Thai total disrespect for the dead?!

[FritsSikkink]

In Holland you pay 2 x as much excluding the box.

[pigeonjake]

i understand your loss,

 

ive got 3 of my dogs on our land, i bruy them and put a nice buss or tree with them, 

 

jake,

chin up

[konying]

In Holland you pay 2 x as much excluding the box.

This ain't Holland, in Holland you also earn 10 times as much

[AYJAYDEE]

Yet one more flimsy excuse to trash thais! lol

[NancyL]

No, I don't think this is an excuse to trash the Thais. We're expected to be sensitive to their culture. Well, I'm sorry, but they can dam_n well be sensitive to this very important part of our culture -- how much we treasure our pets, especially pets who have been with us for a long time. The OP clearly wasn't a "walk-in customer". The staff knew about the situation and should have handled it appropriately.

For the rest of my life, I will treasure the memories of the final moments of the last cat we had in the U.S. It became evident her end was near, at age 21, and we called our vet to schedule an appointment to end her distress. He insisted on coming to our home after work that evening. He showed up with an assistant and did the deed in our living room. The cat didn't even have to suffer the distress of a trip to the vet's office. She went very peacefully and, furthermore, when I asked about a bill, he said "we'll send it to you (that was a first -- they always wanted cash), but there never was a bill that came in the mail and I even asked about it later. The receptionist at the clinic just said don't worry about it.

That's the way to remember how your pet's vet handled the pet's passing -- not the way the OP has to remember his. It's not a "Thai thing" it's a common human decency thing. Edited August 15, 2014 by NancyL

[AYJAYDEE]

No, I don't think this is an excuse to trash the Thais. We're expected to be sensitive to their culture. Well, I'm sorry, but they can dam_n well be sensitive to this very important part of our culture -- how much we treasure our pets, especially pets who have been with us for a long time. The OP clearly wasn't a "walk-in customer". The staff knew about the situation and should have handled it appropriately.

For the rest of my life, I will treasure the memories of the final moments of the last cat we had in the U.S. It became evident her end was near, at age 21, and we called our vet to schedule an appointment to end her distress. He insisted on coming to our home after work that evening. He showed up with an assistant and did the deed in our living room. The cat didn't even have to suffer the distress of a trip to the vet's office. She went very peacefully and, furthermore, when I asked about a bill, he said "we'll send it to you (that was a first -- they always wanted cash), but there never was a bill that came in the mail and I even asked about it later. The receptionist at the clinic just said don't worry about it.

That's the way to remember how your pet's vet handled the pet's passing -- not the way the OP has to remember his. It's not a "Thai thing" it's a common human decency thing.

why should they be sensitive to the culture that you import to their country?

[David48]

I was more surprised with the comment from the OP of ... "and 30 000 baht for 27 hours she was in the hospital" ... 

 

What on Earth would cost that?

 

As a matter of comparison ... Private Hospital for a child birth, 4 days 3 nights, C-Section, a squillion people in the OR taking care of this and that ... cost Bt 42,000

 

We had a sick cat in the Vet's (poor bugger had stones it couldn't pass) ... overnights @ the Vets, saline drip  Bt 600 a night.

 

Pet animal, just over a day ... Bt 30,000 ... 

[konying]

I was more surprised with the comment from the OP of ... "and 30 000 baht for 27 hours she was in the hospital" ... 
 
What on Earth would cost that?
 
As a matter of comparison ... Private Hospital for a child birth, 4 days 3 nights, C-Section, a squillion people in the OR taking care of this and that ... cost Bt 42,000
 
We had a sick cat in the Vet's (poor bugger had stones it couldn't pass) ... overnights @ the Vets, saline drip  Bt 600 a night.
 
Pet animal, just over a day ... Bt 30,000 ... 

To make you more shocked, this animal hospital chain not only charges nursing fee but also service charge.

[AYJAYDEE]

 

I was more surprised with the comment from the OP of ... "and 30 000 baht for 27 hours she was in the hospital" ... 
 
What on Earth would cost that?
 
