taking care of a street kid, the legalities

**ChiangMai noon** · 06-07-2006, 02:43 PM

A colleague of mine has recently taken a homeless 10 year old child under her wing.
The kid it would seem has disappeared from wherever he came from and has several times escaped from social services to come back to the car park where he started.
My colleague has decided that the best thing she can do is to take care of him.
He is now livving in her house and seems to trust her.
I'm sure this isn't a wise move on her part, but regardless of the wisdom, I would like to know, if such a course of action is legal or not, surely you can't just go round taking kids into your home or can you??

Could William or anyone else in the know give me some advice on this??

**Eliminator** · 06-07-2006, 03:16 PM

I would think she should be more scared if the parents find out and scream peadophile and demand money off her to keep them quiet. Any way it goes, it's not going to be good as some Thais, (nosey gossipy people or Bad cops) will give her strife over it, no matter her good intentions.

**ChiangMai noon** · 06-07-2006, 03:53 PM

^
I agree with that eliminator, have told her to be careful of that exact scenario, but she seems to have made her mind up already.
She is extremely determined.

**William** · 06-07-2006, 04:08 PM

CMn - I would need to look into this, but my immediate concern would be whether or not this constituted kidnapping of a minor

**ChiangMai noon** · 06-07-2006, 04:12 PM

^
That's what I'm thinking William.
I think it's pretty foolhardy to say the least.

The police have been contacted about this kid in the past, they say they can do nothing.
he's been bumming it about a car park since christmas.
Says he came up from petchabun or pitchit or somewher like that to meet his mother.
Nobody has been able to get a straight story out of him.

i think it will all end in tears, but would appreciate a bit of advice on the legal side.

I could do without losing my colleague to the prison system.
Thanks william.

**friscofrankie** · 06-07-2006, 04:15 PM

it would then behoove the lady in question to find someone expeienced in this type of endeavor to point her in the right direction in who to notify and what declarations need to be made to cover her ass.

While I think her effort is a noble one it would be terrible if things got turned around on her with it possibly costing her a small fortune to get out of or an inescapable debacle that could shatter a decent human being's life. resulting in legal/personal reputation problems almost impossible to overcome.

I am not a big proponent of the missionaries up here, but this might be a time to ask one of them about any social service agencies that she could notify what she is doing. Is she intent on adoption? if not what are her long-term plans for the child? With the current attitudes and suspicions she should at least get an attorney to help ensure she has a firm legal footing.

**Begbie** · 06-07-2006, 04:18 PM

Tell you're friend well done. Luckily you say she, as I wouldn't advise a guy to do this on his own. Shades of IT Manager.

Legalities are a problem. What will your colleague do when the kid needs to get an ID card. It might be better to approach the social services and let them know.

Is this the kid that's been sleeping behind the Chiang Mai Saloon ?

**ChiangMai noon** · 06-07-2006, 04:21 PM

Is she intent on adoption? if not what are her long-term plans for the child?

She mentioned it this morning, but god knows how complicated it is for a single foreign woman without a lot of money to do this.

Is this the kid that's been sleeping behind the Chiang Mai Saloon ?

Unless there's more than one, i think so begbie.
the new CM saloon that is.

**Begbie** · 06-07-2006, 04:24 PM

Originally Posted by ChiangMai noon

Is this the kid that's been sleeping behind the Chiang Mai Saloon ?

Unless there's more than one, i think so begbie.
the new CM saloon that is.

Well thank goodness someone is keeping an eye on him. I saw the kid about twenty minutes ago.

**friscofrankie** · 06-07-2006, 04:26 PM

She needs to go on record asap as trying to locate parents etc. Helping someone like this is fantastic but losing all (maybe personal freedom?) helps no one.

**ChiangMai noon** · 06-07-2006, 04:36 PM

Well thank goodness someone is keeping an eye on him. I saw the kid about twenty minutes ago.

Where was he??
She is at work at the moment.

She told me she had sent him to the arcade.
She's due to pick him up at 6.00.

Begbie, why did you not come to our TD bash?
Didn't know you were in Chiangmai.

She needs to go on record asap as trying to locate parents etc. Helping someone like this is fantastic but losing all (maybe personal freedom?) helps no one.

Agreed Frankie.
I've just got hold of a number for a boys home in Mae Rim.

**Begbie** · 06-07-2006, 04:41 PM

What a lot of questions. Are you a policeman ?

