Bringing dog from England to Thailand

[ADog]

Ive a King Charles Cavalier, and i'm looking to bring it to Thailand later on this year should we decide to move.

 

Could anyone tell me the procedure to undertake this task without using an agency as they seem to cost a fortune.

 

I contacted the Thai embassy in London, but havent heard back.

 

Any helpful advice appreciated.

 

[Boyn]

We brought our dog (half cavalier and half cocker spaniel) a few months ago we used a company called Pet Air .Most airlines insist on a proper agency being used. We were going to use Thai air to fly him but at the last minute they refused, apparently they consider that Cavaliers have breathing difficulties. Pet air then arranged for Ethiopian airlines to fly him which i was worried about but it turns out they fly a lot of dogs. The problem was that he had to wait 1 day before he could fly and then do a stop over in Addis Abbaba so it meant he took 3 days to get here, we waited in a hotel at Suvarnabhumi then had to find the agents office in the cargo area. The whole deal cost £2000 and was very stressful. Just to be clear we are from the UK.

[ADog]

Thanks, is there a list of what vaccines that are required as i cant see anything on the Thai embassy website.

 

Also how is your dog doing as obviously the heat of Bangkok is a worry, was looking to walk him early morning and late evenings.

[Polar Bear]

Email the Animal Quarantine Station at BKK and ask them for the latest requirements

qsap_bkk at dld.go.th 

(with @ instead of at obviously)

They are very helpful and speak English. The requirements can vary slightly depending on where you are coming from, but they are typically:

Microchip before vaccination

Vaccinations (at least 21 days before):
Rabies

Leptospirosis
Distemper

Hepatitis

Parvovirus

Health certificate issued by UK

 

You don't need the rabies titre test, but get it done anyway while you are still in the UK. It's valid for life as long as you always give the booster on time.

You no longer have to apply for the import certificate in advance, you get it on arrival.

If your dog is too big to travel in the cabin (they can go in the cabin FROM the UK but not TO, if the airline allows it), then it's very important that you check them onto the flight as excess baggage NOT cargo. (They will travel in their crate in the cargo hold either way, but how they are processed on arrival is very different.)

Having said that, if your dog is too big to travel in the cabin, you will struggle to find an airline willing to take it in the hold because the breed is considered to be at higher risk of dying during the flight.

 

[ADog]

1 hour ago, Polar Bear said:

Email the Animal Quarantine Station at BKK and ask them for the latest requirements

qsap_bkk at dld.go.th 

(with @ instead of at obviously)

They are very helpful and speak English. The requirements can vary slightly depending on where you are coming from, but they are typically:

Microchip before vaccination

Vaccinations (at least 21 days before):
Rabies

Leptospirosis
Distemper

Hepatitis

Parvovirus

Health certificate issued by UK

 

You don't need the rabies titre test, but get it done anyway while you are still in the UK. It's valid for life as long as you always give the booster on time.

You no longer have to apply for the import certificate in advance, you get it on arrival.

If your dog is too big to travel in the cabin (they can go in the cabin FROM the UK but not TO, if the airline allows it), then it's very important that you check them onto the flight as excess baggage NOT cargo. (They will travel in their crate in the cargo hold either way, but how they are processed on arrival is very different.)

Having said that, if your dog is too big to travel in the cabin, you will struggle to find an airline willing to take it in the hold because the breed is considered to be at higher risk of dying during the flight.

 

Thanks much appreciated.

 

Dog is 8KG.

 

Thai Airways have a list of dogs that are banned from going on their flight, and King Charles Cavaliers are not on there.

https://www.thaiairways.com/en_IN/plan/travel_information/pet_travel.page

[Polar Bear]

It seems to vary depending on which version of the site you are looking at. They are listed here:

https://www.thaiairways.com/en_HK/plan/travel_information/pet_travel.page

They aren't on the UK or Thai local sites though. But whether that means they are allowed or whether they just don't keep the pages updated, I couldn't say. You would need to speak to the airline and double check.

