Importing A Pet Into Thailand

[NeNejunk]

Have anyone here use service from Thai Air (Tge)?How is the service in case of cargo? I need to send my dog with cargo handling.

[Pseudolus]

I brought in 3 dogs at the start of the year. My mistake? Landed at 3pm, and the vet had gone home early that day. It took xx,xxx baht in tips to get the bugger out again to get my dogs free from the oven they were in. If i did it again, my flight would land in the morning giving me all day to get them out before then having to resort to tipping.

[NeNejunk]

Now my dog arrive München (Munich) satety. I use the Thai Air. service, they count my dog in menifest. I have worked with airline, I know what it means. It means Thai Air. count my dog as passenger. My dog seem not panic, so I guess they took care good. But anyway, cargo handling took so long time here when you dont know where to go, we needed to drive to 3 place until we have our dog. It took around 1.30 hr to 2 hr.

[cheshiremusicman]

I've shipped a boxer from finland to israel unaccompanied; and a staff. bull terrier from usa to israel w/stop in paris along the way. most companies have a maximum temperature level (months of july august here for instance )at which beyond, they wont carry the animal ifits in the stomach of the plane depending on outside temps..

some tips:

dont feed before shipping;

provide water in spill proof water container if possible

the vets i work with do not recommend tranquilizers as they say the animal can not cope as well with stress but every dog and vet is different.

use a quick release collar not a regular one so if something happens the dog has the collar but if something drastic happens, cannot hang or strangle itself cause the collar can break easily releasing it

put copy of paperwork in pocket of travel box and original with you

bring own dog food for few days and also some water from home

put shirt with your SWEATY dirty personal (familiar) smell in box; most dogs sleep thru times of high stress and the smell is a good pacifier.

for birds; check make sure that it isnt a CITES (endangered animal) and you can prove ownership (note from vet stating has been in your possession etc.

parrots react badly to stress so talk to bird vet . small budgie types are flexible little creatures so shouldnt be as problematic.

checks for psiticosis, chlmydia ???

dont think the thai officials really care about this stuff, no?

I brought two cats from the UK some 5 years ago. They had to have all the necessary injections at least one month before the flight and a certificate issued by the Vet which she had been given by the Government Ministry on which she had to state that she had inspected the animals no more than two days before the flight and that they were in good health; all the necessary injections etc being verified by the Ministry on the form for her to sign.

I flew with Emirates and the cats were treated like royalty from the moment they arrived at Manchester Airport.

We had two flights to get to Bangkok and when we got on the aircraft for the first leg we immediately asked the cabin crew about the cats. They were perfectly briefed and could not have been more reassuring as to the welfare of the cats. The Captain of the aircraft actually made a point of coming and seeing us personally to tell us that the temperature in the hold was being monitored and adjusted to what was considered the best for the animals.

The cats travelled in two large cat carriers with dry food and a hanging water container. As the previous poster mentioned, it is advised NOT to give your animals tranqualisers of any kind, as apparently they become even more effective at altitude. Our cats had small blankets that they were familiar with to rest on as the previous poster has recommended.

We arrived in Bangkok and to our delight found that both of our cats aged 13 and 2 were bright eyed and very healthy with no signs of distress. We had worried about the effect of the very load noise of takeoff and landing but as I said the cats appeared absolutely fine. The airport Vet inspected them and we paid I think 200 Baht each for their entry certificates.

All in all we came out of the experience more stressed than the cats.

I know that your original question was regarding birds, but I hope that this gives you some reassurance as to what happens on flights and wish you well with your importation.

[jehricaholic]

If your coming from a country where you do not need to ship your pets as cargo then it looks like a breeze to pickup the pets from within the airport terminal. However, if you are like me and had to use a cargo service (Cathay Pacific) then you have reason to fear. Hear is my story:

I traveled on the same flights as my 2 small dogs (Cathay Pacific from Toronto, Canada via Hong Kong to BKK). Cathay Pacific told me there would be a minimal import fee payable when I collected the dogs from the Thai Airways cargo office (Thai airways is the ground agent for all international cargo), located in the 'Freezone' cargo facility adjacent to the airport. When I arrived in Bangkok my dogs had already been in the crate for 22 hours and I was anxious to get them. After immigration and customs it was a short taxi ride to the Freezone, however once there it became a hellish ordeal...

