Once a suitable family has been found and accepted (or the family has applied to adopt a child they have already selected), further processing steps are required by the Thai authorities. The most important of these is approval by the adoption board. This board has a very busy schedule and typically meets only two or three times a month to review adoption cases. Repeated delays are common and can last for weeks or even months. Don't despair; your case will eventually be prioritized.

Once the adoption board has approved the adoption, your family will be assigned an appointment for an interview with the board in Bangkok. You will then receive the "To Whom It Is Addressed" letter, which confirms the board's permission to care for the child until the adoption is finalized. Please note that there may be delays in receiving this document and scheduling the interview appointment. You may receive the "To Whom It Is Addressed" letter before your trip (through your adoption agency) or only after you arrive in Thailand. You cannot finalize your travel plans until your adoption agency has given you a confirmed appointment date. (Sometimes you will only receive a few weeks' notice before the actual interview appointment, but your adoption agency will have informed you in the weeks or months prior that your case is approaching.)

If you live in a different state than the one where your adoption agency is located, approvals may be required between the adoption authorities of both states, in accordance with the Interstate Compact on Placement of Children (ICPC). Your agency will handle these formalities and inform you as soon as the appropriate adoption authority in your state has approved the placement (if required in your state), so that you can travel.

Under Thai law, both parents in a two-parent family (or the single parent in a single-parent family) must travel to the U.S. to meet with the Youth Welfare Office and complete the necessary adoption and immigration documents. If you have already adopted a Thai child, a representative from the Thai Youth Welfare Office (DSDW) can accompany your second and any subsequent Thai child to the U.S., provided the family covers the travel expenses for both the representative and the child. However, using this escort service can extend the adoption process by weeks or even months.

Families in Thailand typically travel alone, not in groups as is common with some other international programs. The services offered by local tour operators vary, so be sure to inquire about them when choosing a tour operator.

The typical trip duration for families to Thailand is 10 days to two weeks. If your child is not in Bangkok, travel within Thailand and possibly a longer journey will be necessary, as you will need to travel to Bangkok for the interview with the Board/DSDW after taking custody. Only after this interview will you receive the adoption certificate, which qualifies you to apply for a visa. Therefore, even if your child is in northern Thailand, you must apply for the visa at the embassy in Bangkok, not the American consulate in Chiang Mai. (There is no consulate in southern Thailand.)

Most Thai orphanages request that prospective adoptive families visit a child several times before taking them into their care. This undoubtedly eases the transition for the adopted child, but can temporarily unsettle the prospective parents. Sometimes it's possible to take the child into care on the first day, but this is not guaranteed. During the visiting period, families adopting an older child may be allowed to take the child on outings before returning them to the orphanage. This privilege, too, may or may not be granted depending on the child's individual circumstances. If the child is in foster care, you will likely meet with the foster parents in the presence of a staff member from the non-governmental organization. To ease the transition for the child, several meetings may be arranged.

As with all aspects of a Thai adoption, the legal regulations and bureaucratic requirements can vary locally. Trust your adoption agency for detailed instructions. If you have to handle all the formalities yourself, such as delivering documents, making copies and translations, and arranging transportation between hotels, government offices, orphanages, photographers, clinics, etc., you will have less time for sightseeing and relaxing with your child. Factor this into your travel plans and consider adding extra days if sightseeing is important to you.

Legal matters in Thailand include applying for a visa, including completing Form I-600 (if you haven't already done so in the U.S.) and the accompanying Form I-864 (Statement of Sponsorship). You will typically schedule an appointment at the embassy and then return for a second appointment to receive the visa. You will need passport photos of your child. Please refer to the instructions from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS). (Your agency, NGO, and/or orphanage can recommend photographers or provide you with photos they have already taken.) A medical examination of the child is also required for visa issuance. Speak with your agency for recommendations of clinics/hospitals and how to obtain the form the doctor will need to use for the medical report. If your child is in the Chiang Mai area, you may be able to complete this step there before traveling to Bangkok, as there are doctors in the area familiar with the necessary procedures. The medical examination required for the visa is usually brief and superficial. Some foster families even take care of this step for you before your arrival – but the child is usually examined by the adoptive family.

The Thai orphanage or NGO should issue a Thai passport for the child; there may be a separate fee for this. You will likely receive some form of birth certificate, but this may not be an official Thai birth certificate. Some families initially receive a copy of the Thai birth certificate and only get the original months later, once the adoption is registered under Thai law (see "Post-Adoption Activities"). You may be asked to obtain a certified English translation while you are in Thailand if your agency, NGO, or orphanage has not already done so. Some families never receive an official Thai birth certificate but instead a substitute document confirming the child's date of birth, signed by the orphanage director or another official. (Following an adoption in the U.S., your state may issue a "Certificate of Foreign Birth" or a similarly named document, which should be sufficient even if you never receive an official Thai document.)

The actual interview with the adoption committee/DSDW usually only lasts 15 to 20 minutes. Its main purpose is to confirm the information in your application. If there are any serious concerns regarding your suitability, these will have been addressed before you are invited to the interview. You will be asked if you are certain you want to adopt the child and may be asked to discuss some of your documents with the committee. You may then be asked some basic questions about your occupation, childcare arrangements, other children in your family, their education, your family life, your plans for the child's cultural integration in Thailand, any special needs, and so on. You will attend the interview with the child you wish to adopt. (Don't worry if your child is restless; the staff have experienced this many times.)

After the meeting, you will receive the "Agreement"—an important document that allows the U.S. government to issue you a visa for your child's legal entry into Thailand. The agreement establishes temporary custody but is not a final arrangement under either Thai or U.S. law. You must obtain the agreement before your final visa appointment; the embassy may ask you to submit it before this appointment to expedite processing. Typically, you will be asked to attend an early morning visa appointment (including payment of the fee) and return in the afternoon to collect the document. With your passport and visa, you can leave Thailand with your child.