thailand for approval.
Pre-adoption
Once the pre-adoption is approved, both prospective adopters must travel to Thailand for an interview with the Board and bring the child to their country for at least six months for pre-adoption.
Upon return to their country, prospective adopters are asked to report to the designated authority in their country to oversee pre-adoption placements. The authorized agency is responsible for submitting a three-month pre-adoption report to the CAB for approval of the final processing of such adoption.
Approval and processing
With final adoption approval from the CAB, prospective adopters must register the adoption by Thai law within six months of confirmation of such notice.
Registration can be done at the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate where the adoptive parents reside, and once registration is complete, the adoption is finalized by Thai law.
The adoption must then be legalized by the relevant law of the adopting parents, and the authorized agency will inform the DSDW of the final results of the adoption.