[SammyJ]

On 1/25/2023 at 7:19 PM, ADog said:

Thanks, is there a list of what vaccines that are required as i cant see anything on the Thai embassy website.

 

Also how is your dog doing as obviously the heat of Bangkok is a worry, was looking to walk him early morning and late evenings.

You are looking to walk him "where"?  Will you have a house with a yard?  You do know about soi dogs, etc??  It seems you need to do a bit more homework--google can also help with info on importing dogs to Thailand.

[ADog]

22 hours ago, SammyJ said:

You are looking to walk him "where"?  Will you have a house with a yard?  You do know about soi dogs, etc??  It seems you need to do a bit more homework--google can also help with info on importing dogs to Thailand.

Wherever we live in BKK, plan is to get a house/townhouse, but renting with a dog is not going to put me to the top of the list of being able to pick and choose.

Realise its not ideal to bring a King Charles to Bangkok it was never the plan to move there when we got him, but life is what it is and he'll be looked after to the absolute best of my ability; though i've a 2 legged creature to look after who is my priority.

 

Ive seen people walk dogs in Bangkok, without being hassled by soi dogs, no doubt other times they do hassle them, will figure things out as i go. Can also get a treadmill or just got out for 2 x 25 minute runs per day, to keep us both in trim.

 

For me heat is more the issue, than worrying about often docile street dogs.

[SammyJ]

7 hours ago, ADog said:

Wherever we live in BKK, plan is to get a house/townhouse, but renting with a dog is not going to put me to the top of the list of being able to pick and choose.

Realise its not ideal to bring a King Charles to Bangkok it was never the plan to move there when we got him, but life is what it is and he'll be looked after to the absolute best of my ability; though i've a 2 legged creature to look after who is my priority.

 

Ive seen people walk dogs in Bangkok, without being hassled by soi dogs, no doubt other times they do hassle them, will figure things out as i go. Can also get a treadmill or just got out for 2 x 25 minute runs per day, to keep us both in trim.

 

For me heat is more the issue, than worrying about often docile street dogs.

"often docile street dogs"  not sure where you read that--if some are, at times, it may be to people, but when seeing another dog, a smaller one, good luck in the art of self defense,

[mlkik]

7 hours ago, ADog said:

 

 

For me heat is more the issue, than worrying about often docile street dogs.

You will soon find out that the docil street dogs will turn in an instant and attack ,just as the one that  left deep bite marks in my lower leg last year did.

[Polar Bear]

Between the street dogs, the motorbikes, the lack of pavements/sidewalks, and dogs not being allowed in parks, I find walking my dog pretty stressful in the city. We've ended up leasing a car, just so we can get to places where he can walk (mainly Nong Bon). But for daily walks, we rented a place at the end of a long dead end street, which limits the traffic and somewhat limits the number of unknown street dogs. (The regulars are less of an issue.) I still have to carry a stick, but most people on our street know us now, or at least they know my dog, and when we've had serious problems with aggressive street dogs, neighbours have come out to help us chase them off. 

We brought ours over from a very cold climate, and the heat has been an issue, especially as his winter coat appears to be a genetic feature rather than a response to the actual weather. We avoid walking him in the day between about 10 am - 5 pm, unless it's somewhere like Nong Bon, where he can cool off in the water, walk on the grass and stay in the shade.

We do have a yard, and he spends a lot of time lounging around out there. (It's paved, not grass, so less worries about snakes and centipedes, but we do get scorpions sometimes.) I think that's helped him adapt to the temperatures.

The air temperature doesn't drop that much at night usually, my bigger concern is the temperature of the tarmac/asphalt. During the day, it gets so hot it would easily burn his paws. If I'm not sure, I go outside barefoot and check. If it's too hot for me to walk on, it's too hot for him.

