hi , looking at shipping my old Labrador from UK to Nonthaburi .....   any one done similar ? how did the dog cope with the heat ...... how did the import go ? 

thanks in advance ....... 

I brought my dog from Australia. I had heard a few not so good stories so I decided to use a pet move agent in Australia. Expensive but I feel worth it.

 

They visited where she was staying gave her rabies vaccination and checked her out. They picked her up the night before her flight (I was already in Thailand) and boarded her overnight. Next day took her to the airport and put her on a flight. She flew from Brisbane to Bangkok, but as arriving at 8pm too late to get her through to Chiang Mai so Australian agent used representative in Bangkok. They picked her up and boarded overnight and to airport in morning. She then flew to Chiang Mai where I personally picked her up.

 

When the crate came out she looked dazed but soon as she saw me her tail started wagging and she got very excited. She was 4 years old at the time. She has now been here 10 years. The heat does affect her a little but probably less than me. She has an air-conditioned bedroom to sleep in at night. Vet fees are very reasonable here compared to Australia (not sure about England). A few years back she was diagnosed with CHF (congestive heart fail) with a leaking valve and an enlarged heart. She is on medication and I shudder to think how much all her treatments would have cost me in Australia.

 

She is now over 14 and is still doing ok and I have no regrets about bringing here.

Apart from all the pre-flight issues: rabies test, chip, proof of ownership, right crate, dog passport with all listed vaccinations, paperwork......it was a nightmare for our Labrador-Mix.

At the EU-airport we had to remove everything out off the crate. Security checked everything, then we were not allowed to leave water and some food for him. We've been told the flight crew would do it. We said then Good Bye to our companion 10 y.o. He was calm because he trust us.

We booked a direkt flight with him together. He was on our ticket actually..

In BKK it's easy to collect, just next to the luggage belts.

However,.........we were shocked: The crate was broken. Our dog tried to bite through the crate. No drinking water inside, no food. Fluffs bleeding.

It was a Thai flight. Nobody responsible. What else do you expect? It took more than a week for him to forget bad experience. We then booked a van for us alone to Chiangmai. The driver stopped regularly every 2 hrs. and I told him not to exceed 100 km/h. He was a very, very good driver!

How does he cope with the heat and other dogs?

Well, the heat seems to be not the biggest problem. Sure, he needs his rest and always water to drink. Same as we do.

With other dogs it's a bigger problem: Our dog is somehow socialized. So he did not expect aggressive and deadly soi dogs. Most time when we are outside our plot he is on a leash, whereas Thai dogs never had. And always I walk with a good bamboo stick in my hand to defend my friend when necessary. I got pepper spray always in my pocket. 

At the beach our dog can run free. So I chance it every day for at least 2-3 hrs. 

Well, as I said this flight was horrible. 

However, another flight from BKK to EU also with Thai was perfect. No stress for the dog, no jet lag, no psycho problems.

Judge yourself.

I personally have not Imported a Dog into Thailand.

However, a good Friend of mine did, and he told me a few Years back, it was the worse decision he had ever made for his beloved Dog, was to bring the Dog from UK to Thailand with him, and wishes he had had the Dog put down before moving here..

My Friend told me that his Dog ( Golden Retriever ) had never really ever adapted to life in Thailand, and was never truly happy.

The Dog could not adjust to the Heat and Humidity, was forever getting bitten by Lice, and other Insects, and was generally not happy because of a lack of places to run and be free  as Dogs like.

Open spaces here are not the same as in the UK, and are infested with all kinds of Insect life that loves to torment a Dog

His Dog was never able to run in the Grass, fetch a stick or go swimming ( all the things it loved ) due to the torment that would follow.

You have to be the Judge of what is best for your Dog, but please consider these kind of things for the benefit of the Dog

 

7 hours ago, Cake Monster said:

and wishes he had had the Dog put down before moving here..

Would he have done that with kids if he had any?