As a matter of comparison ... Private Hospital for a child birth, 4 days 3 nights, C-Section, a squillion people in the OR taking care of this and that ... cost Bt 42,000
 
We had a sick cat in the Vet's (poor bugger had stones it couldn't pass) ... overnights @ the Vets, saline drip  Bt 600 a night.
 
Pet animal, just over a day ... Bt 30,000 ... 

To make you more shocked, this animal hospital chain not only charges nursing fee but also service charge.

 

you didnt ask what their fees were first?

[konying]

 

I was more surprised with the comment from the OP of ... "and 30 000 baht for 27 hours she was in the hospital" ... 
 
What on Earth would cost that?
 
As a matter of comparison ... Private Hospital for a child birth, 4 days 3 nights, C-Section, a squillion people in the OR taking care of this and that ... cost Bt 42,000
 
We had a sick cat in the Vet's (poor bugger had stones it couldn't pass) ... overnights @ the Vets, saline drip  Bt 600 a night.
 
Pet animal, just over a day ... Bt 30,000 ... 

To make you more shocked, this animal hospital chain not only charges nursing fee but also service charge.
 

you didnt ask what their fees were first?

Find another thread to troll , you are boresome.

Which part of nursing charge and service charge are you struggling to comprehend ?

[AYJAYDEE]

 

 

 

I was more surprised with the comment from the OP of ... "and 30 000 baht for 27 hours she was in the hospital" ... 
 
What on Earth would cost that?
 
As a matter of comparison ... Private Hospital for a child birth, 4 days 3 nights, C-Section, a squillion people in the OR taking care of this and that ... cost Bt 42,000
 
We had a sick cat in the Vet's (poor bugger had stones it couldn't pass) ... overnights @ the Vets, saline drip  Bt 600 a night.
 
Pet animal, just over a day ... Bt 30,000 ... 

To make you more shocked, this animal hospital chain not only charges nursing fee but also service charge.
 

you didnt ask what their fees were first?

Find another thread to troll , you are boresome.

Which part of nursing charge and service charge are you struggling to comprehend ?

 

30,00 baht? I'll take that as a no. and if you dont want comments or questions, try not posting on a public forum.

[David48]

Getting back to the OP's intent.

 

Are you saying that Thais have no respect for the 'Human' dead, the Pet's (animal) dead ... or death generally?

.

Edited August 15, 2014 by David48

[konying]

Getting back to the OP's intent.
 
Are you saying that Thais have no respect for the 'Human' dead, the Pet's (minimal) dead ... or death generally?
.

You think Thai do?

Do you think pics pointing at the dead body or bones in plastic bag is respectful?

[David48]

Getting back to the OP's intent.
 
Are you saying that Thais have no respect for the 'Human' dead, the Pet's (minimal) dead ... or death generally?
.

You think Thai do?

Do you think pics pointing at the dead body or bones in plastic bag is respectful?

 

 

Humm ... I though it was a fair clarification.

 

Since you used the death of your Pet as an example, I was asking if you think Thais treat the death of an animal different from that of a person.

 

Do you think that 'respect' in Thai Culture maybe be different from 'respect' in a Western Culture?

 

Same, but differently expressed?

.
 

[konying]

Getting back to the OP's intent.
 
Are you saying that Thais have no respect for the 'Human' dead, the Pet's (minimal) dead ... or death generally?
.

You think Thai do?

Do you think pics pointing at the dead body or bones in plastic bag is respectful?
 

 
Humm ... I though it was a fair clarification.
 
Since you used the death of your Pet as an example, I was asking if you think Thais treat the death of an animal different from that of a person.
 
Do you think that 'respect' in Thai Culture maybe be different from 'respect' in a Western Culture?
 
Same, but differently expressed?
.
 

And I asked of you thought handing over the remains of the loved one in a plastic bag was respectful Edited August 15, 2014 by konying

[AYJAYDEE]

 

 

 

Getting back to the OP's intent.
 
Are you saying that Thais have no respect for the 'Human' dead, the Pet's (minimal) dead ... or death generally?
.

You think Thai do?

Do you think pics pointing at the dead body or bones in plastic bag is respectful?
 

 
Humm ... I though it was a fair clarification.
 
Since you used the death of your Pet as an example, I was asking if you think Thais treat the death of an animal different from that of a person.
 
