Adoption in Thailand

I mentioned in an earlier post about the orphanage that the director said that Thai people don't adopt the chit en. Any adopted go to foreign homes. When I pressed her to ask why that was so, she didn't give a clear answer. As I dug deeper into the question with Dee and Ted, it seems there are three clear reasons - all three with deep cultural roots. First the tradition of extended families means that formal adoption is rare. If a child is left parentless, the wider family takes him/her in without any formal paperwork. The second is the subtle but clear class system in Thailand. Although it is not as apparent as the caste system in India, the language and the customs separate the classes. (The way you address someone indicates their class standing, and Thais seem to know instantly how to address each other.) So it is just not done to take someone in outside of your class group. Finally, in relation to these children, there is still a deep cultural fear of HIV/AIDS. Even a well educated family would be reluctant to adopt because their wider family might shun them for having someone 'infected' in their home.

M