The criteria for requesting to receive a child as an adopted child, in cases of foreign families who are seeking to adopt children for care under the custody of the Department of Children and Youth, are as follows:

1. The applicant must be at least 25 years of age, and at least 15 years older than the child being received as an adopted child;
2. The applicant must meet the qualifications to receive an adopted child in accordance with the laws of the country where the applicant is domiciled, and must have a domicile in a country that has diplomatic relations with Thailand;
3. If the applicant already has two or more children in his or her custody, the eligibility of the applicant will be reviewed by the child adoption committee. Adopting children with special needs will be processed prior to the process of adopting a normal child;
4. If the applicant has health, criminal, or social problems, his or her eligibility will be reviewed by the child adoption committee before the process of adopting a child begins;
5. The applicant and his or her spouse must have been registered as being married for at least one year at the time of submitting the application for child adoption. 

In addition, applicants for child adoption must possess the following social qualifications:

1. Having good physical health;
2. Having stable employment and a good income;
3. Having no more than two biological children or adopted children in the family;
4. Having no history of criminal activity;
5. Having no history of mental illness;
6. Possessing a positive attitude toward child-rearing;
7. Having a plan for raising a child;
8. Having completed a training program to become an adoptive parent through a governmental agency or a child welfare organization.

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