Do you think that 'respect' in Thai Culture maybe be different from 'respect' in a Western Culture?
 
Same, but differently expressed?
.
 

And I asked of you thought handing over the remains of the loved one in a plastic bag was respectful

 

what is it about a bag of bones that deserves respect?

[konying]

It's nothing to do with Buddhism and all that, they just couldn't give a s.hit once they get their money. No sense, no feeling; a very unsophisticated, morbid mindset unfortunately. Try to do as much as you can yourself here to avoid disappointment.

speaking of unsophisticated, your understanding of buddhism is simplistic in the extreme

Can not wait to hear your understanding of Buddhism

[bina]

knock off the bickering...

 

 

1/ in 2004 i was in thailand and a friend took me to see his brothers' and fathers' bones ... they were in a coffee tin in the wat; no money for fancy remains holders, he was waiting til he had some money then tamboon and put the bones in a better box, however, as far as he was concerned, them being at the wat was the most important thing, not the box.

 

as my hsuband likes to say: dead is dead.

 

which is, essentially the thai thing. bones are bones. it has nothing to do with respect. in addition, to most thais i suspect that a dog is a dog, even if it was loved much, its still a dog and not a baby. its the memory and not the physical remains that are important ...

 

two out of my many dogs are buried, (and mostly likely dug up by hyenas)... one was bagged at the vets,, other dead pets (large domestic animals) were bagged and dumped or dealt with by the vet after being taken apart and checked for various things.  all my main pets have framed photos at home (including my 2 fave beautiful goats that i had to put down)...

i understand your anger but truely believe it was jsut a misunderstood set of expectations. you paid for cremation, u received one. you EXPECTED to receive a box or container. why? what lead u to beleive there would be one? im still getting over the american idea of pet cemeteries and grief counslellors for pets.... some how i dont think that has arrived in thailand yet.

 

as for people, the respect thai people have for the dead is not for the body and bones. its for the person who has gone. the body is just a vessel that has been used (abused, even) and tossed away freeing up the person to continue on to other hopefully better things.

 

so perhaps you can make your own container, and place it where u want it, and then find out why u were charged so much (which seems to be part of the problem you have with the vet).

as far as price for treatment, ask for a list of things: meds, treatments, hours of work... and see how much it was supposed to be.

 

im also sure that just as the american 'pet as baby' has arrived here, it will arrive in thailand as well and then there will be a plethora of thai vets selling cremations and burials with all the 'western' trimmings/ 

 

anyway, sorry for your lose and hope u manage to make your own meaningful memorial for lyour pet

 

[AYJAYDEE]

knock off the bickering...

 

 

1/ in 2004 i was in thailand and a friend took me to see his brothers' and fathers' bones ... they were in a coffee tin in the wat; no money for fancy remains holders, he was waiting til he had some money then tamboon and put the bones in a better box, however, as far as he was concerned, them being at the wat was the most important thing, not the box.

 

as my hsuband likes to say: dead is dead.

 

which is, essentially the thai thing. bones are bones. it has nothing to do with respect. in addition, to most thais i suspect that a dog is a dog, even if it was loved much, its still a dog and not a baby. its the memory and not the physical remains that are important ...

 

two out of my many dogs are buried, (and mostly likely dug up by hyenas)... one was bagged at the vets,, other dead pets (large domestic animals) were bagged and dumped or dealt with by the vet after being taken apart and checked for various things.  all my main pets have framed photos at home (including my 2 fave beautiful goats that i had to put down)...

i understand your anger but truely believe it was jsut a misunderstood set of expectations. you paid for cremation, u received one. you EXPECTED to receive a box or container. why? what lead u to beleive there would be one? im still getting over the american idea of pet cemeteries and grief counslellors for pets.... some how i dont think that has arrived in thailand yet.

 

as for people, the respect thai people have for the dead is not for the body and bones. its for the person who has gone. the body is just a vessel that has been used (abused, even) and tossed away freeing up the person to continue on to other hopefully better things.

 

so perhaps you can make your own container, and place it where u want it, and then find out why u were charged so much (which seems to be part of the problem you have with the vet).

as far as price for treatment, ask for a list of things: meds, treatments, hours of work... and see how much it was supposed to be.