 

[JayClay]

8 hours ago, ADog said:

Realise its not ideal to bring a King Charles to Bangkok it was never the plan to move there when we got him, but life is what it is and he'll be looked after to the absolute best of my ability; though i've a 2 legged creature to look after who is my priority.

 

For me heat is more the issue, than worrying about often docile street dogs.

It seems that you understand that there could be issues that will cause your dog major discomfort yet you are still pursuing the idea of bringing it here.

 

It's always difficult to let go but could you not perhaps consider the fact that your dog might well be happier if you were to find him a loving home back in England?

[ADog]

11 hours ago, Polar Bear said:

Between the street dogs, the motorbikes, the lack of pavements/sidewalks, and dogs not being allowed in parks, I find walking my dog pretty stressful in the city. We've ended up leasing a car, just so we can get to places where he can walk (mainly Nong Bon). But for daily walks, we rented a place at the end of a long dead end street, which limits the traffic and somewhat limits the number of unknown street dogs. (The regulars are less of an issue.) I still have to carry a stick, but most people on our street know us now, or at least they know my dog, and when we've had serious problems with aggressive street dogs, neighbours have come out to help us chase them off. 

We brought ours over from a very cold climate, and the heat has been an issue, especially as his winter coat appears to be a genetic feature rather than a response to the actual weather. We avoid walking him in the day between about 10 am - 5 pm, unless it's somewhere like Nong Bon, where he can cool off in the water, walk on the grass and stay in the shade.

We do have a yard, and he spends a lot of time lounging around out there. (It's paved, not grass, so less worries about snakes and centipedes, but we do get scorpions sometimes.) I think that's helped him adapt to the temperatures.

The air temperature doesn't drop that much at night usually, my bigger concern is the temperature of the tarmac/asphalt. During the day, it gets so hot it would easily burn his paws. If I'm not sure, I go outside barefoot and check. If it's too hot for me to walk on, it's too hot for him.

 

Thanks for you comments, much appreciated.

 

Ive a kid and a dog to look after on my own so used to life giving challenges, I wont be working in BKK, so i one thing i will be looking for is somewhere that soi dogs are at a minimum.

 

Gated communities seemingly keep street dogs out, or to a bare minimum, priority is is to find such a place so the dog can get out first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

 

Cheers for the tips on the temperature of the ground, plan is to be up at the crack of dawn for a 20/30 min run/walk, and again when its dark, and run the aircon all day for him.

 

 

[ADog]

12 hours ago, SammyJ said:

"often docile street dogs"  not sure where you read that--if some are, at times, it may be to people, but when seeing another dog, a smaller one, good luck in the art of self defense,

So you've been bitten once, as i have, fortunately the dog only bit my jogging bottoms then buggered off. Hence the comment "often docile street dogs" is pretty accurate based on my experience.

 

[jak2002003]

OP, think very carefully before you bring your dog here. 

 

I have 2 small dogs I got here in Thailand. 

 

I decided to leave my first dog back in the UK when we moved here 16 years ago.  It was heartbreaking. 

 

I wanted to bring the dog, but I knew it was not in the dogs best interests.  I decided to do right for the dog I loved rather than for myself. 

 

I did not want to put my dog through the stress of a long transportation locked in a small cage and it having have to poop and pee in there.  I knew my dog was used to UK weather, and the extreme heat and humidity here (and air pollution) would have been a lot for it to cope with.  

 

I even moved to the countryside here.  A busy, loud, dirty, hot, city is no place for a dog used to life in the average UK home. 

 

On top of that are the diseases and parasites the dog will be exposed to here that are different to in the UK, which it encounter.  Ticks are huge problem here and carry deadly diseases to dogs. 

 

I would advise you to find a good and loving home for your dog and when you are settled here get a new one if you want.  

 

Dogs born and bred here are acclimatised to the climate and have more resistance to diseases here.  

 

Such a huge change in environment will put a lot of stress on your dog, and the breed you have has problems with extreme heat due to their heart problems and skull shape. 

