Cross-Border Adoption
รับบุตรบุญธรรมข้ามชาติ · § CrossBorder
What to know before you act
Intercountry adoption in Thailand falls under the Child Adoption Act and the Department of Children and Youth, alongside Hague Convention principles. Step-child adoption differs from adopting a child in state care. We prepare, translate and legalise documents and coordinate each stage.
Timing and external dependencies: Depends on adoption type, home study, the trial-care period and the receiving country's authority — expect a long process.
Official fee: Government fees follow the Thai and receiving-country authorities' schedules — confirm directly.
Timing is not a promise of an outcome or hearing date. Check the notice, limitation period and current authority rules for your matter.
What to send for the first review
Send every relevant page, a dated sequence of events, any hearing or filing deadline, and the outcome you need. This lets counsel identify urgent steps, missing evidence and a precise scope of work.
- Home study report from home country (Hague accredited)
- Marriage certificate (if any)
- Criminal background checks for both
Legal Basis
Child Adoption Act B.E. 2522 · DSDW regulations · Hague Inter-country Adoption Convention 1993 (Thailand ratified 29 Apr 2004).
📚 Official sources — check the current law and procedure before acting
- กรมที่ดิน— Department of Lands
- กรมการปกครอง — ทะเบียนครอบครัว— Department of Provincial Administration
- สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา — ตัวบทกฎหมายฉบับทางการ— Office of the Council of State
Who Needs This
Foreign couples adopting Thai children · Thai families adopting foreign nieces/nephews · Same-sex couples where their home country allows.
Required Documents
- Home study report from home country (Hague accredited)
- Marriage certificate (if any)
- Criminal background checks for both
- Medical and psychological evaluations
- 12-month income and asset statements
- Home country consent (Article 17 Hague)
Common Pitfalls
- Adoption is legally complete only on registration; informal care has no legal effect
- The receiving country may have separate visa/citizenship rules for the child — plan both
- Beware anyone offering to speed up or ‘find a child’ — adoption must go through state agencies
Typical Use-cases
- Thai-American couple adopting Thai niece/nephew
- British couple childless adopting via Hague
- German same-sex couple adopting from Thai care home
- Thai-American parent adopting Thai relative to bring abroad
FAQ
- How is adopting my Thai spouse's child different?
- It is usually shorter because the child already lives with the family, but consent and legal approval are still required.
- What documents are needed?
- Typically passports, marriage certificate, home study, income proof, medical certificates and police clearances — foreign documents must be translated and legalised.
- Can you guarantee approval?
- No. Approval rests with state authorities; we help check and prepare documents against the published list, and the authority may still request more.
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Official sources — legal services
The information on this page follows the official sources below. Always check the latest version before you file.
- Office of the Judiciary— Office of the Judiciary
- Ministry of Justice— Ministry of Justice
- Lawyers Council of Thailand — Notarial Services Attorneys— Lawyers Council of Thailand
- Office of the Council of State — Thai law database— Office of the Council of State
- Royal Thai Government Gazette— Royal Thai Government Gazette
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Contact us by phone, LINE or email for a free initial enquiry and a quote after document review. Timing depends on the work and relevant authorities.
General information before proceeding: Confirm current requirements with the receiving authority before using your documents. This page is not a legal opinion for your individual case — meet the team · editorial policy
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Frequently asked questions
- Can a foreigner own 100% of a Thai company?
- Full foreign ownership is possible for some activities, but there is no blanket permission. Check the Foreign Business Act definition, actual activities, sector-specific restrictions and any required licence or certificate. BOI promotion and treaty rights apply only within their approved scope; they do not automatically confer land rights, visas or work permits. Do not use nominee shareholders. Verify the proposed structure with DBD.
- What is the minimum registered capital for a Thai company?
- Do not apply one capital figure to every incorporation, foreign-business licence, visa or work-permit application. Registered capital and paid-up capital are different, and the applicable requirements depend on actual activities, ownership, permit category and any BOI or treaty conditions. Capital is a company funding requirement, not our service fee. Confirm the relevant criteria with DBD, the Department of Employment and Immigration before choosing the structure. Ask our team for a quotation for the agreed work.
- How long does company registration take?
- Separate document preparation, name reservation, signatures and DBD review from VAT registration, Social Security and bank onboarding. Timing depends on the filing channel, complete documents and any requests for corrections or additional evidence; no completion date is guaranteed. Ask our team for a quotation and a planning estimate after the proposed structure and documents have been reviewed.
- What ongoing accounting obligations does a Thai company have?
- A Thai limited company keeps statutory books and prepares audited annual statements even without trading. Tax returns depend on its payments, VAT status, accounting period and taxpayer category: PND1, PND3 and PND53 are not universal monthly returns for every company, and PP30 applies to VAT-registered businesses, including nil-return months while registration remains active. Check PND50, PND51 and each filing deadline with RD; check annual statements and shareholder filings separately with DBD.