 

im also sure that just as the american 'pet as baby' has arrived here, it will arrive in thailand as well and then there will be a plethora of thai vets selling cremations and burials with all the 'western' trimmings/ 

 

anyway, sorry for your lose and hope u manage to make your own meaningful memorial for lyour pet

 

you put that very well.

[Thai at Heart]

Getting back to the OP's intent.
 
Are you saying that Thais have no respect for the 'Human' dead, the Pet's (minimal) dead ... or death generally?
.

You think Thai do?

Do you think pics pointing at the dead body or bones in plastic bag is respectful?

I think they obviously view death in a completely different manner to us in the west. There is a difference in being deliberately rude and just not thinking something is important.

Thais attach all sorts of rigmarole to respecting things they find important to themselves and tend to be quite oblivious to the feelings of those who are of another culture.

I wouldn't sweat it too much, they don't have a respect for a dead body in the same way westerners do. I don't think they mean to be rude,but a dog isn't exactly held with the highest esteem in Thai culture.

They may see the remains as something akin to waste without a spirit.

[neverdie]

 

Hate to tell you but the dead don't feel disrespected. They are dead.

 
Says who?
 
How about some respect for the relatives of the dead?
 

Years ago my first daughter died shortly after birth and i was told by a nurse in the nursing station in the most disrespectful way. My wife was sleeping and I asked where the baby was and she practically shouted, 'dtai laew'. I still get haunted by those words sometimes. This was in a private hospital! The least they could have done was taken me to a private room or asked a doctor to speak with me.
Another time when my wife was pregnant  7 months with my 3rd daughter, a doctor told me that my wife had a pulmonary embolism and was going to die. This was in the middle of a crowded corridor! I was walking about in shock for 30 minutes trying to get the courage to speak to my wife and other little girl when they told me that maybe it wasn't an embolism, bloody doctors here are pathetic.

I had the same sort of abrupt message left on my answering machine when my father died in Bkk. I had left the hospital where he was to go home, eat, shower, recharge and whole I was in the shower the phone call came & a very brief message was left. I was somewhat bemused by what the nurse said. Having said that, he'd been given excellent care and I didn't focus on that side issue as 'Death' is a condition every living being must go through. The insensitivity of some people isn't my problem.

It's most important for the OP to grieve, part of that in cases like this will involve anger.......it's one of the steps. HE should now take the time to think about his wonderful friend and focus on what really counts, don't let some insensitive t w a t make you focus in all the wrong aspects of this moment, it won't help.

Shut the internet OP, obtain a beautiful canister for your friend, sit quietly, light a candle and remember the good times.....it's sure to make you smile. That smile is what is important. Make those memories last.

[David48]

^^  ND ... you big hearted softie ... 

.

[neverdie]

^^  ND ... you big hearted softie ... 
.

Not really, I mean, I've seen a lot of death, come with my trade, some death is easy to deal with, ie; old age & natural causes and then I've witnessed the murder of infants, violent, unnatural and without real explanation. Each and every incident I've witnessed is the. responded to I. various ways by various people. I've seen shocking things and shocking reactions, we all deal with it differently. I don't often cry, even when I watched a car full of young teenagers burn to death right I. front of me, I didn't cry. Then not long back my pooch died, I was inconsolable for the best part of a week.

There's no correct way to grieve.

I just gently judge the OP, a stranger to me, back to thoughts of his pal, I nudge him back I. that direction in the hope his feelings today improve & that he starts to think about what is important.

I've heard people say all sorts of things to people when their pet dies & yet I've seen tough cops and tough criminals break down in tears when their pets die.

These furry little creatures can form very tight bonds with us, they are in many instances much better little 'people' than a good percentage of the human b@stards we share the streets with.....family included.

Hope today is a new day for you OP......remember to smile in memory of (I wasn't even polite enough to ask your dogs name).

If it helps, I will light a candle in Brisbane today......& there's positive thoughts in both hemispheres for ur pooch & you.

