WaatWang

I wish I saw this earlier. On Sunday afternoon we saw a three-legged dog near the railroad tracks and intersectoion of Soi Siam Country Club. How long has she been missing? It was a medium-sized dog, dark in color, not sure I'd describe it as a collie but we were going by on a motorbike. I am 100% sure it had three legs because it had that hop to it's gait which made me do a second-take in the first place - it was one of its rear legs that was missing. I'd never seen a 3-legged dog wandering about before - only the one who stays put at Friendship all the time.

Hope you find her, and now I know to keep an eye out. If I see her again, is she friendly to approach or not? We could try to take her home with us and get in touch with you.

WaatWang

I didn't have the monk do the "water pouring, string holding, candle lighting, chanting" dealy because I told them my cat(s) weren't buddhist.

Ah, I love it! Perfectly logical explanation, and just makes me wonder what religion cats are! :jap:

When we had a dog die here in Pattaya, our veterinarian was able to do a private creamation for us and we have our dog's ashes back as well. No ceremony though - I think it is a nice service for those that are interested in it.

Thanks for sharing the phone & website for future reference.

Anyone know if this will still happen even if it's raining (as it is right now)? Debating whether to go or not...

Thanks for any info at this late hour!

WaatWang

I am pretty confident it will go ahead as scheduled. Lots of floats involved and the rain has stopped in Central Pattaya.

Thanks for the info, chickie! I'll head down to check it out - maybe see you there...

Anyone know if this will still happen even if it's raining (as it is right now)? Debating whether to go or not...

Thanks for any info at this late hour!

WaatWang

Hi Quail Egg,

I've lived here for about 1.5 ys and just had a trip back home recently. I can tell you what I brought back most of (because I have difficulty buying them here) were clothes and beauty supplies. Especially jeans, and cute feminine looking shirts. Even though I'm a M in the US, I'm an XL here because of the size difference between Asia and US. There is a lot of underwear cheap here but it just does not seem very durable, and also the size difference makes it difficult to buy that stuff here.

Sure wish there was a Goodwill - nothing like that here that I've found. Secondhand stuff seems to be looked down on in Thailand. There are a few pawn shops around but they seem to try to sell for high prices even though their stuff is used. Definitely not like in the US where you can get everything high quality second hand for next to nothing! I am currently in Pattaya area, not Chiang Mai, so maybe some locals up there would have more ideas for you.

There is a Craigslist for Thailand but it's the whole country, so you'll need to look at each item to find out how far from Chiang Mai it is. Maybe you can find some good deals that way.

As far as household products, if you go to the night markets you can get the items you'll need for your house, like towels, bedding sets, dishes, storage containers, etc quite inexpensively.

So, why are you coming to Thailand? Good luck with your move!

Kind regards,

WaatWang

Things, situations and definitely people change. If changes never happened the dinosaur would still be roaming the earth…Whoops I forget there is one type of dinosaur left and it can still be found in small pockets around Pattaya (mainly anglo style bars and agogo) but I am afraid that it is becoming a endangered species, as it's habitats are rapidly altering and its foods sources are dwindling and becoming far to cosmopolitan and unpalatably for it's weak digestive system.

The Dinosaur in question is the "Whingosaur" it's main trait as the name implies is to whinge and whine about all things new, especially the influx of a new more dominate two legged mammal known as the "Notenglishenoughapod".

I am afraid if the "Whingosaur "does not accept change and adapt to its new environment it is doomed to extinction.

Banglay, I love your definitions! I will be on the lookout and try to avoid Whingosaurs, for sure!

As for the original topic, I have only been here to see a few high seasons, but to me it seems like this year was very busy - much busier than last year.

Hello,

I just brought my dog to Thailand last month. When I applied for the Import Permit, they put info about the banned breeds right in the email and on the certificate (although they don't match!).

In the email -

Thailand not allowed Pit Bull Terrier, American/English Staffordshire Terrier, American/English Stafforshire Bull Terrier or related group of these breed into Thailand.

On the official stamped import permit -

This is to certify that <my name> is granted to import 1 head of dog (Except: Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, American Staffordshire Bull Terrier or related group of those breed)...

My dog is a mixed breed but could pass for a pit bull or a staffie. He is small though, only about 35 lbs (16 kg). You can read my post at the end of the 'Importing a Pet Into Thailand' reference thread. I didn't mention his breed in that post.

This made me extremely nervous but I took the chance for three reasons:

- My dog is already 10 ys old and not thriving in the US without me. If I did not take him now he would not have the chance to come again.

- I had read about other people importing these types of dogs after the ban on TV.