Once you get to Freezone security checkpoint an 'official' escorts you around the expansive complex (via your taxi) to get your pets. This process took several hours, with countless photocopies being made of my passport and animal documentation, and forms signed in various offices in various locations in the complex. We waited for the 'customs official' to meet me (in the Freezone cafeteria!!!) where I was told I needed to pay a $500 (15,000 Baht) fee. At this point I was getting frantic about my poor animals which at this point I had still no idea where they were. I paid the 'fee' (to the disgust of my Thai partner - who met me at the airport and accompanied me through this Freezone process - he was useless in helping me by the way). 30 minutes later I was in the animal Quaranteen/Vet office (getting more documentation, still no pets) and it was only then that I began to feel the ordeal was coming to a close. After leaving the office and 30 mins later (more paperwork in various offices in the complex) I was brought to the actual cargo area with actual cargo. In a walk-in FRIDGE (yes refrigerator!) was the crate holding my 2 shivering dogs (Chiuwawa & Jack Russell), the water bottle had leaked (as they do) and was empty, the bedding of the crate floor was soaked with chilled water. I broke the seals and freed the animals and gave them water (at this point I didn't care if opening the crate was against policy).

Back to the Vet's office we waited another 30 mins for a checkup, they pooed and peed all over the office (to my somewhat satisfaction, even though I ended up cleaning it up), I wasn't going to have them in that crate again! The vet was useless, asking me to point out the breeds on a pictorial chart then doing a rectal temperature check, and nothing else! More documents signed and we were free to leave. Of course the 'official' who escorted us to and fro also needed tipping.

CONCLUSION:

My dogs survived this ordeal, but others may not. I would never want to go through this process again. If I had not paid-off the customs mafia guy (whatever his job title) I may have never seen my dogs again. If you do need to bring your pets to Thailand (you need a very good reason to bring dogs to a country where Thais generally abandon or mistreat them, and exposed to an abundant outdoor Tic population even in urban areas), then try to find an cargo agent in BKK who knows how to retrieve your pets from the Freezone and deliver them to your Thai home. You may end up paying an extra cost equivalent to what the customs mafia would get should you do it yourself, but at least the Freezone ordeal will not take a few years off the lives of both yourself and your pets.

[chonabot]

Our Westie arrived yesterday In BKK from Edinburgh - stayed overnight with an Import agency - Agility ( very good )

She was flown to us at Khon Kaen this morning and now is with us at home

The whole trip was handled by Pet Travel services in the UK - could not recommend them enough.

Originally I planned to bring her with us - spent ages researching the whole process - DEFRA certs / Import etc.

When I called Emirates prior to booking our own seats on the flight - they confirmed that we could bring her as excess baggage at a cost of about 50 GBP.

I actually called twice and both times was told there would be no issue - including a 2.5 stop in Dubai.

I then booked the tickets online.

I called shortly after - as advised - to inform Emirates we were bringing our dog.

I was told in no uncertain terms that she would not be allowed on the flight - apparently as we stop in Dubai she would be subject to UAE pet import regulations.

When I originally checked on this I was told the laws only apply if the animal is on the land for more than 5 hours - apparently incorrect.

I asked for a refund on the tickets as I knew some airlines would allow her as excess baggage - I was told this could take 2-3 months.

I made a complaint and luckily had records of all of the calls made to Emirates.

They replied that they had made a mistake but could not offer any compensation.

Eventually I had to bite the bullet and use a Pet Travel agency - expensive but very good.

She flew manifest with BA.

I read a few posts earlier that a poster flew their cats via Emirates - and I assume they stopped in Dubai - so it goes to show that airlines seem to make up the flipping rules as they go along.

