Denied traveling with dogs

[Babooshka]

Hello

I was planning to move to Thailand with my dogs in October. Bought my tickets in the mid August and informed the local office of Thai Airways about the planned trip by e-mail. Their requirement is to inform them not later than 72 hours before flight. I was thinking that the earlier is my notification made, the better the outcome.

However I have not heard from TA even after my subsequent reminders, so I have tried to talk with them on the phone to be sure everything is Ok.

A lady told me that I am denied to fly with my dogs. She had no idea why. She had no idea how this problem could be solved. The only thing she recommended was cancelling my tickets and byuing other ones for another flight. But she still had no idea what date to chose to be on a safe side for moving pets.

I could not come to their office to talk, but I wrote to head office for clarifications. Still no reply from them.

While I am somewhat confused now and trying to elaborate any plan B, I would welcome any input from those who are well acquainted with travels together with pets. Or maybe there is someone from TA here to give me an idea on how to act now.

Thank you in advance

[konying]

Thai airways does not allow people to transport dogs. They want you use pet carrier company , which handles everything from health to import/export permits and customs clearance .

Dogs fly as cargo, which means it cost you 5 times more than your ticket

[Babooshka]

Thai airways does not allow people to transport dogs. They want you use pet carrier company , which handles everything from health to import/export permits and customs clearance .

Dogs fly as cargo, which means it cost you 5 times more than your ticket

It sounds strange to me, because prior to having bought the tickets I have contacted them for requirements. The pre-requisite, besides the suitable total weight and size of the crates, were - notifying them 72 hours before flight and that was it.

They have even informed me of the additional charges and they have told that the dogs will be moved to another flight without my assistance during the transfer in Bangkok.

[Loptr]

Have you completed all of the necessary paperwork and inoculations for your pets, along with making arrangements with Thai Customs for your travel dates?

http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/embassy/cbp/faq.html

or

http://thailand.nlembassy.org/services/pets/pets-to-thailand.html

Edited September 3, 2014 by Loptr

[Babooshka]

Have you completed all of the necessary paperwork and inoculations for your pets, along with making arrangements with Thai Customs for your travel dates?

http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/embassy/cbp/faq.html

or

http://thailand.nlembassy.org/services/pets/pets-to-thailand.html

I have all the necessary paperwork except for health certificate which must be issued 3 days before flight (it is effective for five days only).

But they did not ask me for it (they, I mean TA)

They asked me for:

- breed

- sex

- size of crates

- weight of each dog including a crate

- tattoo or microchip

[craigt3365]

Thai airways does not allow people to transport dogs. They want you use pet carrier company , which handles everything from health to import/export permits and customs clearance .

Dogs fly as cargo, which means it cost you 5 times more than your ticket

Please don't post incorrect information. Thai Air does transport dogs and the cost will be about $238. Or somewhere there about.

http://www.thai-airways.ru/en/information-for-passengers/46/

http://www.pettravel.com/airline_pet_rules/thai_airways.cfm

http://www.thaiairwaysusa.com/flight-information/-you-fly/pet-travel/you-fly.html

I know this is a long thread, but it's worth 15 minutes to go through it, at least the last 3-4 pages.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/88593-importing-a-pet-into-thailand/

I went through this process with my dog 4-5 years ago. It was frustrating, but we got through it. I flew with UA, but brought the dog as a carry-on. I was nervous about customs. I've heard horror stories.

You need to let TA know you'll have a dog as there are only so many they will allow on each flight. Then there's lots of paperwork to do and 72 hours before your flight, get the certificate from the import department at the airport. What a pain that is. They rarely answer their phone and sometimes, they just hung up on me mid-coversation. But, 48 hours before the flight, I got the import cert by email.

Easy process at the airport, though customs there did nick me for 1,000B. No biggie.

[konying]

Thai airways does not allow people to transport dogs. They want you use pet carrier company , which handles everything from health to import/export permits and customs clearance .

Dogs fly as cargo, which means it cost you 5 times more than your ticket

Please don't post incorrect information. Thai Air does transport dogs and the cost will be about $238. Or somewhere there about.

http://www.thai-airways.ru/en/information-for-passengers/46/

http://www.pettravel.com/airline_pet_rules/thai_airways.cfm

http://www.thaiairwaysusa.com/flight-information/-you-fly/pet-travel/you-fly.html

I know this is a long thread, but it's worth 15 minutes to go through it, at least the last 3-4 pages.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/88593-importing-a-pet-into-thailand/

I went through this process with my dog 4-5 years ago. It was frustrating, but we got through it. I flew with UA, but brought the dog as a carry-on. I was nervous about customs. I've heard horror stories.