- I personally know a Thai woman who lives here that has imported several purebred pit bulls from the US without any problems (as recently as within the last two monts). She used an importer (but I was travelling with my dog).

As luck would have it, my dog made it through without any problems, and the man at the import office did not even get up to look at my dog. In case he had, however, I made sure all my paperwork was in line with 'Mixed Breed' on it - my vet changed it on the rabies certificate and all his records. I also printed out breed info on Boxers and was prepared to say he's a boxer mix, because if you look at his face he does have the shorter nose and long jowls, and could pass for a boxer mix as well. Who knows what he really is - that is what makes breed bans so ineffective, instead of making legislation based on their actions (deed not breed).

I took my chances and made it through, but this is obviously no guarantee that anyone else will be able to do the same in the future. My guy is 10 ys old, arthritic, no teeth left to speak of, and now happy as pie to be living here. I hope you can post a similar success story in the coming months!

Kind regards,

WaatWang

OK so this may seem very lame but it's been my experience and you asked for opinions! I have gone to Chiang Mai two times in the last three years for a visit. I love it up there and we were seriously contemplating moving up there as it's cooler (temps), beautiful scenery, quieter, and would save us a lot of money. But as a farang woman, I find it difficult to find a western toilet when in public places. Maybe the locals can help me out with this and I was just going to the wrong places, but seems like even in the large shopping establishments (Big C, Tesco, etc) there are only "squatty potties" to be found. For men, I can imagine this is not as big a deal but it's enough of an annoyance for me that I decided Chiang Mai wasn't for me. I do still enjoy going there on holidays, though!

Saw this story online and thought you might like it since you're going through the same experience now. Best of luck with your dog!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1193525/The-street-dog-changed-lives-The-story-familys-love-starving-animal-saved-Thai-backstreet.html

WaatWang

Hello,

This thread hasn't been updated in a while so I thought I'd post about my experience bringing my dog into Thailand. I was extremely nervous about it, but thankfully it all worked out in the end!

To perhaps save people some time (especially if coming from the US), I would recommend reading the following posts in this thread first. They were most helpful to me and the information is still up-to-date:

86, 94, 151, 158

After researching which airlines had the best track record with transporting pets, I decided to go with Delta. Now that it's all said & done I can wholeheartedly recommend them - they really put me at ease during the whole experience. Before I booked the flight, I called them to confirm our dog would be ok to travel on the itinerary I wanted to take. They only allow a certain number of dogs to be in the pet hold, so I wanted to make sure there was room for him before I paid for the flight. I booked the flight with my travel agent, then had to call the airline back to add him to my Ticket. They simply added a note that he would be travelling with me as checked baggage on the flights I had booked, and there was a $200 fee payable on the day we left.

Our dog had already had a rabies vaccination last year, but the Thai guidelines state the vaccination must be given within 21 days of arrival. So here is a timeline of our vet visits and vaccinations.

Before 21 days of arrival:

- Rabies (was done five months prior per his previous vaccination history)

- DHPP (required per Thailand)

- Leptospirosis (required per Thailand)

About two weeks prior to leaving:

- Emailed my Import Certificate request (instructions in post 158). Because he did not have the final vaccinations yet, when I emailed it I didn't include any copies of his vaccinations. Instead I listed which vaccines he already had (on which dates) in the bottom section under my signature, along with contact information for my veterinarian. I said he had an appointment coming up to receive the final vaccinations required and listed the date. They did not ask to see any proof of vaccinations prior to issuing the Import Permit, and they emailed the permit back to me within two business days of my request.

In the one week prior to leaving:

- Rabies (required per Thailand)

- Bordatella (aka kennel cough - not required, but good to have for travelling)

- Health Certificate (required per Thailand and the airline)

- Brought all documents to my bank and had them notarized

- Brought Health Certificate to USDA office to be stamped with their special stamp. This seems like such a waste of time and $36, but even my vet said it should be done. When I was travelling, nobody even looked at it. The USDA representative doesn't even need to see your dog when they stamp the form; they only needed to view our current rabies certificate. *sigh*

- Made four sets of copies of everything including my flight details, passport and visa stamps, vaccination history, certificate of health with the fancy stamp, and import certificate

- Bought all the bedding for the crate (about five fleece throw blankets for warmth and two big towels for liners in the bottom), along with the feeding cups for food and water that attach to the door

- Made an info sheet about my dog with our flights, and emergency contact info

(Hi, I'm Buster and I'm 10 ys old. This is my first time flying, so I might be a little nervous. I don't bite and I get along with other dogs, …) It had his picture on it, along with a picture of me and my fiancé. I had this laminated, then taped it to the top of the crate with one of the sets of copied paperwork underneath (vaccination history, health certificate, flight info, passport, etc).

