But the number of children taken into care by the Social Development and Welfare Department has fallen to 20-25 a month, compared to 40 per month in 2003, said Wallop Ploytaptim, permanent secretary of the Social Development and Human Security Ministry.

From October last year to April this year, 137 abandoned babies were taken into the department's care, he said. Currently there are 1,910 infants at its eight baby homes, plus 2,749 older children at state orphanages.

Under the Adoption Act of 1979, the ministry has the responsibility of finding adoptive families for abandoned children, as well as children whose families cannot care for them.

The ministry has a procedure to try to ensure adopting families are legally and socially suited, and there is a six-month trial under the supervision of a social worker.

Since 1979 the ministry has given 79,570 children to adopting families - 8,539 of them to foreign families. Between 2003 and 2005, 13,031 children were adopted in Thailand - 11,347 by Thai families and 1,684 by foreigners, Wallop said.

He was speaking during a press conference for the "Native Land Visit" project at Pak Kred Baby Home in Nonthaburi. The project encourages Thai children adopted by foreigners to visit Thailand to learn its culture, traditions and identity. It also provides an opportunity for the government to check on the adoptive families.

On July 17, some 162 participating families from 15 countries will be granted an audience with HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, department deputy head Napa Setthakorn said.