Bringing Pets Into Thailand

[dotx]

I'm moving to Thailand in May and bringing my dogs with me. They're healthy and will have all vaccinations (and health certificates), but I'm just wondering whether there's any chance they will be put in quarantine. I've read old threads here where people have said that they have had no problem getting in and out of Thailand with their animals and I just wanted to confirm that's still the case.

Edited April 7, 2010 by dotx

[oldgeezer]

I got a big hassle when I brought my dog back from U.S. after a 6 month visit. The vet in the U.S. made out the wrong forms for thailand and of course that required me to pay to prevent quarantine here.

Suggest you find out specific requirements for tests, shots and paperwork to avoid.

[SiamOrchids]

We brought our dog from US to Thailand about 2 years ago. It was pretty simple.

All Vaccinations certified by the Vet

International Health Certificate: This was the tricky part....

On the USDA or APHIS website, there is a list of government certified Vets, that are qualified to issue the certificate.

In our case, we had to go to Scranton, PA (the state capital) and get the paperwork certified and the Health Certificate issued.

Be careful of the weather when you depart, because some airlines won't accept dogs during very hot temperatures, be careful where you change planes, some countries have strict rules about animals in transit (Taiwan was bad)

We did it, we're glad that we did. It's not a big deal, if you follow the rules. I think the charge in Thailand was about 50 baht or 200 baht. No big deal....

[JusMe]

A number of years ago, I brought my dog with me for the winter.

I jumped through all the hoops and had loads of paperwork from home, everything that one could possibly consider needing.

Then we arrived, and I had to almost insist Thai Customs actually look at the damned papers!

"Go through! Go through!"

The general idea, apparently, is that a farang pet is most likely exceptionally well kept and medically sound, so there won't be a problem.

No problem getting them into Thailand at all. Just be aware of some of the difficulties in the travel process.

[kuffki]

As long as you have a few 500 baht notes, you should not have any problems.

[dotx]

As long as you have a few 500 baht notes, you should not have any problems.

I'm flying in from Vietnam, so the trip itself should be no problem. However, that also means that I need to rely on vets here getting the paperwork right. That's a scary thought. Vaccines should be no problem. I have a rabies certificate for each pet and they also have passports. I'm guessing I need to get a health certificate too and I'm hoping that's it? I swear the vets here have no idea and I'm getting conflicting information from different sources as to what paperwork is needed.

And yes, I rather pass along some baht notes that put my pets in quarantine.

Edited April 8, 2010 by dotx

[JusMe]

The "health certificate" I had was s simple letter from my vet saying my dog was in very good health. That was the entire extent of the "certificate." I did, of course, have what you've got - the rabies certificate, and something showing that I was the true owner of my dog.

Never had to consider baht exchange. It really was me trying to slow things down and the Thai customs officer saying, "Go through! Go through!" He did not want to bother looking at the collection of papers I had.

Can't depend on it, but it'll probably be similar for you. No worries.

[desi]

I brought a cat in from another SE Asian country. I decided at the last minute to bring her, so the required shots were done late. Because I read that there had to be so much time after the shots before bringing her into Thailand, I made arrangements for her to wait the time out with my mover while I relocated here. But my mover, who had plenty of experience with Thailand, said don't bother. And after a week he pressed to ship her out (I guess he was tired of taking care of her).

I was concerned because the information the government of Thailand puts out said otherwise and sounded serious if ignored (I believe it states that the animal will be destroyed?) But he said to ignore it because the late shots were not an issue. And he was right. He flew my cat out and I picked her up at the airport around 11pm at night (the government contact at the airport requested the late pickup... yeah...).

Many baht later (I believe it was 1000), she was mine. From what I was told, she never left her cage, so she was not even checked by a vet. If I remember correctly, her papers were in English so I'm not even sure if they were checked either. It made me extremely nervous, but, what to do. I had the assurance (and pressure) from my mover on that end, and the ok from the Thai government on this end. So I did what was advised and it worked out.

[dotx]

Thanks. everybody. This really helps. Maybe I'm just worrying too much, then. I'll make sure I get all the necessary papers (no need to test my luck!), but it sounds like I don't have much to worry about.

I brought a cat in from another SE Asian country. I decided at the last minute to bring her, so the required shots were done late. Because I read that there had to be so much time after the shots before bringing her into Thailand, I made arrangements for her to wait the time out with my mover while I relocated here. But my mover, who had plenty of experience with Thailand, said don't bother. And after a week he pressed to ship her out (I guess he was tired of taking care of her).