 

It will also not be pleasant to walk your dog on the streets of Bangkok for you or the dog. Street dogs are not usually placid as you seem to think.  They are territorial by nature and a new dog will be challenged.  It can be scary and potentially dangerous for you and your dog to be surrounded and challenged by a group of larger, barking and snapping dogs when you are on a walk. 

 

My 2 new dogs have a couple of set routes on their walks where they have eventually been accepted by the village dogs in those areas.  It took a lot of time and understanding of dogs behaviour to achieve this.  I would not take tnem to new places with new dogs to go through all that again. 

 

 

[ADog]

11 hours ago, JayClay said:

It seems that you understand that there could be issues that will cause your dog major discomfort yet you are still pursuing the idea of bringing it here.

 

It's always difficult to let go but could you not perhaps consider the fact that your dog might well be happier if you were to find him a loving home back in England?

I wouldn't give him away, without giving it a try, people do live in hotter weather with dogs so it is possible.

 

To avoid him being in "major discomfort", it'll be early morning and evening walks, with aircon on in the rooms he occupies, when he's in the house.

 

I bought the dog and its my responsibility to look after him, so we won't be giving him away; we're looking to move to BKK for a 6 month initial period, and the dogs comfort is one aspect we will be taking into consideration as to whether we will stay longer.

 

Many people have dogs as pets in Bangkok, whilst i'm aware its not ideal, it seemingly can be done without the dog suffering, if the owner is responsible.

[jak2002003]

36 minutes ago, ADog said:

So you've been bitten once, as i have, fortunately the dog only bit my jogging bottoms then buggered off. Hence the comment "often docile street dogs" is pretty accurate based on my experience.

 

Everyones experience is different.  I have been bitten 3 times.   

 

2 were not serious, but one required a hospital visit, stitches and anti rabies jabs. 

 

Have you looked at the temperatures are in the morning and evening in bangkok?  Also the air pollution is worse in the morning. 

 

You said you want to 'give it a try' .  So what happens to the dog if you find your experiment does not work out? 

 

Have you lived in bangkok before? 

 

 

[ADog]

2 minutes ago, jak2002003 said:

OP, think very carefully before you bring your dog here. 

 

I have 2 small dogs I got here in Thailand. 

 

I decided to leavw my first dog back in the UK when we moved here 16 years ago.  It was heartbreaking. 

 

I wanted to bring the dog, but I knew it was not in the dogs best interests.  I decided to do right for the dog I loved rather than for myself. 

 

I did not want to put my dog through the stress of a long transportation locked in a small cage and have to poop and pee in there.  I knew my dog was used to UK weather, and the extreme heat and humidity here (and air pollution) would have been a lot for it to cope with.  

 

I even moved to the countryside here.  I busy, loud, dirty, hot, busy city is no place for a dog used to life in the average UK home. 

 

On top of that are the diseases and parasites the dog will be exposed to here that are different to in the UK, which it encounter.  Ticks are huge problem here and carry deadly diseases to dogs. 

 

I would advise you to find a good and loving home for your dog and when you are settled here get a new one if you want.  

 

Dogs born and bred here are acclimatised to the climate and have more resistance to diseases here.  

 

Such a huge change in environment will put a lot of stress on your dog, and the breed you have has problems with heat.  

 

It will also not be pleasant to walk your dog on the streets of Bangkok for you or the dog. Street dogs are not usually placid as you seem to think.  They are territorial by nature and a new dog will be challenged.  It can be scary for you and your dog to be surrounded and challenged by a group of larger, barking and snapping dogs when you are on a walk. 

 

My 2 new dogs have a couple of set routes on their walks where they have eventually been accepted by the village dogs in those areas.  I, t took a lot of time and understanding of dogs behaviour to achieve this.  I would not take tnem to new places with new dogs to go through all that again. 