- Purchased special treats and ice for his trip – Delta even allows you to put in a big marrow bone. These keep my dog occupied for hours!

- Packed his meds (he has arthritis) & some extra blankets for him in my carry-on bag.

- Checked every day that the weather would cooperate – per Delta regulations the temp at JFK needed to be above 20 degrees Fahrenheit in order for pets to fly. (If travelling in the summertime, they have a max temperature also, so you should be aware of that.) Thank you, Mother Nature, for complying!

- Prayed and tried not to worry (a lot!!)

On the day of our flight, of course there had to be a big snowstorm, and the airline said our dog needed to be at the airport to check in at least 4 hrs prior to the flight. So after a five hour drive to the airport, I am worried now he's going to be on this flight for 14 hrs *and* in a crate for 4 hrs before the flight. However, Delta staff was awesome – they let me check in and gave me a boarding pass, but allowed me to stay with my dog in the lobby of the airport until right before the plane began boarding. This allowed him to have a good meal before we left and a nice walk to do his business right before he got in his crate.

Staff accompanied me to a special security area where they had to examine the crate and its contents, and my dog. I put in food & ice in the cups (ice because the water spills going up & down the ramps but ice will take a while to melt, so it's more likely he'd be able to have some water during the flight). I put my dog inside and they also secured the door with a plastic tab. Then he was off to Japan and I boarded the flight.

When I got on board, I told the stewardess that I was travelling with my dog and asked her to confirm that he was in the pet hold, and asked that the captain could monitor the temperature for him. She assured me that on their flights the pet hold is kept at the same temperature as the cabin I was in. About ten minutes later she also returned with a small piece of paper that had his name & my seat number, and it said "I'm on board, too!" which was really nice!

So we were off on our 14 hr trip to Japan. The flight was good and no turbulence – yay!

In Japan I went through to baggage and the staff let me check on him, take him out (although not for a walk which was the only drawback), clean out his crate / change bedding, and refill his food & water. He was doing well. I gave him another stuffed bone to keep him occupied for the final six hours of our journey.

Again on the flight to Bangkok, the stewardess gave me the paper that confirmed my dog had been boarded, and assured me the pet hold would be kept the same temperature as the main cabin.

We arrived at Bangkok and I went through to baggage again. I picked up my suitcase and by the time I got to the oversize baggage department my dog was already there waiting for me! They helped me put his crate on a trolley and we rolled over to the Quarantine Station.

The man on duty did not even look at my dog. In fact, my dog was whining a lot and he asked me to leave my dog outside on the trolley while I went into the office to fill out paperwork (it has a glass wall so I could keep my eye on the crate and my luggage the entire time, though). He checked my import certificate, rabies certificate and health certificate, then filled out the forms in Thai. He gave me two copies – one I had to give the man at customs, and the other copy to be kept by me with his vet records. I paid BHT 100 and we were free to enter the country! All that worrying for nothing!!

Now it seems my Buster Brown is enjoying his retirement in Thailand very much. He is getting along great with his new little fur sister, whom we adopted here a few months ago. It is a dream come true to have him with me again.

As with other posters who have done this before, it is terrifying to go through but really, if you have all your ducks in a row it was a pretty straightforward process.

Kind regards,

WaatWang & Buster Brown

Hello Dynamo,

I am also living in Pattaya just over a year now, and am in my 30's. I'll PM you my number & personal email.

You probably already know there is a ladies club here. I haven't been able to attend because I work during the day, but maybe it'd be something you're interested in: http://www.pattaya-pilc.com/

Another group that is great and starting to get some more ladies involved is the Optimist Club: http://optimistthailand.com/

Look forward to meeting you!

Kind regards,

WaatWang

sorry to hear your dog died, that must have torn you up. did you ever go back to the attacking dog's owner and say your dog had died? are you still at the house and have to see the owner every now and then?

Hi Kunash,

Being that the owner is a Thai lady, as mad as I was I handled it in the Thai way. I am friends with another Thai lady in the neighborhood that knows everyone because she's lived here forever. I told her what happened and she talked to the dog owner on my behalf. They said they would muzzle the dog if it was out in the future, and they did for a little while. This was a few months ago now, but recently I've seen the dog out twice without the muzzle. Not much else I can do. At least now I know the dog, the owner knows what happened, and so do all our neighbors. I have to walk by their house every day to go shopping, etc. I'm not going to be a prisoner in my own house because my dogs have all loved walk time, and in over a year living here with three dogs it's the only time I've had a problem. I'm just extra vigilant and very protective of my dog when we're out now.