It cost more to fly our Westie here than myself.wife and son

ps I agree with the above poster about using a Thai Agency - Agility charged us less than the amount he had to shell out for the bribe and that included the flight to Khon Kaen.

pps Reading 2 posts above regarding the import experience - as well as the Emirates discrepancy - and the Thai quarantine situation - you never know how handling it yourself will pan out - at least the agencies (UK and Thai ) have a guaranteed service ( I think..... )

Edited December 7, 2011 by chonabot

[tolin]

Has anybody got experience or information on bringing dogs in from Ireland. Im heading to Phuket for a year. I cant seem to find information on bringing them from ireland anywhere.

Thank you in advance for your help.

[dotx]

Never, never send your pets as cargo if you can avoid it. It's not only more risky (longer waiting times, you can't check in on them throughout the trip), but it's also a nightmare when it comes to paperwork, as jehricaholic can confirm.

No matter where you're coming from, it's ALWAYS possible to send your animals as excess cargo (as long as you're flying in the same plane). If an airline tells you it's not possible, go to a different one. When I was making arrangements to fly into Thailand, I was told by Thai Airways one of my dogs had to be sent as cargo because he was too heavy (76 lbs) and wouldn't "qualify as excess baggage." I told them to forget it and went to Air France. Not only did they let me fly both my dogs as excess baggage, but they actually charged me less!

Once I got to Bangkok and through passport control, I walked directly to the excess baggage door/counter and my dogs were already waiting there for me. Two guys were sitting next to the cages, waiting for somebody to show up. One of them actually walked me to the quarantine office.

I was also obsessive about paperwork before I flew into Thailand. I actually called the quarantine office at the airport in Bangkok and asked them to send me a list of the paperwork I needed. I did everything they asked for (a ton of papers!), including obtaining an import certificate in advance. When I got to the airport and walked into the office, the officers there were actually impressed with all the papers I had. Took less than 5 minutes and my dogs waited outside, with a friend.

My dogs have lived with me in three different countries. Moving with them is not necessarily fun, but it doesn’t have to be a nightmare either.

And jehricaholic, I’m glad your dogs are ok.

Edited January 5, 2012 by dotx

[dotx]

Has anybody got experience or information on bringing dogs in from Ireland. Im heading to Phuket for a year. I cant seem to find information on bringing them from ireland anywhere.

Thank you in advance for your help.

It doesn't really matter where you're coming from. The process to get into Thailand is always the same.

[nphongggg]

I've read most of the posts and all the charges varies at the quarantine office.

Is there a specific price we have to pay? I've already emailed my documents for an import certificate.

Will be flying into BKK via Thai Airways, and my cat will be on board with me as well - 3 months old.

Any updated advice for the above?

Thank you!

[emugirl]

I've read most of the posts and all the charges varies at the quarantine office.

Is there a specific price we have to pay? I've already emailed my documents for an import certificate.

Will be flying into BKK via Thai Airways, and my cat will be on board with me as well - 3 months old.

Any updated advice for the above?

Thank you!

We arrived in Thailand on a Qatar flight from Belgium with our cat on the same flight in December '11. All we needed to present at the Bkk airport quarantine office was her health certificate and we paid 200 Bhat. Was quite a simple, painless procedure. Hope your experience is the same.

[nphongggg]

I've read most of the posts and all the charges varies at the quarantine office.

Is there a specific price we have to pay? I've already emailed my documents for an import certificate.

Will be flying into BKK via Thai Airways, and my cat will be on board with me as well - 3 months old.

Any updated advice for the above?

Thank you!

We arrived in Thailand on a Qatar flight from Belgium with our cat on the same flight in December '11. All we needed to present at the Bkk airport quarantine office was her health certificate and we paid 200 Bhat. Was quite a simple, painless procedure. Hope your experience is the same.

heyyy. thanks so much for your reply (: i hope it'll be a simple, painless procedure too. a bit nervous thinking abt it. but i got pretty much everything already. so i shld b ok.