 

 

Thanks for you comment.  As i say we'll be going out for 6 months, and if it is too much then we'll go back to England.

 

I do realise its not ideal, if i knew it was a possibility that we'd have moved to Thailand in the future i wouldn't have bought him.

 

Type of dog he is, means he is exceptionally attached to myself and child, hence giving him away before we've even tried would also not be in his interest.

[Polar Bear]

Gated communities do seem to be a good option if you can find one that will allow you to have a dog and let you walk it within the community. 

 

In terms of street dogs, I've never had a problem with one round here when I was on my own. Most of the community dogs have calmed down over time and ignore him now, but not all of them. Several community dogs that I would normally consider to be friendly and docile will bark or be outright aggressive when I have my (13kg) dog with me.

 

I don't walk him beyond a quick toilet break after dark. The true soi dogs, who don't live in our street but come round looking for food at night, are out after dark, and they are dangerous. 

The earlier post is correct about the number of parasites here. My dog had a close call with Ehrlichiosis from a tick not long after arriving. 

Having said all that, it's absolutely possible to have a dog here, there are just a lot of things you need to take into consideration when you move.  (I was unaware of many of them when we first came, but we have still managed.)

[jak2002003]

OP, maybe leave the dog with a family member or friends while you come here. After a few months then think about bringing the dog over to join you. 

 

That way you will get to see if it will work out or not and what. if any, peoblems the dog might encounter.  It would also give you and your child time to settle in. 

[ADog]

 

2 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

OP, maybe leave the dog with a family member or friends while you come here. After a few months then think about bringing the dog over to join you. 

 

That way you will get to see if it will work out or not and what. if any, peoblems the dog might encounter.  It would also give you and your child time to settle in. 

My family and friends who can be relied upon to look after a dog for a few months don't exist, only person i can wholly rely on is me!

 

Ive lived in Thailand before and have visited frequently since 2000, so i'm fairly familiar with the place, though i can see from the responses that those dopey Soi dogs may ignore almost all the time, but will be awakened by a King Charles wagging his tail in their manor.

 

Never quite understood why in the last few decades of BKK resembling a 1st world city, it hasn't become govt policy to neuter/spray every soi dog and cat. Seems they've left it to a few charitable foreigners to do it for them.

https://www.soidog.org/content/spay-neuter-and-vaccination-cnvr

 

 

 

 

[mlkik]

13 hours ago, ADog said:

So you've been bitten once, as i have, fortunately the dog only bit my jogging bottoms then buggered off. Hence the comment "often docile street dogs" is pretty accurate based on my experience.

 

When I was at the hospital having my dressing changed and wound cleaaned on a daily basis for 5 weeks I was shocked at the amount of people coming in with dog bites.

My step daughter was bitten 3 times before the age of 12.

Dog bites are very common and so are dog fights with other dogs.

This is what I have found in my 30 years experience.

[ADog]

1 hour ago, mlkik said:

When I was at the hospital having my dressing changed and wound cleaaned on a daily basis for 5 weeks I was shocked at the amount of people coming in with dog bites.

My step daughter was bitten 3 times before the age of 12.

Dog bites are very common and so are dog fights with other dogs.

This is what I have found in my 30 years experience.

As i say above its past time the government done something about soi dogs and neutered /vaccinated every single one of them.

 

Spend all the billions on mask which just stop others knowing you've bad breath, but nothing about a societal problem causing injury and disease thats in plain sight.

[realfunster]

On 1/30/2023 at 2:38 AM, jak2002003 said:

OP, think very carefully before you bring your dog here. 

 

I have 2 small dogs I got here in Thailand. 

 

 

Maybe you are trying to play Devil's advocate but your posts present a highly risk-averse viewpoint.  

To each their own but it seems a crying shame to me that you walked away from your dog who had been your loyal companion for many years.