You need to let TA know you'll have a dog as there are only so many they will allow on each flight. Then there's lots of paperwork to do and 72 hours before your flight, get the certificate from the import department at the airport. What a pain that is. They rarely answer their phone and sometimes, they just hung up on me mid-coversation. But, 48 hours before the flight, I got the import cert by email.

Easy process at the airport, though customs there did nick me for 1,000B. No biggie.

Please check thai airway website for each country.

Pets from Australia must go through pet transport company

I brought 2 dogs less than a year ago(November 2013) and had to go through pet transport company as Thai air no longer deals with people directly.

What happened 5 years is not relevant to current rules and regulations.

The only one which would deal direct was Emirates, HOWEVER once i tried they directed me to the same pet transport company.

Transporting a dog as a cargo requires a number of papers, including silly vaccinations for diseases which do not even exist, plus export and import license, plus customs and clearance tax, plus local vet inspection and approval.

Vaccinations have to be done in certain time frame prior to travel.

[craigt3365]

I don't know the specifics of a pet from Australia. But even with a pet transport company, it shouldn't be 5x the times of a personal air ticket. Though I've never brought a dog in from there, only from the US.

If you have links with information regarding this, please provide them. I'm sure the OP would appreciate it. I couldn't find anything with a quick Google search.

[Babooshka]

I went to their office today to talk it over. I can say there is a big difference between these girls on the phone and the people from the office.

The problem was the absence of confirmation from the airline, and not the refusal. So they have resolved this issue in a very friendly manner.

Sorry for the panic and thanks for your input.

[konying]

I don't know the specifics of a pet from Australia. But even with a pet transport company, it shouldn't be 5x the times of a personal air ticket. Though I've never brought a dog in from there, only from the US.

If you have links with information regarding this, please provide them. I'm sure the OP would appreciate it. I couldn't find anything with a quick Google search.

Happy to show you credit card statements.

2 dogs with all the taxes, vaccinations and everything else related $5500, while my airfare was $980

Yes one could use another airline and do everything him/herself, however i would strongly advise against it as once the dog arrives in Thailand, is when you start to have serious problems.

I had my Vet in Thailand look into it and he gave up after few weeks, so i used the pet transport company to contract Thai clearance company to "fix" everything to have my dogs out in less than 2 hours.

Otherwise, they would be sitting in the cargo bay, in the cages, without food or drink for weeks.

May be and i say may be, laptop size dogs are easier, but anything larger than that is REALLY a headache which does require some $$$

Thailand requires dogs to be vaccinated for lipo something, vast majority of Vets do not even have this crap, its pretty much a non existent disease, not to mention rather ironic considering the amount of sick dogs in Thailand

You also need to buy pet carrier to transport the dog and it must be air line approved cage, they charge by the cubic meters not the actual weight.

Cage requires to be certain size, depending on the dogs height and length.

[konying]

I went to their office today to talk it over. I can say there is a big difference between these girls on the phone and the people from the office.

The problem was the absence of confirmation from the airline, and not the refusal. So they have resolved this issue in a very friendly manner.

Sorry for the panic and thanks for your input.

What size is the dog? going as carry on or excess luggage? or cargo?

You have all required vaccinations up to date? import permit?

Make sure to cover all of the above as it can turn ugly upon arrival.

Also make sure you have a written confirmation from Thai, because as i mentioned before, i spoke to Emirates and phone support advised of what to do.

When i did all of that and had to confirm with the head office, head office refused and advised information was wrong and no such procedure ever existed

Edited September 4, 2014 by konying

[craigt3365]

For clarification, can the OP come back with the cost for this? It could help others in the future.

[55Jay]

Sounds like he's got it sorted out but FWIW, same happened to me bringing a pet over. Lack of confirmation from Airline OPS people back to the ticketing people, kept me and mine dangling till just a day before and ultimately denied because first short leg of our trip didn't have required pet cabin facilities in the hold. I was changed to an earlier flight that did, and the whole thing came together in the end.

OP's comment about transfer of aircraft in BKK, I presume an onward domestic flight, may have been the question mark. Anyway, good luck on the tip over.

[Babooshka]

Konying,

I have two miniature poodles, each of about 11 - 12 kg. So it is below the 20 kg for each dog including the crate and it is allowed to transport them in the luggage compartment.

I am aware of the import permit that I have to obtain. I have contacted the vet station of my destination airport in Phuket, have sent them all the copies including my passport, but they seem to be quite slow in responding. All I got from them by now is a PDF page with all the requirements.

My dogs are being vaccinated every year in May, so these vaccines must work fine at the moment. I have all the relative stamps and stickers in their passports, so I hope there is nothing to do with that now.

The airline official sent me a written confirmation today as I asked her to do.

55 Jay

They told me that the dogs shall be reloaded to another aircraft in BKK just like the other transit luggage. BTW the short section BKK - HKT has been confirmed from the very beginning of this story. The question was the section from home to BKK.

