Flying with a Puppy inside Thailand?

[PomRakBKK]

Hey,

I have a puppy and need to travel to another part of thailand (12 hours drive, 1 hour drive).

Can i just put him in a box and take her in the cabin with me if i fly air asia? The dog won't leave thailand, he just needs to go from the north to the south on the fastest way possible.

What are the rules/restrictions to fly with her? (vaccines etc)

Thanks in advance

[Mrjlh]

Simple call the airline!

[ShopBoy]

airasia no pets

nokair or thai airways only

[sustento]

Are you expecting the puppy to change gender while it's in the air?

[Garry]

airasia no pets

nokair or thai airways only

Seen many a little yipper on Thai Air domestic flights in carry on cases. I remember one time when this lady let the yipper out and it took off around the cabin, but was soon recovered.

[ardsong]

my experience with thai airways.

your pet have to be carried in a closed box.

you will have to announce this early to the flight carrier as there seems to be a rule that there can only be one pet in one airplane space.

so hope that not another pet is ahead of you.

[ShopBoy]

no restriction on domestic flight just make sure they are in carrier.

once you made your own booking call the airline and make a booking for your pet

[Cuban]

...as above but I recall reading about a weight of box size limitation.

I've travelled on an internal flight where a dog was on board as well, seemed to be a normal event for security and air-crew.

[ALFREDO]

-Pom Rat-

Depends on the weight of the animal, very small, Yorkshire style, or cat can fly in a closed box inside the passenger cabin, bigger animals have to fly in closed flight approved box, can be sometime rented from airline in the luggage compartment or a special compartment of the airplane.

I brought once a cat with her 4 small kittens from Phuket to Khon Kaen.

Was inexpensive, long time ago and no problem at all.

No doctor necessary on a national flight!

Call the airline you choose and ask for their special conditions.

[bkk_mike]

It can only be small dogs as the carrier has to - at least theoretically - fit under the seat in front.

They usually limit the number of dogs on a flight so you need to tell the airline in advance (you don't want to get to the plane and find out they won't take the dog).

I think this is partly so they don't have several dogs in the cabin barking at each other during the flight, but also so that if there's someone flying that's allergic to dogs, they will be able to be seated far enough from the travelling pets..

The "weight" limit is generally the standard weight limit for carry-on items. (another reason it has to be a small dog).

[Naam]

It can only be small dogs as the carrier has to - at least theoretically - fit under the seat in front.

They usually limit the number of dogs on a flight so you need to tell the airline in advance (you don't want to get to the plane and find out they won't take the dog).

I think this is partly so they don't have several dogs in the cabin barking at each other during the flight, but also so that if there's someone flying that's allergic to dogs, they will be able to be seated far enough from the travelling pets..

The "weight" limit is generally the standard weight limit for carry-on items. (another reason it has to be a small dog).

internationally the weight limit is 5kg (ex cage) and the final ok is up to the captain of the aircraft.

[giibaht]

Thai Airways has stopped allowing pets being brought into the cabin, on both domestic and international flights. Pets can accompany owners on same flights as checked-in luggage and travel in the cargo hold.

This was effective sometime last month, so I wonder whether OP managed to fly before the new policy came into effect.

[Cuban]

So raises the question about having luggage hold both heated and with an oxygen supply - I have suggested before getting some nice printed images with some words (in native Thai) presented on an A4 sheet (not a scrappy B&W print out) that is passed to the pilot by the head steward to remind them that the luggage hold must have heating and air turned on during flight.

[giibaht]

So raises the question about having luggage hold both heated and with an oxygen supply - I have suggested before getting some nice printed images with some words (in native Thai) presented on an A4 sheet (not a scrappy B&W print out) that is passed to the pilot by the head steward to remind them that the luggage hold must have heating and air turned on during flight.

I always have a morbid fear of my pet coming to grief while travelling in the cargo hold. For this upcoming trip I'm doing, I switched from Thai Airways to Luftansa as the latter allow pets in cabin.

I'm not sure how airplanes are designed, and whether it is possible for the oxygen supply, air-con and air pressure in the cargo hold to be switched off or be different from that in the cabin, endangering animals in the cargo hold. I have never come across any story of pets dying during flight due to such incidents. Anyone?