[seekingfriends]

hi . i am brining 3 dogs from sydney to bbk . they will fly on the same flight as me. and my partner who is thai so the language is no problem and friends will meet us in bbk . i understand the medical certificates thats no problem .but do i need a import certificate for the dogs. james

[Nienke]

Click on Form No 1/1: http://www.dld.go.th/dcontrol/move/imex_e.html

[brenchng]

I managed to get through on the phone to Thai Airways Singapore office after being put on hold for 25min But for my darling, its worth the wait

For the benefit of others, these are the requirements from TG:

1) Pet + Carrier < 10Kg

2) Carrier dimensions 55 (L) x 37 (W) x 30 (H) cm. The carrier must be put under the seat when on board.

3) Need to provide microchip number as part of the ticket booking

4) Documents required: health certificate + Thai import permit and Singapore export permits to be provided when checking in. Also need to inform them one week in advance before departure.

5) Pet & Carrier will be checked in as excess luggage at SGD 15 per kg (current rates)

6) Pet must be clean and odorless

As I am going to Chiangmai via Bangkok, I will just carry my pet with me when changing flights.

Well, I've booked my ticket and as per item(3) above, I called the Singapore office. In addition to the microchip number, they asked for the pet carrier dimensions and weight of my pet & carrier, and apparently this is booked into their system as well. Will update again after I take the flight

Hi,

Did you used an agent for relocating your cat, if you did which agent did u used and how much does it cost?

I'm moving to bangkok with my 2 dogs to bangkok and would appreciate if you can update your experience relocating your pet.

[8milesfromhome]

We just imported our english cocker spaniel from the UK to Chiang Mai Thailand. We wrote instructions for anyone else hoping to do the same thing for as cheap as possible. Check it out. Its got everything you need to know to export a dog from the UK to Thailand.

http://8milesfromhom...inging-a-dog-to

@8milesfromhome

Edited June 7, 2012 by 8milesfromhome

[Rogerg]

Has anyone brought a pet in by road from Cambodia to Thailand through Poipet border crossing? how easy was it? Want to bring my dog over from Phnom Penh and my thai wife will bring over

Guess it is easier than coming through airport. Do I need to just organize rabies shot, veterinarian clean bill of health.

Edited October 7, 2012 by Rogerg

[craigt3365]

Thanks for all the great information! I'm in the process of importing a dog to Thailand from the US. The USDA just gave me this document. Thought I'd share.

General Info - Pet Overseas.pdf

[skybluepete]

Has anyone took a cat from thailand to spain,if so were there any difficulties,eg.quarantine.

[craigt3365]

Thought I'd do a report on our experience with bringing a Yorkie over from the US. All the info you need is in this thread, especially here:

It's a bit of a pain, and not cheap, but no too bad. Nobody looked at our paperwork until we got to animal control in Thailand. 100B. Make sure you have the USDA form with the raised seal. We got 5 forms from the USDA and I had that one stashed away in my luggage as they all looked the same...but of a tense moment there. Took 15 minutes there, then over to the counter where you have goods to declare. Customs wanted 1000B. I thought it was a scam, but how can you argue...and they even gave us a receipt for it. Oh well. Nice thing was they didn't look at our other luggage...which was 7 suitcases of stuff we brought back (electronics, drugs, vitamins, etc). Whew.

Dog was in a carrier that fit under our seat. I'd been training it to live in there for the past 6 weeks, carrying it around town and in various stores, so it was relatively comfortable. No meds were given, a bit of water every few hours, and a small amount of food two times. Tried to get it to pee on a pad in Tokyo in the handicapped stall, but no luck. She held it until we got here and outside the terminal where we found some grass.

We flew United. They have a special number to help with pets. They were great, counseling us on what to do and how to care for the dog. We paid $125 to have her on board. She whimpered a few times, but much quieter than the crying babies in the front of us.

Overall, an easy process. A bit difficult dealing with the import permit, but it got sorted. No replies to emails, called many times and was told 2-3 times to call back as they were busy, then told to call the day before we left. I was nervous, but 4 days before departure, we go the docs in an email.