Craigt3365

I do not think my information could be helpful to most of the readers as I come from a "third world" country. However I beleive the airline charges are the same all over the world so I can tell that they charge USD 150 x 3 for each dog (under 20 kg total weight) flying from Europe to Thailand. So it comes to USD 900 for me which I beleive is tolerable.

We do not have any reliable pet trasposrting companies which could be ready to render the services of transporting two poodles to HKT.

[kekalot]

don't bring a dog as cargo unless you don't mind being ripped off for some BS fees at arrival by the "FreeZone" scam artists.

I brought my 26kg Bull Terrier from Montreal, Canada and I believe the whole trip with 3 planes AND a train fare (I had to get to Montreal) was $225.

my ticket round trip was $1200+ $50 for the train ride for him and $175 for the whole plane trip from Montreal/NY/Narita/Bangkok.

was charged I reckon 1100 baht at Suvarnabhumi.. 100 for quarantine something and 1000 for the import permit

If I would have shipped him Cargo it would have costed me easily double or triple my ticket price and then clowns would have scammed me with "customs" and whatnot to get him out (I read the horror stories)

I have to say tho that it is a good idea to have the "Government" Health Certificate and not just some random veterinarian clinic one..

they gave me some crap made me sign some useless paper because I came in with a normal one (I knew what they wanted) and confiscated my dog "passport" which has never been used or even looked at by anyone.

they can keep it.

[apiwan]

Mate done it 6 years ago with Thai UK to BKK.

It's possible

[55Jay]

Konying,

I have two miniature poodles, each of about 11 - 12 kg. So it is below the 20 kg for each dog including the crate and it is allowed to transport them in the luggage compartment.

I am aware of the import permit that I have to obtain. I have contacted the vet station of my destination airport in Phuket, have sent them all the copies including my passport, but they seem to be quite slow in responding. All I got from them by now is a PDF page with all the requirements.

My dogs are being vaccinated every year in May, so these vaccines must work fine at the moment. I have all the relative stamps and stickers in their passports, so I hope there is nothing to do with that now.

The airline official sent me a written confirmation today as I asked her to do.

55 Jay

They told me that the dogs shall be reloaded to another aircraft in BKK just like the other transit luggage. BTW the short section BKK - HKT has been confirmed from the very beginning of this story. The question was the section from home to BKK.

Craigt3365

I do not think my information could be helpful to most of the readers as I come from a "third world" country. However I beleive the airline charges are the same all over the world so I can tell that they charge USD 150 x 3 for each dog (under 20 kg total weight) flying from Europe to Thailand. So it comes to USD 900 for me which I beleive is tolerable.

We do not have any reliable pet trasposrting companies which could be ready to render the services of transporting two poodles to HKT.

OK, it was just your comments made me remember that part of my own pet transport exercise.

My normal airline coming out of the middle east wouldn't deal with me direct, insisting that I use a pet shipping agent and they would only accept animals as cargo, not accompanied, excess baggage. I resisted because in my initial reading/research, there were some vivid nightmare stories about having your pet sent as cargo, being sent to the animal quarantine center and the bureaucratic, costly process to get it released.

I had read that Thai Air was very good about pet transport but wasn't available where I was coming from. I ended up using Qatar Airways, which dealt directly with me and shipped my cat as excess accompanied baggage for a couple hundred dollars. My cat came up the lift into the main arrivals terminal not far from the luggage claim area. Once we got the cage, the vet inspection and customs procedure was no problem. Almost an anti-climax to what I was expecting.

Hope it goes well for you, good luck on the trip.

[konying]

Konying,

I have two miniature poodles, each of about 11 - 12 kg. So it is below the 20 kg for each dog including the crate and it is allowed to transport them in the luggage compartment.

I am aware of the import permit that I have to obtain. I have contacted the vet station of my destination airport in Phuket, have sent them all the copies including my passport, but they seem to be quite slow in responding. All I got from them by now is a PDF page with all the requirements.

My dogs are being vaccinated every year in May, so these vaccines must work fine at the moment. I have all the relative stamps and stickers in their passports, so I hope there is nothing to do with that now.

The airline official sent me a written confirmation today as I asked her to do.

55 Jay

They told me that the dogs shall be reloaded to another aircraft in BKK just like the other transit luggage. BTW the short section BKK - HKT has been confirmed from the very beginning of this story. The question was the section from home to BKK.

Craigt3365

I do not think my information could be helpful to most of the readers as I come from a "third world" country. However I beleive the airline charges are the same all over the world so I can tell that they charge USD 150 x 3 for each dog (under 20 kg total weight) flying from Europe to Thailand. So it comes to USD 900 for me which I beleive is tolerable.

We do not have any reliable pet trasposrting companies which could be ready to render the services of transporting two poodles to HKT.