I hope my scary story doesn't discourage you from bringing your dogs here! Like I say, for the most part it's been no big deal taking them out for walks, and there are definite perks like getting to meet all the neighbors. There aren't many people who don't love a cute dog! It's a good way to meet people in your neighborhood and socialize your dog at the same time.

Kind regards,

WaatWang

Its not that dogs are not socialized, its that they are territorial -- all dogs are territorial its just that dogs here tend to have a bigger territory than a back yard. Walking a dog through another dog's territory will bring on aggression issues, just as if someone brought their dog into your backyard.

Mmmm what I mean is that they're not socialized *with people*. The dog that attacked my dog was actually afraid of me. I didn't make any attempt to shoo the dog away because its owner was right there and I *assumed* that if he was with his owner it would be a good dog. I will never make that assumption again. As soon as he attacked my dog I freaked out and started yelling and waving my hands around - as Bina says "using strong tones" and the dog ran right off. Most dogs I've encountered on the street are the same way. Yes, they're territorial with other dogs, but most of them are scared to death of people.

For my poor dog the damage was already done, we brought her to the vet but she died the next day of internal bleeding. Knowing what I know now, if I had just got between them and yelled he would have run off, and my dog would still be alive.

you said you carry a stick, would you use it? i probably would. but if the dog attacking yours had an owner, who was watching, like what you said, would you still use the stick? i am just thinking about possible future repercussions. and if they were soi dogs and no owner, it would be hard still to hit a dog(s), as they are agile, then they might start on you.

As with my experience above, if yelling does't scare the dog off, you can bet your bottom dollar I'll use the stick, and I don't care who's watching. If their dog comes after mine, I'd rather pay the other owner's vet bill and have my dog still alive (even if it wasn't my fault to begin with) than see another dog of mine die a slow, painful death. Never again. The way I'm looking at it now is, I'm walking the equivalent of a young child out there on the street, and it's my responsibility to protect them. I let down one dog by assuming the best from another dog but it won't happen again.

Hi Kunash,

I will be able to answer all your questions in about three weeks time because I am bringing my dog to live with me next month!

Similar to you I did not bring him with me when I first moved here. I needed to get settled and find a place that would allow me to have him. I have been here now over a year, and we actually had a couple of dogs during that time.

- First dog - small senior dog. She had no problems with soi dogs and we walked several times a day around my neighborhood. We had her for a few months before she developed serious heart issues and the vet could not save her.

- Second dog - medium sized senior dog. We got her around the same time as the first dog so we had two dogs together for a while. After the first dog died I was walking this dog alone to drop off laundry (which we did frequently) and a dog came and attacked her. Believe it or not this was not a soi dog, it had a home and the owner watched the whole event unfold without intervening. She knew her dog was dangerous and lets him out anyway. Don't get me started on that.

What I learned from this situation is that most dogs in Thailand are not well socialized (with people) and that if you're out walking your own dog be prepared to get between dogs you don't know and your own dog(s). If you do this the other dog will run off and stay away from your dog. Carry a big stick. I only walk once a day now - late at night when the soi dogs are not out in force. I also pick up my dog if another dog approcahes, but depending on how big your own dog is, obviously you might not be able to do this.

We now have a puppy so when my dog comes from the US he will have a friend here. She's 5 months old. And by now I know the dogs in my neighborhood, so I know who I can trust and who I can't. Several homes nearby have dogs and we have mini play dates so our dogs can still get some socialization safely. Having dogs is a great way to meet your neighbors!

Yes, my dog in the US is 'safe' and will not encounter soi dogs there. He has a huge yard and a dog door. But going back & forth I still believe he will be happier here. He is old and has arthritis, so the warm weather will actually be better for him here than dealing with winter in NY. And he also misses me very much - he's lost weight and started engaging in some destructive behaviours since I left. I can't wait to get him here. I will stop back and let you know how things go with the trip if you're interested.

Good luck with your own pups!

Kind regards,

WaatWang

That's so cool - thanks for sharing the article!

Once ordered a pizza from Pizza Company via delivery.

Opened it up and noticed that something just did not look right but couldn't quite figure out what (might have been because of the hangover)…then it hit me….there was NO cheese!

How can you make a pizza but forget to put cheese on it (which was their excuse)!?!

Believe it or not, I had this happen to me once in Pizza Hut in the US! When I called them they didn't believe me - I had to bring it back for them to give me a new pizza.

Crazy!

Congrats WaatWang! Whens the big day?