 

For sure, there are some considerations regarding what you can provide your dogs in Thailand (like any country) in terms of accommodation and time, walking dogs is more challenging in terms of street dogs unless you have a secure housing estate or park nearby but many of your objections are lacking real substance. 

 

I disagree with your overall sentiment, I have owned many foreign dog breeds in my time here and none have had any significant issues with the heat, as long as you are not running them in full sun at midday and providing some shade/water/dog bath at home - but that is common sense surely ? The OP even mentions providing air con for his pooch, luxury ! Mine will only occasionally get that treatment when they come inside for a cuddle and play in the evenings but manage to be fine all day in our yard/garden. 

 

On 1/30/2023 at 2:38 AM, jak2002003 said:

On top of that are the diseases and parasites the dog will be exposed to here that are different to in the UK, which it encounter.  Ticks are huge problem here and carry deadly diseases to dogs. 

Oh come on, when my puppies were born in Thailand they had not had any exposure to diseases and parasites in Thailand either, with proper veterinary care this can be easily addressed via vaccinations and regular parasite medication. 

 

 

On 1/30/2023 at 2:38 AM, jak2002003 said:

Dogs born and bred here are acclimatised to the climate and have more resistance to diseases here.  

So, if you feel it's an acclimatisation process then ? By definition all dogs can go through this process, which can also be assisted by the owner providing appropriate amenities. I've seen Frenchies, Bulldogs, Shiba Inu, King Charles, Pugs, Corgis, Dobermanns, Labradors, Huskies etc all doing absolutely great here. These are all "cool(er) weather" dogs who have adapted just fine to Thailand. Diseases, see above. 

 

On 1/30/2023 at 2:38 AM, jak2002003 said:

Such a huge change in environment will put a lot of stress on your dog, and the breed you have has problems with extreme heat due to their heart problems and skull shape. 

My own spaniel is turning 14 in 6 weeks time. Apart from his glaucoma, he remains very active and seems to have thrived pretty well in Thailand....

 

In my time in Thailand, apart from one Bangkaew, I've only ever owned 'foreign' breeds, never had a major quality of life or health issue.

If my pooches can handle Thailand, so can a similar breed dog arriving from overseas....

[connda]

Find your dog a good home in the UK then adopt a dog in Thailand.  Hundreds of thousands to choose from.

[MyThai1]

Getting back to the OP's original question, this is the quote I've just received from Petair :

 

The following are included in both packages:

• Airline ticket from London with Thai Air to Bangkok, Thailand (subject to availability)  
• Airline surcharges (Handling / Security / War Insurance / Fuel / Airway Bill / Transit Fees)   
• Custom made PetAir UK, IATA approved, wooden travel container with bedding and water facility (see below)
• Export customs entry
• Meet at airport for assisted check in
• Out of hours check in for Sunday flight 

Our Gold service additionally includes:

• DEFRA export health certificate application
• Import Permit
• Collection from home (DH postcode) and three nights boarding
• DEFRA export health certificate completion by a vet
• Transport to the airport
• Check in
• Agents services on arrival for cutoms clearance and airport handover

We can provide the above services for a total cost of Silver £1354.84 Gold £2607.84.

If the OP has found a solution to his question I would appreciate any info as we're looking to take a dog over.

 

[Doctor Tom]

My advice, do not do it. This is no place for pets.  I have two dogs,  but both bought here.  I still feel desperately sorry for them when I compare the freedoms they could have in the UK to what they have here.  No long walks, no nice safe parks where they can run around and meet other dogs and so many dangers. .  The weather is terrible for dogs, the various illnesses and injuries they can sustain are many and varied.  The vet services here are generally appallingly bad. If you love your dog, leave it behind. Bringing it here will shorten its life and what it has here may just make it very miserable. 

[Doctor Tom]

On 3/21/2023 at 10:00 AM, connda said:

Find your dog a good home in the UK then adopt a dog in Thailand.  Hundreds of thousands to choose from.

Hear hear, well said and I second that