Yearly vaccinations is not enough. Thailand wants another very specific one.

From memory it sounds like lipro... something and must be within 30 days before the flight.

I can try to dog up my old papers .

or Send email to this company to request a quote, they will reply with all the requirements for Thailand http://www.jetpets.com.au/

You do not have to go with them, but will give you full current run down of what is needed

[kekalot]

Leptospirosis.. Mine didn't have it and no one cared

[konying]

Leptospirosis.. Mine didn't have it and no one cared

Thats the one, well 9 months ago they did care and would not issue import permit without one

[kekalot]

Yeah. They didn't even look at my "import permit" and I had one

[chiang mai]

English friends who live in Chiang Mai bought tickets for a holiday in the UK and took care to investigate taking their small dog with them in the cabin. All fees were paid and all was going fine until they transited in Bangkok and were denied boarding because of the dog, they fought and argued but were forced to return to Chiang Mai. Once back home they restarted the fight with Thai Airways and because they had the emails from Bangkok based staff confirming that the arrangements they made suitable, Thai eventually refunded all their costs.

[konying]

Yeah. They didn't even look at my "import permit" and I had one

Yeah great, and if they will look at OP and then what?

[craigt3365]

Leptospirosis.. Mine didn't have it and no one cared

Mine did need it, and they did look at the paperwork. You don't get an import certificate until you submit all the paperwork 3 days before your flight.

It's a nasty shot. Made my dog sick for 2 days.

[konying]

don't bring a dog as cargo unless you don't mind being ripped off for some BS fees at arrival by the "FreeZone" scam artists.

I brought my 26kg Bull Terrier from Montreal, Canada and I believe the whole trip with 3 planes AND a train fare (I had to get to Montreal) was $225.

my ticket round trip was $1200+ $50 for the train ride for him and $175 for the whole plane trip from Montreal/NY/Narita/Bangkok.

was charged I reckon 1100 baht at Suvarnabhumi.. 100 for quarantine something and 1000 for the import permit

If I would have shipped him Cargo it would have costed me easily double or triple my ticket price and then clowns would have scammed me with "customs" and whatnot to get him out (I read the horror stories)

I have to say tho that it is a good idea to have the "Government" Health Certificate and not just some random veterinarian clinic one..

they gave me some crap made me sign some useless paper because I came in with a normal one (I knew what they wanted) and confiscated my dog "passport" which has never been used or even looked at by anyone.

they can keep it.

Of course i do not know much, but is not bull terrier banned on Thai airways? according to every single website they are.

They are also banned from being imported into Thailand, but i guess no one looked

Also what is government health certificate?

There are Quarantine and Inspection services approved Vets

Did they also forget to check the microchip and microchip certificate? because it is also a requirement

[kekalot]

My dog has no microchip or certificates and I would assume your are thinking American pit bull terrier not the English one.. Bull terrier not banned. Didn't fly Thai airways and I seen pit bull in Thailand

[kekalot]

Regarding the health certificate it was basically (for me) just government a form you get the veterinarian to fill up.. Go to a government office and they charge you money and stamp it and sign.. I did not get this done because pain in the ass in my province and had no issues apart from grumpy quarantine officer who knew like four words in English

Edited September 5, 2014 by kekalot

[Babooshka]

From memory it sounds like lipro... something and must be within 30 days before the flight.

Quite the opposite - vaccination must be made "at least 30 days prior to departure" in order the vaccine takes effect and all the usual side-effects pass off.

So they require vaccination agains rabies and leptospirosis to be made between 1 year and 1 month prior to departure.

You do not have to vaccinate your pet against rabies if your country has been free from rabies for at least the past 12 months.

And the last but not least - it is not recommended to do any vaccination more often than once a year.

[Babooshka]

is not bull terrier banned on Thai airways?

Also what is government health certificate?

There are Quarantine and Inspection services approved Vets

Did they also forget to check the microchip and microchip certificate? because it is also a requirement

Bull terrier is not banned, but the American Staffordshire Bull terrier is. Different breeds.

Government health certificate means one, issued by a "state" vet clinic, not by a private one, even if the private vet looks after your pet from its birth.

Microchip OR tattoo certificate, to be specific.

[konying]

From memory it sounds like lipro... something and must be within 30 days before the flight.

Quite the opposite - vaccination must be made "at least 30 days prior to departure" in order the vaccine takes effect and all the usual side-effects pass off.

So they require vaccination agains rabies and leptospirosis to be made between 1 year and 1 month prior to departure.

You do not have to vaccinate your pet against rabies if your country has been free from rabies for at least the past 12 months.

And the last but not least - it is not recommended to do any vaccination more often than once a year.

Thank you for your education and lessons.

I have ONLY brought 2 dogs, while you the one asking