Dog and her owner (my mom) are doing great. Just waiting for her first encounter with a snake!

FYI!

[giibaht]

I managed to get through on the phone to Thai Airways Singapore office after being put on hold for 25min But for my darling, its worth the wait

For the benefit of others, these are the requirements from TG:

1) Pet + Carrier < 10Kg

2) Carrier dimensions 55 (L) x 37 (W) x 30 (H) cm. The carrier must be put under the seat when on board.

3) Need to provide microchip number as part of the ticket booking

4) Documents required: health certificate + Thai import permit and Singapore export permits to be provided when checking in. Also need to inform them one week in advance before departure.

5) Pet & Carrier will be checked in as excess luggage at SGD 15 per kg (current rates)

6) Pet must be clean and odorless

As I am going to Chiangmai via Bangkok, I will just carry my pet with me when changing flights.

Well, I've booked my ticket and as per item(3) above, I called the Singapore office. In addition to the microchip number, they asked for the pet carrier dimensions and weight of my pet & carrier, and apparently this is booked into their system as well. Will update again after I take the flight

Hi,

Did you used an agent for relocating your cat, if you did which agent did u used and how much does it cost?

I'm moving to bangkok with my 2 dogs to bangkok and would appreciate if you can update your experience relocating your pet.

Nope, I did everything myself. It was easy and my cat was beside me in the cabin the entire flight. TG is good as they usually try to leave the next seat empty (so no worries about 'disturbing' other passengers). Just make sure all your documentations are in order. And do try to go with an airline that allows you to carry your pets onboard cabin or check in as excess luggage. If they are sent as "cargo", the procedures are different and much more complicated.

[55Jay]

Cat inbound to LOS. Happy to report and thankful that 8milesfromhome's link/post (#226) provided the correct email contact for AQS in Thailand. We had a dld.go.th email (and a wrong ph#) from other sources and my wife did the email in Thai. We got a response the next day (in Thai) but from the AQS email as shown by 8milesfrom home.

AQS' email included a checklist of requirements to get an advance Import Certificate. We went down the list and sent everything asked for + the Request for Import Form 1/1 again. Got a response today (in English) saying under review and Import Cert would be emailed to us in a few days.

Attached a copy of the checklist. So far so good.

Regards,

Jay

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>

Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 5:47 AM

Subject: Re: การนำแมวเข้าประเทศไทย

Dear Madam,

Your request has been received and is being given due consideration. Our officer at the airport

will issue the import permit and requirement for your animal and send to you by e-mail in a

few days. The import permit is valid 45 days after issued. (Office open on Mon-Fri 08.30 am.-04.30

pm. my local time Tel: +662-134-0731)

With best regards,

Anusorn Kosathip

Veterinary Officer Of Suvarnabhumi Airport

Animal Quarantine Station

[55Jay]

Just received Thai Import Cert by email..... 4 1/2 hrs after last post vs. "a few days"!

I'm impressed. My wife is shocked. We are both over the moon. Kudos to this Thai agency.

Now, hope getting the cat into Middle East airport, onto Middle East airline as excess baggage (not cargo) and into Swampy breathing, goes as well as the AQS process has so far.

[55Jay]

Arrived BKK, cat as excess baggage, Qatar Air.

TW did all the talking in the Quarantine office, paid 100 baht, out we went, although the guy did ask (me) for a "tip". Twice.

Lots of attention at Red Lane through Customs, mostly from people wanting to see the cat which does look like Garfield. One plain clothes guy was taking pictures.

Note that I did time the rabies shot too late. I thought it was a gestation period of 21 days required but no, it is indeed rabies within 21 days of arrival. We arrived on day 25 after his rabies shot. Vet at Quarantine office did highlight this but let it go, even without a "tip".

J

[fabio coltro]

helloi willhave to trave too with 2 cats... my god lol, some one can tellme how long time pets will stay to quarantene for controll_? i read some post ( maibe i mistake) that could leave its about one monts? is possible this?

thank you... imnew om thay forum

Fabio

[ahyong]

hi i am intending to purchase some leopards geckos from USA to Thailand. May i know what is the procedure? Was told by the seller that i have to collect it at the airport myself.

