Adoption in Thailand may be carried out through the services of local adoption agencies. In the event that such agencies do not handle Thailand adoption applications, these agencies may instead prepare a home study report and coordinate with a placing agency that will help in expediting the adoption process. An independent application--one that is done without the intervention of an adopting agency, is still legally possible although highly discouraged due to the difficulties encountered in the filing and processing of an adoption application. If ever, independent application should only be resorted to if the applicants are long time residents of the country or possess a working knowledge of the Thai language.

The following are the documents required for every application, which must be attached to the application form at the time of submission to the proper agency: a) an approved home study; b) birth, marriage, and divorce certificates; c) financial statement(s); d) medical letters; e) personal references; f) photos; and g) employer or accountant letters. A letter from the applicant’s health insurance company detailing its future coverage of your potential child may also be required during the application process. Families must also complete the Orphan Visa Petition process if they desire to bring the adoptee to the United States. Most agencies assist applicants in completing the required documents, authenticating the same and in completing all the required visa paperwork.

Once dossiers have been submitted, checked, and accepted by Thai authorities, the process shall continue. Certain variations in some processes may occur depending on the agency and the pre-identification of the child. Given all the variables, processing times are difficult to predict but most applications are completed after 15 months.

Realistically, timelines depend on both your adoption agency and the NGO your agency works with. With some agencies, the child assignment may be made relatively quicker (sometimes within 6 months), followed by an equally lengthy (or longer) wait for travel approval. At other agencies, the wait for a referral of such a child may be longer but the travel time may be shorter. For adoptions that run smoothly, it is reasonable to anticipate a 1-2-year processing period reckoned from the time of submission up to the time of adoptive custody.