Buying A Dog In Thailand ... And Bringing It Back To Your Home Country.

[kunsanuk]

This is a quick guide for people who want to buy a dog in Thailand and bring it back to their home country. Since good information is not easy to find, I hope this will help many. Please note that there may be some mistakes. In that case do not hesitate to correct them !

1- Places to buy a dog

Avoid buying a dog in Jatujak! Most of the puppies there have illnesses and many have the Distemper fever that is usually fatal to the dog.

If you still want to buy there the only good place is "Joe". This guy is clean, serious and treats the puppies with care. He will also deliver the certificates of vaccination.

It is however preferable to buy a dog from a farm. The best is to buy an animal magazine and look in the ads. Be also careful that, in some farms, dogs are degenerated because of poor blood mixing.

2- Vaccination

One of the first things to do is to be sure that your dog is vaccinated against rabies. If not bring your dog to the veterinarian. Note that the dog must be older than two months to get vaccinated.

3- Identification

You should bring your dog to get an RFID identification chipset (500THB).

It seems that this will be a mandatory requirement to all dogs from March 2008.

The best place in Thailand is the Small Animal Hospital in Kasetsart (north of Bangkok) but they have no equipment for RFID so you'll have to go in a private clinic (there is a nice one a few kilometers further north on Paholyothin road).

4- Bringing your dog to your home country

Do not wait until the last minute since, for example, if you haven't done the test for rabies serology it will take more than three months to be able to bring him back!

Be sure that:

1- Your dog has an electronic tattoo (RFID)

2- Your dog is vaccinated against rabies.

3- The EU regulations require also that your dog has a rabies serology certificate made three months before going back home and at last 30 days after the last rabies vaccination. Note that if you do not respect that delay, you may be able to leave Thailand will your dog but your dog will have to stay in quarantine in your destination country for the remaining days of the three months period ...

Three days before leaving Thailand you have to go to the Thailand Quarantine Office at the airport to get a health certificate. You will also require a copy of your passport. Ask the quarantine office for what you need to bring with you.

Suvarnabhumi Airport animal quarantine station.

Free zone Area, CE-1 building 1st Floor

Suvarnabhumi Airport, Racha Thewa Sub-district, Bang Phli District, Samut Prakan Province, 10540, Thailand

Tel: 02-1340731, Fax: 02-1340732

It seems that companies like Air France allow you to bring the dog on cabin if the total weight of the cage plus dog is less than 6kg. Otherwise you dog will have to go in the special compartment for animals. Please check with you company since the regulations may vary depending on the carrier.

It is also a good idea to ask your veterinarian to give you some sleeping medication for your dog. Be careful that the quantity of the drug must be adjusted to the weight of your dog and the duration of the travel.

Your dog must be carried in a cage.

5- Getting a rabies serology certificate

As there is no recognized laboratory by the EU in Thailand for performing this kind test, the serum sample has to be sent abroad. To get a rabies serology certificate you have basically two options:

1- Pay a lot and get everything done for you

You can go to private clinics such as the Thonglor Pet Hospital. However it will cost you about 17000THB !

2- Pay much less but do it yourself :

a. Be sure your dog has an RFID

b. Be sure your dog has been vaccinated against rabies at least 30 days earlier and not more than one year earlier.

c. Bring your dog to the hospital to get a serum sample and print and bring the export document (see attached pdf) and ask it to be signed by both a veterinarian and a government veterinarian. You'll usually find a government veterinarian in Kasetsart. Otherwise you'll have to go to the Thailand Quarantine Office in the new international airport to get the official stamp. The export document must specify that the blood sample (serum) has been taken from a non-contaminated healthy dog; otherwise your sample may not be allowed to enter the country.

d. The serum has to be kept cold in the freezer.

e. Buy a small postal box, a thermo bag (the ones they give you when you buy ice cream at the supermarket) (or better a thermo box), 0.4kg of ice in a plastic bag (or better buy some dry ice). Pack everything up nicely, make a small pocket on the box for putting the application form and the export certificate (do not forget to make a copy of these documents). The better the package, the better are you chances that the serum arrives in good conditions…

f. Go to the post office and send it by EMS (750THB for 0.5 kg, 3-4 days) or UPS or DHL (1-2 days).

A good laboratory close to Thailand is the Choong Ang Vaccine Laboratory in South Korea :

Choong Ang Vaccine Laboratory

59-3 Hwaam-dong, Yuseong-ku, Daejeon, Republic of Korea

Tel: +82 42 863 9322

Fax: + 82 42 863 8454

Contact : Dr. Eunhee Kim (pharmehk_NO_SPAM_@hanmail_NO_SPAM_.net_NO_SPAM)

The price is W55000 (60 USD) which is about 2000 THB. There may be a $10 additional charge for the sending of the certificate back to you.

g. The payment can be done by SWIFT but the charge will be about 1300THB !!. The best way is to get a "bank draft" (charge 200THB) and put it in the package to be sent.

Certificate_for_serum_of_dog_to_be_imported_into_South_Korea.pdf

[November Rain]

Firstly, there are other reputable breeders of dogs & vets in Thailand than the ones you have mentioned. I do agree with you about Chatuchak, though. Also, distemper is not the only (often) fatal disease particularly for young pups - what about parvo virus? Or E-canis? These are also prevalent in Thailand.

Secondly, in my experience (4 times of sending dogs to EU countries), the serum doesn't need to be refrigerated. I made that mistake the first two times & then was told as long as it was couriered (Fed-ex), there's no need for refrigeration. The second two samples were accepted & viable, so I guess that it's acceptable.

Edit - I've always sent the blood (sorry, serum) samples to the country the dog will be going to. Seems simpler to me.

[Nienke]

It is also a good idea to ask your veterinarian to give you some sleeping medication for your dog. Be careful that the quantity of the drug must be adjusted to the weight of your dog and the duration of the travel.

It is strongly advised NOT to sedate your pet during travel by air.

From page 1 of the pinned thread ‘importing a pet into Thailand’: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...=88593&st=0

I hope you are not going to give them something to make them sleep. Sedatives suppress the respiratory system of the dog and aircraft are pressurised at between two thirds and three quarters of normal atmospheric pressure, this lowers the blood pressure of both humans and animals. Sedatives generally work by lowering blood pressure so the combined effect could be detrimental to the well being of your pet. It can also cause disorientation. Several airlines will not

accept your pet if they are sedated

It's much better to start crate training the animal far before the actual travel, so that it will feel safe and comfortable in the crate.

Nienke

[November Rain]

Very good point re crate training & non-sedation, Nienke. Totally agree.

I'm surprised that EMS & DHL accepted a serum sample. They (both) wouldn't accept it from me. Fed-Ex would, but only with the aforementioned vet's statement that it was a serum sample from a non-contaminated dog.

Should also make the point that the rabies test is not required for all countries. It's not required for UK, for instance, due to their quarantine laws, although an awful lot of paperwork is required by them, including paperwork from your chosen quarantine kennels. Always check with your own country's Gvt dept (usually agriculture or livestock dept) as to what their actual requirements are.