[giibaht]

I managed to get through on the phone to Thai Airways Singapore office after being put on hold for 25min But for my darling, its worth the wait

For the benefit of others, these are the requirements from TG:

1) Pet + Carrier < 10Kg

2) Carrier dimensions 55 (L) x 37 (W) x 30 (H) cm. The carrier must be put under the seat when on board.

3) Need to provide microchip number as part of the ticket booking

4) Documents required: health certificate + Thai import permit and Singapore export permits to be provided when checking in. Also need to inform them one week in advance before departure.

5) Pet & Carrier will be checked in as excess luggage at SGD 15 per kg (current rates)

6) Pet must be clean and odorless

As I am going to Chiangmai via Bangkok, I will just carry my pet with me when changing flights.

Well, I've booked my ticket and as per item(3) above, I called the Singapore office. In addition to the microchip number, they asked for the pet carrier dimensions and weight of my pet & carrier, and apparently this is booked into their system as well. Will update again after I take the flight

Hi,

Did you used an agent for relocating your cat, if you did which agent did u used and how much does it cost?

I'm moving to bangkok with my 2 dogs to bangkok and would appreciate if you can update your experience relocating your pet.

Nope, I did everything myself. It was easy and my cat was beside me in the cabin the entire flight. TG is good as they usually try to leave the next seat empty (so no worries about 'disturbing' other passengers). Just make sure all your documentations are in order. And do try to go with an airline that allows you to carry your pets onboard cabin or check in as excess luggage. If they are sent as "cargo", the procedures are different and much more complicated.

Thai Airways no longer allow pets to be brought into the cabin. They can accompany the owner in the same flight as checked-in luggage and go into the cargo hold. This was effective a few months ago. Sad.

[giibaht]

Anyone with a location map/link of where the Animal Quarantine Station at Suvarn Airport is exactly located?

[Casual1]

So i'll be moving my 2 cats over in Feb 2014, read alot on this forum, but its a little old so i'll try to update it a little. Moving from Alaska USA to Pattaya Thailand.

so far, i have made my airline reservations with 2 airlines, Alaska Air and EVA.

Alaska Air was pretty simple, called to confirm and reserve they have room for animals, i was told (or read) that only a certain amount of animals are allowed to travel per plane. I planned on having the 2 cats in the same carrier (a huge one for a large dog) but the Alaska Air agent said no, one adult pet per carrier. I'll have to collect them in Seattle and check them in at the EVA ticket counter. Cost for Alaska Airlines is $100 a piece.

EVA was a little more indepth. Glad i called them with 3 months before leaving. Eva agent said i needed to get a Taiwan transit permit for each pet, which i did not see on this or any other forum. they gave me the email address for further info. After doing a quick search, i found this website http://www.baphiq.gov.tw/public/Attachment/68161638571.pdf which had the correct contact email [email protected] i think maybe the agents accent and my hard of hear was the culprit of getting a few letters incorrect. So i drafted an email to Taiwan authorities asking how to obtain a transit permit. within a day they sent me back a form to fill out for both cats , asked when i would be traveling and on which airlines and flight number. i replied with the completed forms and info, they replied back with what breed of cats, i said "domestic short hair" and "domestic long hair", i got the permits back within 20 minutes. after thanking them and reviewing the permit, i noticed they put the year feb 2013 as my transit date, so i contacted them again and they corrected and sent a new permit within 20-30 minutes. Taiwan permit complete !!

Called EVA again and gave them all my info (cage size, weight, cat breed, Taiwan permit number), they asked if i made arrangements with Alaska Air, and that i had to re-check them in Seattle which i am aware of. they said i needed to make sure i contacted the thai authorities to follow their rules for importing pets, i assured them i will and they are now reserved on EVA from Seattle to BKK, via Taipie.