No more from me at the risk of shedding a tear....as I stare at my mutts picture In the wallet (& there goes another moth) :)

[Seastallion]

I love my animals, but once they are dead, they are dead. I just bury them and they don't mind.

However, I would be mad, if paid 4500 baht to have them cremated and they handed me the ashes in a plastic bag. 

I agree. 

It seems the OP, in his time of grief, is upset at the perceived disrespect, but is getting confused with being dissatisfied at not getting value for money.

 

I offer my condolences to the OP. It can be hard to come to terms with the loss of a loved one.

 

 

I do wonder, though, how much respect we should expect strangers to show a dog, and a dead dog at that. I say "at that" because surely the living will receive more respect than the dead?

It is respect to the OP that the crematorium should have shown. Respect to their customer.

But then, if they have the monopoly on pet cremations.........?

[mrtoad]

 

Hate to tell you but the dead don't feel disrespected. They are dead.

 
Says who?
 
How about some respect for the relatives of the dead?
 

Years ago my first daughter died shortly after birth and i was told by a nurse in the nursing station in the most disrespectful way. My wife was sleeping and I asked where the baby was and she practically shouted, 'dtai laew'. I still get haunted by those words sometimes. This was in a private hospital! The least they could have done was taken me to a private room or asked a doctor to speak with me.
Another time when my wife was pregnant  7 months with my 3rd daughter, a doctor told me that my wife had a pulmonary embolism and was going to die. This was in the middle of a crowded corridor! I was walking about in shock for 30 minutes trying to get the courage to speak to my wife and other little girl when they told me that maybe it wasn't an embolism, bloody doctors here are pathetic.

I had the same sort of abrupt message left on my answering machine when my father died in Bkk. I had left the hospital where he was to go home, eat, shower, recharge and whole I was in the shower the phone call came & a very brief message was left. I was somewhat bemused by what the nurse said. Having said that, he'd been given excellent care and I didn't focus on that side issue as 'Death' is a condition every living being must go through. The insensitivity of some people isn't my problem.

It's most important for the OP to grieve, part of that in cases like this will involve anger.......it's one of the steps. HE should now take the time to think about his wonderful friend and focus on what really counts, don't let some insensitive t w a t make you focus in all the wrong aspects of this moment, it won't help.

Shut the internet OP, obtain a beautiful canister for your friend, sit quietly, light a candle and remember the good times.....it's sure to make you smile. That smile is what is important. Make those memories last.

Interesting ND, and having worked in hospitals for many, many years I've seen some pretty heartless Nurses and Doctors. Some people seem to be able to desensitise regarding death, I've never been able to do that. I remember the first death, like it was yesterday; it was 20 years ago. Family member came running over to me, asking me to come and check on their Father, walked over and did immediate vital signs OBs person was dead, they were DNR. I remember thinking what to do or say, I could only say sorry , we hugged. That was it. Anyone that works in these situations, the day they lose empathy and compassion is the day they should walk away from work IMO.

[neverdie]

[quote name="mrtoad" post="8250602" timestamp="1408150830"]

[quote name="neverdie" post="8250274" timestamp="1408138980"][quote name="Neeranam" post="8249405" timestamp="1408112811"][quote name="konying" post="8249368" timestamp="1408112185"]

 [quote name="nottocus" post="8249361" timestamp="1408112048"]

Hate to tell you but the dead don't feel disrespected. They are dead.[/quote] 
Says who?
 
How about some respect for the relatives of the dead?
 [/quote]Years ago my first daughter died shortly after birth and i was told by a nurse in the nursing station in the most disrespectful way. My wife was sleeping and I asked where the baby was and she practically shouted, 'dtai laew'. I still get haunted by those words sometimes. This was in a private hospital! The least they could have done was taken me to a private room or asked a doctor to speak with me.
Another time when my wife was pregnant  7 months with my 3rd daughter, a doctor told me that my wife had a pulmonary embolism and was going to die. This was in the middle of a crowded corridor! I was walking about in shock for 30 minutes trying to get the courage to speak to my wife and other little girl when they told me that maybe it wasn't an embolism, bloody doctors here are pathetic.[/quote]I had the same sort of abrupt message left on my answering machine when my father died in Bkk. I had left the hospital where he was to go home, eat, shower, recharge and whole I was in the shower the phone call came & a very brief message was left. I was somewhat bemused by what the nurse said. Having said that, he'd been given excellent care and I didn't focus on that side issue as 'Death' is a condition every living being must go through. The insensitivity of some people isn't my problem.

