| Parental Age | Thailand does not have set guidelines, but the trend has been: - Minimum 25 years and at least 15 years older than the child
- 25-35 referred infant and older
- 35-40 referred toddler and older or infant with special needs
- 40-50 referred school-aged and older or toddler with special needs
- Parents over age 50 must be pre-approved, and over 55 are discouraged.
|
| Length of Marriage | No country requirement, but agency may have a requirement. |
| Divorce | For a married couples, a total of 2 divorces (1 per spouses, or 2 for 1 spouse |
| Children in Family | Thailand does not have set requirements, but the trend has been that they will place with families with up to 2; flexible for older or special needs children and for families who have previously adopted Thai children; Youngest child in home must be at least 2 yrs. old at time of application. |
| Single Applicant | Single applicants accepted on a case-by-case basis. May be required to accept special needs child. Prior approval by Thailand government required. |
| Sexual Orientation | Does not knowingly place with homosexuals. |
| Children Available | 12 months to 8 yrs. at time of referral. The majority are 14 months to 2 yrs. at time of referral. Children over 2 years may have some special needs. |
| Race/Ethnicity | Asian |
| Gender | Not a specific policy of Thailand, but many agencies require childless couples and families who already have a girl must be open to a child of either gender. Shorter wait for boys. |
| Adopting more than one unrelated child at same time | Not allowed. |
| Travel in Country | - Both parents required to travel;
- 8-14 days average.
- Parents do not travel in groups.
|
| Referral Method | Standard; referrals sent to adoption agency which then matches to family on their waiting list. |
| Wait for referral (after dossier is submitted) | 2-6 months after dossier submission. Usually shorter if child is on waiting list with special needs. Waiting times vary by agency due to the referral method. (See above.) |
| Wait after Referral | 6-8 months |
| Approximate Cost | $11,000-$20,000 plus travel |
| Adequacy of medical reports | Medical and developmental information available, but not extensive. Because the children are often relinquished by their birthparents, it is possible to receive birth family social history. |
| Youngest Age Upon Arrival Home | 12-14 months, but average is closer to 18 months. |
| Orphanage/Foster Care | Generally orphanage, although a few agencies have set up a foster care program for the children they place. |
| How children enter government care | Voluntarily relinquished due to poverty |
| Prevalence of FAS | Not enough placements to get a consensus from IA doctors interviewed. |
| Program Stability | Stable. |
| Number of children placed in the US 2002-2008 | 462 |
| Growing/Declining | Holding steady with about 56 to 70 children coming to the US per year. |
| Post Adoption Reports | Reports prepared by home study agency at 2, 4 and 6 months. |
| Hague Treaty | Yes |
| Additional Information | About a year after return to the United States, parents must go to the Thai consulate in Los Angeles, Chicago, or New York, or to the Thai embassy in Washington, D.C. to finalize the adoption under Thai law. Adds to the cost. Failure to complete this step could jeopardize future adoptions from Thailand. The Thai Government has a moratorium on adoptions to certain countries, including the US and Canada. This hasn’t had the huge impact on US adoptions from Thailand that was expected since it does not apply to children placed directly from the 3 approved charities that regularly place kids with US agencies. These relief organizations include Holt, Thai Red Cross, and Friends for All Children Foundation. Make sure your agency is currently getting children placed from one of these organizations. Since Thailand is a member of the Hague Treaty on Intercountry Adoptions, prospective parents must use a Hague accredited US agency. Parents report that the quality of care in the orphanages that place in the US are fairly good. |
| Useful Links | |