Thanks, SBK! The auspicious day is 30 May.

I do not know Previcox, but Rimadyl is available.

Thank you, Nienke!!

Happened to me the other night, too. I was coming from Jomtien towards Pattaya. A group (no, not Indian or Russian for the record, in case this makes any difference) stopped the bus and talked with the driver. We continued on for a ways but then he turned right onto Thepprasit. I buzzed and walked up to pay (I had gone quite a way) but he smiled and waved me on since he had deviated from the normal route to Pattaya. Picked up the next bus and so only had to pay the normal BHT 10 fare.

Hope your leg feels better soon, Langsuan Man! I sure would not want to be walking any farther than I had to either around here (or anywhere else for that matter!) with a broken leg.

Happy New Year - here's to 2011

My new years resolution is to get fit - after I've finished all the christmas chocolates!!

That sounds like a good plan.

I'm getting married in five months so the rush is on to try to lose some weight *and* get everything lined up for the wedding. It's gonna be a good year, ladies!

Hello pet lovers,

I am estatic that my dog is FINALLY coming to join me here in Thailand next month. Yay!

This dog had a run-in with one of my horses several years ago - our horse actually stepped on his foot. Our vet performed a very expensive miracle and put all his bones back together so he did not lose his leg, but he is on prescription pain meds for arthritis. He has been well maintained on Previcox - does anyone know if this medication is available in Thailand? Alternative would be Rimadyl.

If any of you have pets on these meds could you please let me know? Also curious on the cost to buy them here if they're available.

If they're not sold here I'm going to pre-order several months supply and bring them with me, and then have someone ship me more periodically.

Thanks for your help!

WaatWang & Buster Brown

Thank you for posting this - we are going to Buri Ram this weekend and hope to check it out while we're up there!

Hi Nalak,

What great work you are doing there! Could you please post some directions to your rescue?

Kind regards,

WaatWang

Hi and welcome to Pattaya!

I'm not as young as you but I'm not a retiree either - I'm in my 30's. I have been living in Pattaya for over a year now. Despite what some people will say, I've found it's safe to go most places by yourself. Just keep your wits around you as you would even at home and you'll do fine.

Here are a few suggestions to get out of the house for a while.

Central Festival is a huge mall and is great for window shopping if you just want to waste some time. The basement has very inexpensive places to eat but there are fancier restaurants scattered throughout the mall - all kinds of international dining. And there's a really nice movie theatre. You will find a blend of movies from the west and Thailand. It might be fun for you to check out some of the Thai flicks and they all have subtitles in English. Gives you a sense of the culture and you might pick up some new words while you're watching. The mall is right on Beach Road and any motorbike taxi driver will know how to get you there if you say 'Centran' (I don't know why they don't say it with an L).

Websites so you can check them out (I don't know if we can post links now so I'll break them up)

Mall : w3 dot centralfestival dot co dot th

Movies: booking dot sfcinemacity dot com

The beach is fun for walking and good exercise, whether it's the one in Jomtien or Pattaya. Another poster mentioned Koh Larn and yes it's more quiet and beautiful there, but I went there by myself once and didn't have too good a time. Just to relax it's great, but I think it's better to go there with a friend or family, just my personal opinion. When walking on the beach in Pattay, yes you'll see prostitutes but you are a woman and they won't hassle you - smile and they smile back and that's about it. It's nice to sit and watch the ocean or you can get a relaxing massage right on the beach for about BHT 200-300. I don't recommend the manicures or pedicures though because it can't be too clean there in the sand for that. If you fancy just having them painted, go for it, it will be cheaper than at the mall.

Another nice place to spend some time is Canterbury Tales, a used book store. They also have a restaurant there so you can eat and read for as long as you like. No air conditioning so dress cool. They are within walking distance of Central Festival Beach Mall. Here is their website:

canterburytalescafe dot com

I don't know what your hobbies are - you could take a cooking class to learn how to make Thai food. One school is in-between Pattaya & Jomtien - Easy ABC - you would be part of a group and they speak English.

w3 dot easy - abc - th dot com

Hope this gets you started and you feel at home soon. I have found that Pattaya is a fun place to live. If you want to get together sometime LMK!

Kind regards,

WaatWang

Hey Action,

I saw in a recent version of one of the local papers (I think it was Pattaya People) there was an ad for the CTLS Language School saying that they had new classes planning to be rolled out soon and eligible for Student Visa Status - one of these was how to become a Real Estate Agent in Thailand. I don't see anything on their website yet but you might try giving them a call to see when the classes will actually start.

Website is www dot tlslanguageschool dot com.

Good luck!

WaatWang