I was concerned because the information the government of Thailand puts out said otherwise and sounded serious if ignored (I believe it states that the animal will be destroyed?) But he said to ignore it because the late shots were not an issue. And he was right. He flew my cat out and I picked her up at the airport around 11pm at night (the government contact at the airport requested the late pickup... yeah...).

Many baht later (I believe it was 1000), she was mine. From what I was told, she never left her cage, so she was not even checked by a vet. If I remember correctly, her papers were in English so I'm not even sure if they were checked either. It made me extremely nervous, but, what to do. I had the assurance (and pressure) from my mover on that end, and the ok from the Thai government on this end. So I did what was advised and it worked out.

Edited April 10, 2010 by dotx

[Tracechain]

Does anyone know if it matters when you arrive at Bangkok airport (the main one because I can't spell it) if you are brining in your dog? We arrive 2300 and I was wondering if we will be able to retrieve our dog or wait till following morning/day.

[CharlieH]

What a really useful thread, thanks to everyone so far. I always wanted to bring a dog over to Thailand but have absolutely NO clue where to start, I just assumed the dog would have to go into quarantine for 6 months and dismissed the whole idea of bringing my pet out.

This thread has totally changed my thoughts, so would somebody mind giving me a breakdown of what and how to do it please? travel from the Uk to Thailand with a dog, do I have to use a specific airline, how does that work ? do I have to buy a ticket for the dog (stop laughing, I have no clue).

Could someone give me a breakdown of procedure please ?

Thanks for the help and guidance.

Edited January 12, 2011 by CharlieH

[JusMe]

What a really useful thread, thanks to everyone so far. I always wanted to bring a dog over to Thailand but have absolutely NO clue where to start, I just assumed the dog would have to go into quarantine for 6 months and dismissed the whole idea of bringing my pet out.

This thread has totally changed my thoughts, so would somebody mind giving me a breakdown of what and how to do it please? travel from the Uk to Thailand with a dog, do I have to use a specific airline, how does that work ? do I have to buy a ticket for the dog (stop laughing, I have no clue).

Could someone give me a breakdown of procedure please ?

Thanks for the help and guidance.

Plan well in advance.

If your dog is very small, you are sometimes allowed to take him onboard with you, as long as he fits in a small bag under the seat. Yup - not my choice of travel.

Otherwise you need a travel cage, size depending on the size of the dog.

Make sure you have the necessary vaccinations, proof of ownership, and an "international certificate of health" which can sometimes just be a letter from your vet saying he's in good health.

Contact the airline early and book both of you on the flight. They limit the number of pets they will take, so if you wait too long, they'll say you can't go on that flight.

That's about it. Check in and say fond farewells as he heads off, in his cage, to the cargo hold. Worry yourself all during the flight, and arrive at Suvarnabhumi. He might come out in a special area, or as mine did cage and all, drop onto the luggage carousel. Walk out through Customs/Immigration and if they ask, show them the aforementioned documents. Make sure you have transportation arranged from the airport, as many taxis will simply refuse any pets. And know where you're headed - same is true of hotels and guesthouses.

[CharlieH]

What a really useful thread, thanks to everyone so far. I always wanted to bring a dog over to Thailand but have absolutely NO clue where to start, I just assumed the dog would have to go into quarantine for 6 months and dismissed the whole idea of bringing my pet out.

This thread has totally changed my thoughts, so would somebody mind giving me a breakdown of what and how to do it please? travel from the Uk to Thailand with a dog, do I have to use a specific airline, how does that work ? do I have to buy a ticket for the dog (stop laughing, I have no clue).

Could someone give me a breakdown of procedure please ?

Thanks for the help and guidance.

Plan well in advance.

If your dog is very small, you are sometimes allowed to take him onboard with you, as long as he fits in a small bag under the seat. Yup - not my choice of travel.

Otherwise you need a travel cage, size depending on the size of the dog.

Make sure you have the necessary vaccinations, proof of ownership, and an "international certificate of health" which can sometimes just be a letter from your vet saying he's in good health.

Contact the airline early and book both of you on the flight. They limit the number of pets they will take, so if you wait too long, they'll say you can't go on that flight.

That's about it. Check in and say fond farewells as he heads off, in his cage, to the cargo hold. Worry yourself all during the flight, and arrive at Suvarnabhumi. He might come out in a special area, or as mine did cage and all, drop onto the luggage carousel. Walk out through Customs/Immigration and if they ask, show them the aforementioned documents. Make sure you have transportation arranged from the airport, as many taxis will simply refuse any pets. And know where you're headed - same is true of hotels and guesthouses.

Thanks alot for that info, it really helps, does anyone know what it is likely to cost on the airline ? the dog is a German Shepherd.