Also, I read accounts of pets travelling as checked-in luggage. Owners report that at the destination airport, the pet & carrier came along on the regular luggage conveyor belt, and not hand-carried/delivered by ground staff. I'm not sure that is even safe. What if the carrier drops off the belt while in transit and gets trapped/crushed in between the machinery. Possible? But then I admit I'm a real worry wart when it comes to my pet's welfare and safety

[Sheryl]

Thai Airways has stopped allowing pets being brought into the cabin, on both domestic and international flights. Pets can accompany owners on same flights as checked-in luggage and travel in the cargo hold.

This was effective sometime last month, so I wonder whether OP managed to fly before the new policy came into effect.

Say it isn't so...I've been travelling in TG with my cat 6-10 times a year for over a decade!!!!! In g=fact choose TG for that reason...

Any idea why the change?

[giibaht]

Thai Airways has stopped allowing pets being brought into the cabin, on both domestic and international flights. Pets can accompany owners on same flights as checked-in luggage and travel in the cargo hold.

This was effective sometime last month, so I wonder whether OP managed to fly before the new policy came into effect.

Say it isn't so...I've been travelling in TG with my cat 6-10 times a year for over a decade!!!!! In g=fact choose TG for that reason...

Any idea why the change?

The Thai Airways ticketing agent I spoke to didn't know either. But she was kind enough to print out the new policy for me to read. It really is a step backwards for service quality.

[Cuban]

I'm not sure how airplanes are designed, and whether it is possible for the oxygen supply, air-con and air pressure in the cargo hold to be switched off or be different from that in the cabin, endangering animals in the cargo hold. I have never come across any story of pets dying during flight due to such incidents. Anyone?

I am sure that I have read of cases where luggage hold "life support" was not turned on and or failed causing trauma and death, hence my well instilled warnings.

I have seen TV programmes that detail aircraft construction that mention that some luggage storage areas are at external ambient conditions, I recall collecting luggage from a plane on the tarmac at some remote airport/country on one occasion where all the luggage was extremely cold - neither a human nor animal would have survived those conditions.

Air-planes differ in make/model - but there are heated and air quality maintained luggage storage areas for pet transport - the controls for these areas are in the cockpit - hence my suggestion about DIRECT communication with the pilot in the plane and NOT reliance on all the back-channels and Somchai telling Lek who needs to pass the message on to Poon etc.

Common sense really.

As there is NO guarantee that a last minute change of plane from a type with heated luggage hold to one without will get communicated or picked up by someone with a functioning brain cell.

It is the pilot's finger that presses the button to turn on luggage heating - getting the message to that person is the only thing that matters - getting confirmation mid flight would be my goal.

[Sheryl]

There is also the psychological trauma to the pet to be considered.

My cat finds flying bad enough when she's right at my feet.

[Minpin]

Myth #2 - The cargo hold is not pressurized?!

Tuesday, December 16, 2008 by Rachel Farris

This is not true!

When working with pet moving companies like ours, www.petrelocation.com, we work with airlines that only have pressurized & climate controlled cargo holds.

In fact, an aircraft is somewhat like a balloon. It is impossible to inflate part of a balloon and not the rest, right? So how do you suppose they would pressurize part of the aircraft and not the rest? They can't. It defies the laws of physics. The air in the cargo holds and in the passenger cabin is the same. In fact, an airline will not accept a pet that has fouled its carrier for just that reason -- they don't want passengers complaining about the odor.

The air is circulated throughout the entire plane - so most airlines only allow a minimum number of pets on board, as the potential for their smell to carry through the cabin is very possible.

All of these cargo holds are insulated, climate controlled, pressurized and they even have slightly dimmed lights. This allows the animal to travel in comfort, just as we do sitting above in the cabin.

- See more at: http://www.petrelocation.com/blog/pet-travel-expert/myth-2-the-cargo-hold-is-not-pressurized#sthash.viP6KPCK.dpuf

Regarding Thai Airways. At Hat Yai airport I watched an arriving flight. The first thing down the cargo conveyor was a dog carrier.

They placed it at the side of the cargo trolley. Immediatley another person moved it so that it was under the trolley so in the shade. A pick up arrived and took the dog straight to baggage arrivals within 3 minutes.

We hear a lot on TV about poor service from Thai but this impressed me.

Now only if they could treat us humans the same