I may have been mistaken. I'll go and have a look and report back. I was told he'd run away from the Mai Rim home.

Oh and I just received this from Boon Mee in response to my last posting on this thread.

If you look anything like your avatar you're the biggest Wolly-Woofter on TD! LOL

You may recall he's buddy buddy with an old friend of IT Manager.

**ChiangMai noon** · 06-07-2006, 04:44 PM

Nope, just inquisitive and stuff.
Thanks anyway.

**flash** · 06-07-2006, 04:45 PM

Its pretty sad that the world we live in would frown on a kind lady helping out a kid, half the world would be sceptical of someone doing something like this.

She is doing a very noble thing, sadly I think she will get a lot of shit over it.

**ChiangMai noon** · 06-07-2006, 04:50 PM

Talking to my Thai staff about this, 2 things become abundantly clear...

1. they have no idea what do do.
2. they don't give a shit.

**dirtydog** · 06-07-2006, 06:06 PM

I think the first thing she needs to do is goto the police and get them to write a report, the ordinary police not tourist police, this is purely to protect herself to a certain degree, also she will have to take the kid with her to the station, as for adoption it really isn't worth her while, for me to adopt my son under English law I would have to be married, it would then be a 2 year process at least, and that is my own son with me on the birth certificate as the father.

**stroller** · 06-07-2006, 10:36 PM

Originally Posted by Begbie

Oh and I just received this from Boon Mee in response to my last posting on this thread.

If you look anything like your avatar you're the biggest Wolly-Woofter on TD! LOL

You may recall he's buddy buddy with an old friend of IT Manager.

...and been on a trolling mission here, first as "The Gent", now as "Boon Mee".

His "home" site is www.bearpit.net , but it's hard to reciprocate by trolling there, they're really thick ...

**ChiangMai noon** · 06-07-2006, 10:38 PM

All of the real advice is well appreciated.
might make a difference.

DD, I told her something similar, but she is labouring under the misapprehension that because something should be easy, it will be easy.

**dirtydog** · 06-07-2006, 11:48 PM

The easiest way I found was to report the whole family as dead and then move, I doubt if she would be willing to do that though, it might be construed as slightly illegal by some people, also if she contacts the parents they will see this as a money making oppurtunity.

**benbaaa** · 07-07-2006, 09:37 AM

CMN, I'll PM you a good lawyer in CM. He might be able to advise.

**Bwana Brad** · 08-07-2006, 09:21 AM

Legal advice is a must. Notify all the relevant authorities as to where the kid is. Get him checked over by a medical preofessional as well, to have on record that he has not been harmed in any way. Those are just for a starter.

Your friend should also contact her own Embassy for more legal advice. Let them know what she is doing well in advance. they will probably advise her against continuing this course of action, but if she goes ahead, at least they will be in the know and may even have some contacts to help resolve the situation, if not now, somewhere down the track.

l wish her good luck in this noble cause, and hope all is resolved favourably for both people involved.

**William** · 08-07-2006, 09:55 AM

As was said to me yesterday when I was breifly discussing this with a co-worker: it's easier to take in a street dog than a child.

Leaves one wondering where the hell our values have gone

**ChiangMai noon** · 08-07-2006, 09:58 AM

She has contacted social services and been put in tough with a boys' home up here.
unfortunately it is the one he has already escaped from.
She has a meeting on Wednesday, will let you know how it turns out, though they have asked if she was interested in fostering.

**William** · 08-07-2006, 10:02 AM

CMn - unless she has plans to move on in the near future, fostering does sound like it might be a good compromise. Discussed, briefly, farang (without Thai partner) trying to adopt a Thai kid. My head hurt.

**BillyZ** · 09-07-2006, 12:27 AM

Originally Posted by William

As was said to me yesterday when I was breifly discussing this with a co-worker: it's easier to take in a street dog than a child.

Leaves one wondering where the hell our values have gone

You know, even taking in a street dog has it's problems. Taking in a kid off of the streets sounds like a major can of worms. And if your friend doesn't have much money to take care of the boy, she should just let it go.

Time after time in Thailand I see farangs trying to change the way things are in Thailand. And rarely does it work. Whether is be a street kid or a soi dog or a terrible driver or someone who throws trash out the window of the car, it's just the way it is and best left alone. Especially at the individual level.

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