We are lesbian couple planning to have RIVF in thailand. We are from the philippines and gay marriage is not legal here. Do you know any fertility clinics that accepts clients with no marriage certificate?

fwiw, the marriage cert thing is barely a blip here, clinics see way more complicated paperwork from expats every day. you might get more friction from the airline or your PH travel insurance than from the fertility clinic itself, so sort those basics first.

one angle nobody mentioned: some clinics like the IVF center at Vejthani have a dedicated LGBTQ intake coordinator now, they'll walk you through the consent forms without even blinking at the "partner" line. also ask about their shared-risk or package plans, since RIVF with two of you involved means double the monitoring, and a flat package beats paying per scan.

for the baby's paperwork, ngl, the PH side is the real headache. thailand will issue the birth cert fine, but you'll likely need a court order back in Manila to get both names on it. start that conversation with a PH family lawyer before you even book flights, it'll save you a year of back and forth.

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You'll find that most clinics here treat this as a routine intake thing, they really just want your medical history and payment sorted. The bigger question is which doctor you click with, since RIVF means one of you carries and the other donates eggs, so you want a place that's straightforward about splitting the cycle costs. I'd actually suggest looking at IVF Clinic at Bumrungrad or the newer one at MedPark, they're pricier but their international coordinators are used to explaining the donor and recipient sides of the paperwork clearly.

The practical thing people forget is that your Philippine passports need to be valid for at least six months beyond your planned stay, and some clinics will ask for a copy of your partner agreement just for their own records. If you're staying in Bangkok for the egg retrieval and transfer, budget around 3 to 4 weeks total, and ask the clinic if they can bundle the monitoring appointments with your hotel nearby, a few of them have deals with places along Sukhumvit Soi 11.

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honestly most clinics in Bangkok don't care about marriage certs, they're used to international patients from all over. I'd look at BNH or Samitivej, they handle a lot of same sex couples from places where it's not legal. SuperCare or the IVF center at Thainakarin also work with single women and couples without papers, just bring both your passports and a notarized letter saying you're partners if they ask.

one thing though, the legal side for the baby is trickier than the clinic part. you'll need a lawyer for the parental recognition stuff back in the PH, since thailand's surrogacy law is strict for foreigners. clinics won't ask for a marriage cert, but the embassy paperwork might, so budget for that. a quick consult with an agency like Bangkok IVF or Fertility Center 2IC is worth it, they have translators and know the loopholes.

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Krua Dok Mai Kao is solid but I've always found their som tam a bit tame on the pla ra. If you want the real funky version, try the shophouse spots along Soi Udomsuk 26, near the night market end. They pound it fresh with fermented fish that'll clear your sinuses, and it's like 60 baht. Different style from the On Nut places, more Lao-leaning.

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for som tam specifically i'd say the Isaan spots in Chatuchak are underrated, weekdays only though since the weekend crowd ruins the vibe. there's a stall near gate 2 that does tam pa with fermented bamboo shoots, super sour and funky, not something you see much in On Nut. if you're already heading north for Or Tor Kor anyway its worth the detour.

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honestly the som tam at Krua Dok Mai Kao is good but what got me hooked is their nam prik pla raa dip with the raw veggies, that funk hits way harder than the papaya does. think most people sleep on it cuz they just order the som tam and gai yang. also pro tip, go before noon on weekdays, after that teh pla ra gets milder cuz they batch it for the lunch rush

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