The process of receiving an orphaned child as an adopted child in cases in which Thai adoptive families receive children in need of care from the Department of Children and Youth

     Adopting a child is an option for people who want to have children, and the trend of adopting children has increased over the past several years. Many singles and married couples who have been trying for a long time, but have been unable to conceive, have turned to this option. The act of adopting a child is a legal obligation between the biological parents and the adoptive parents, which results in the rights and responsibilities of the biological parents being transferred to the adoptive parents. There are two types of registration for adopting a child, as follows:

1. In the case of a young child chosen for adoption, a request for approval must be submitted to the Child Adoption Board. If the applicant has a domicile in Bangkok or is a foreign national with a domicile in Thailand, the request must be submitted to the Child Adoption Center under the Department of Social Development and Welfare. If the applicant has a domicile in another province, the request must be submitted to the District Office or the Office of the Provincial Social Development and Human Security. Once approval has been granted by the Child Adoption Board, a request for registration with the registrar must be submitted within 6 months from the date of approval notification. In the event of any special circumstances preventing registration within the 6 months, the applicant must submit a request to the board detailing the circumstances for consideration of an extension of up to 3 months from the end of the period of special circumstances.

2. In the case of a person who has reached the legal age and meets all the legal qualifications to be an adopted child, a request for registration to adopt a child may be submitted to the registrar without the need for approval from the Child Adoption Board.

The required supporting documents are as follows:

1. National identification card;
2. A request letter for child custody;
3. A power of attorney letter along with the national identification card of the authorized person. All copies of the documents provided must be certified as true copies by signing them.

Criteria, Methods, and Conditions for Consideration 

     Verification must be provided to show that the prospective adoptive parents have met the qualifications as moral and ethical parents, which are outlined in the guidelines for registering applicants.  In the case of Thai adoptive families who are seeking to adopt an orphaned child under the auspices of the Department of Children and Youth, the relevant laws apply, namely the Child Adoption Act of 1979.

Qualifications for Those Who Will Adopt a Child and Become Adoptive Parents

• Adoptive family members must be at least 25 years old and at least 15 years older than the prospective adopted child;
• Adopted children who are 15 years old or over must provide their own consent;
• Adopted children who are minors must obtain the consent of their biological father, mother, or legal caretaker;
• If a parent who wishes to adopt a child or an orphaned child has a spouse, he or she must obtain the consent of his or her spouse first;
• An adopted child of a particular individual may not be an adopted child of another individual at the same time, except for the adopted child of the spouse of the person who wishes to become an adoptive parent.

Data updated on March 23, 2023. 
Source: Digital Government Development Agency 
Tel. +66 2612 6060