CHILD ADOPTION

Child adoption in Thailand facilitates the legal transfer of parental responsibilities from biological parents to adoptive parents. This process culminates in an adoption order, which formally transfers all rights and duties from the biological parents to the adoptive parents. For individuals residing outside Thailand, the adoption application must be routed through both the relevant authorities in their home country and authorized Thai agencies, such as the Child Adoption Center of the Department of Social Development and Welfare (DSDW) under the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security of Thailand.

Adoption in Thailand encompasses two main types under the Civil and Commercial Code:

1. Domestic Adoption: Primarily for adoptive parents, whether Thai nationals or foreigners, who are domiciled within Thailand.
2. Inter-country Adoption: Exclusively for foreigners seeking to adopt a Thai child with the intention of raising the child outside of Thailand.

Once the adoption is granted, certain stipulations apply under the Civil and Commercial Code:

• The adopted child is entitled to use the adoptive family's surname.
• The adoptive parent cannot inherit from the adopted child.
• The adopted child has inheritance rights from the adoptive parent.

Qualifications for prospective adoptive parents, whether Thai or foreign, are outlined as follows:

• Must be at least 25 years old and at least 15 years older than the child to be adopted.
• Foreign applicants must demonstrate the legality of their marriage and their eligibility to adopt a child in their home country.
• Foreign applicants must hold a one-year visa in Thailand with at least six months validity remaining.

Child adoption in Thailand follows a straightforward process, allowing anyone meeting the criteria to apply for adoption.

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