It's most important for the OP to grieve, part of that in cases like this will involve anger.......it's one of the steps. HE should now take the time to think about his wonderful friend and focus on what really counts, don't let some insensitive t w a t make you focus in all the wrong aspects of this moment, it won't help.

Shut the internet OP, obtain a beautiful canister for your friend, sit quietly, light a candle and remember the good times.....it's sure to make you smile. That smile is what is important. Make those memories last.[/quote]
Interesting ND, and having worked in hospitals for many, many years I've seen some pretty heartless Nurses and Doctors. Some people seem to be able to desensitise regarding death, I've never been able to do that. I remember the first death, like it was yesterday; it was 20 years ago. Family member came running over to me, asking me to come and check on their Father, walked over and did immediate vital signs OBs person was dead, they were DNR. I remember thinking what to do or say, I could only say sorry , we hugged. That was it. Anyone that works in these situations, the day they lose empathy and compassion is the day they should walk away from work IMO.[/quote]

They say MrT that the first one you NEVER forget.

I remember mine vividly, Murder suicide. Mother and child deceased in their beds. The mother had been beaten and hacked to death. The child had it's throat slit.

Father deceased, sitting upright in a chair in the corner of the living room. As it turned out shotgun in mouth, solid round, EVERYTHING from the lower jaw up missing and dispersed around the ceiling of the premises, blood, brains, goo. It took me a few moments to realise it was a human being.

Horrendous description, horrendous sights and smells. You get hard or you go home, you deal with it because a). That's your job b.) Someone needs to get to the bottom of what happened.

It's not difficult to become Callous, it's a survival technique. It's not uncommon to laugh or make a joke, of course none of that should happen anywhere near the family or media.....you need to be professional and carry out perfect tasks, make sure nothings missed and at the end of the day you head home to Your own family and try and pretend everything is okay, you never let on what horrors shows you have been exposed to. Some guys start to drink or take drugs, others close shop, some hide their feelings with jokes and humour....something I'm always guilty of.

Shocking things happen around the world every living moment.......humans are like that. Actually I often think I'd rather live with a hood of rattle snakes than people.

At the end of the day, The OP got a shitty service and was shown little compassion but on the upside, he's got his loved one, he can express complaint to the services provided and move on. He certainly got a better service than some and worse than others.

I am imagining none of this helps him, although maybe it will, so I will post anyway.

One day you will wake up, head out into the street and see another mate, hopefully a soi dog, a suffering one and you can do it all over again, that's one of the advantages or disadvantages of being a human.

[WitawatWatawit]

Gawd, you buggers have got me all maudlin, thinking about my dear old dobie who had squamous cell carcinoma. Not a mean bone in that little beauty's body. He left me with some wonderful memories, especially the way he loved kids, and that's the way it should be. Jesus, go away, I have to seal some brickwork.

[neverdie]

Gawd, you buggers have got me all maudlin, thinking about my dear old dobie who had squamous cell carcinoma. Not a mean bone in that little beauty's body. He left me with some wonderful memories, especially the way he loved kids, and that's the way it should be. Jesus, go away, I have to seal some brickwork.

That's the bit about them that gets you, so loyal, so happy to hang out and do whatever you are doing. Want a swim - it's on, a walk - no problems, afternoon siesta - yeah baby.....deep and meaningful one way chat without judgement - a speciality, share a steak - now ur talking!

:)

[Gecko123]

I'm trying to get my head around the OP's post. 

 

The OP needs to understand that most Thais do not have a Western-style relationship with their pet dog. The Thai dog, a completely mongrel breed, is allowed to run free and breed indiscriminately, is never disciplined, is rarely petted, and frequently has an untimely demise in collisions with motor vehicles.  It's main value to the owner is to serve as a burglar alarm. Using a leash, walking it, grooming it , teaching it tricks, being attentive to its healthcare, letting it into the house, or developing a strong emotional bond with it are all alien concepts to the overwhelming majority of Thais. While some Thais have adopted Westernized standards of caring for and interacting with their dogs, they are few and far between.

 

It has been my experience that veterinarians in Thailand do not consider disposal of pet remains to be part of their job description. They expect the owner of the pet to come pick up and dispose of the remains themselves. Those Thais who cremate their pets are only doing so because they live in an urban area where disposal is problematic. I have never heard of a dog being cremated out in the countryside. In most cases the carcass is dumped somewhere where the odor won't become overwhelming and allowed to decompose, a process which takes just a few weeks in the tropical heat.  This may sound barbaric to some Westerners, but economy and pragmatism are the driving forces here.The concept of keeping a deceased pet's remains in an urn most Thais would find bizzare, if not downright comical. It should be noted that this isn't even a common practice in the West.  I strongly suspect this is why an urn was not provided to you. 4500 baht for the cremation service, especially when the dog's remains have to be shipped to and from the crematorium does not sound unreasonable to me for a service located in Bangkok. Also, I do not believe pet euthanasia is widely practiced in Thailand, perhaps for religious reasons.

 

Because the cultures are so different, it is unrealistic to expect that veterinarian and pet cremation services will conform to a 'T' with the standards and expectations you may have become accustomed to back home. You might as well expect the vet hospital to have available grief counselors, a Julliard trained organist to play your favorite hymns, and a grieving chapel on premises. It's simply not realistic. I also think the OP needs to be more understanding of the fact that English isn't the first language for Thais. Mis-spelling of a pet's name, at the risk of sounding horribly insensitive, hardly constitutes a traumatizing event.  Once the OP has recovered from the stress of losing his pet, I hope he will give some thought to finding ways to prevent inevitable minor aggravations such as these from mushrooming into major irritations. 

[AYJAYDEE]

I'm trying to get my head around the OP's post. 

 

The OP needs to understand that most Thais do not have a Western-style relationship with their pet dog. The Thai dog, a completely mongrel breed, is allowed to run free and breed indiscriminately, is never disciplined, is rarely petted, and frequently has an untimely demise in collisions with motor vehicles.  It's main value to the owner is to serve as a burglar alarm. Using a leash, walking it, grooming it , teaching it tricks, being attentive to its healthcare, letting it into the house, or developing a strong emotional bond with it are all alien concepts to the overwhelming majority of Thais. While some Thais have adopted Westernized standards of caring for and interacting with their dogs, they are few and far between.

 

It has been my experience that veterinarians in Thailand do not consider disposal of pet remains to be part of their job description. They expect the owner of the pet to come pick up and dispose of the remains themselves. Those Thais who cremate their pets are only doing so because they live in an urban area where disposal is problematic. I have never heard of a dog being cremated out in the countryside. In most cases the carcass is dumped somewhere where the odor won't become overwhelming and allowed to decompose, a process which takes just a few weeks in the tropical heat.  This may sound barbaric to some Westerners, but economy and pragmatism are the driving forces here.The concept of keeping a deceased pet's remains in an urn most Thais would find bizzare, if not downright comical. It should be noted that this isn't even a common practice in the West.  I strongly suspect this is why an urn was not provided to you. 4500 baht for the cremation service, especially when the dog's remains have to be shipped to and from the crematorium does not sound unreasonable to me for a service located in Bangkok. Also, I do not believe pet euthanasia is widely practiced in Thailand, perhaps for religious reasons.

 

Because the cultures are so different, it is unrealistic to expect that veterinarian and pet cremation services will conform to a 'T' with the standards and expectations you may have become accustomed to back home. You might as well expect the vet hospital to have available grief counselors, a Julliard trained organist to play your favorite hymns, and a grieving chapel on premises. It's simply not realistic. I also think the OP needs to be more understanding of the fact that English isn't the first language for Thais. Mis-spelling of a pet's name, at the risk of sounding horribly insensitive, hardly constitutes a traumatizing event.  Once the OP has recovered from the stress of losing his pet, I hope he will give some thought to finding ways to prevent inevitable minor aggravations such as these from mushrooming into major irritations. 

it was just another excuse to denigrate thais