I'm setting up they're vet visit next week, one cat has a chip, the other doesnt (old ass cat). gonna bring the thai requirement list with me so the vet knows what needs to be done and how to fill out the certificate according to Thai requirements. EVA did not give me a price, but after reading the info on their website, it'll be about $350 per carrier. hope i get a free upgrade !!!

one bit of confusion i've seen on here is the rabbies vacination. someone said it needed to be give within 21 days of arrival. this mean to me that it its required from 1-21 days before they arrive in thailand. reading the thai import rules http://www.dld.go.th/webenglish/movec1.html it says "not less than 21 days" which would mean 21 days-365 days before arrival.

2nd, is the USDA certificate with raised seal required? i only found that requirement on this forum, not any where else.

the good info i found useful: I'm taking the advise of attaching pet photo, little note about the cats, and copies of all required documents to the carrier, gonna do the ice cube thing along with a large water bottle for each carrier. each carrier is a medium dog size carrier so they will have plenty of room. With EVA, i was gonna ship them together to save money (they charge by the carrier, not the pet), but at times they "scrap" and dont want someone in Taipie to freak out when they're stressed and start to "scrap". so alone they go. they can see each other again in thailand.

Anyone think i've missed something? i'll give an update after the vet visit.

thanks for your help

[55Jay]

So i'll be moving my 2 cats over in Feb 2014, read alot on this forum, but its a little old so i'll try to update it a little. Moving from Alaska USA to Pattaya Thailand.

so far, i have made my airline reservations with 2 airlines, Alaska Air and EVA.

Alaska Air was pretty simple, called to confirm and reserve they have room for animals, i was told (or read) that only a certain amount of animals are allowed to travel per plane. I planned on having the 2 cats in the same carrier (a huge one for a large dog) but the Alaska Air agent said no, one adult pet per carrier. I'll have to collect them in Seattle and check them in at the EVA ticket counter. Cost for Alaska Airlines is $100 a piece.

EVA was a little more indepth. Glad i called them with 3 months before leaving. Eva agent said i needed to get a Taiwan transit permit for each pet, which i did not see on this or any other forum. they gave me the email address for further info. After doing a quick search, i found this website http://www.baphiq.gov.tw/public/Attachment/68161638571.pdf which had the correct contact email [email protected] i think maybe the agents accent and my hard of hear was the culprit of getting a few letters incorrect. So i drafted an email to Taiwan authorities asking how to obtain a transit permit. within a day they sent me back a form to fill out for both cats , asked when i would be traveling and on which airlines and flight number. i replied with the completed forms and info, they replied back with what breed of cats, i said "domestic short hair" and "domestic long hair", i got the permits back within 20 minutes. after thanking them and reviewing the permit, i noticed they put the year feb 2013 as my transit date, so i contacted them again and they corrected and sent a new permit within 20-30 minutes. Taiwan permit complete !!

Called EVA again and gave them all my info (cage size, weight, cat breed, Taiwan permit number), they asked if i made arrangements with Alaska Air, and that i had to re-check them in Seattle which i am aware of. they said i needed to make sure i contacted the thai authorities to follow their rules for importing pets, i assured them i will and they are now reserved on EVA from Seattle to BKK, via Taipie.

I'm setting up they're vet visit next week, one cat has a chip, the other doesnt (old ass cat). gonna bring the thai requirement list with me so the vet knows what needs to be done and how to fill out the certificate according to Thai requirements. EVA did not give me a price, but after reading the info on their website, it'll be about $350 per carrier. hope i get a free upgrade !!!

one bit of confusion i've seen on here is the rabbies vacination. someone said it needed to be give within 21 days of arrival. this mean to me that it its required from 1-21 days before they arrive in thailand. reading the thai import rules http://www.dld.go.th/webenglish/movec1.html it says "not less than 21 days" which would mean 21 days-365 days before arrival.

2nd, is the USDA certificate with raised seal required? i only found that requirement on this forum, not any where else.

the good info i found useful: I'm taking the advise of attaching pet photo, little note about the cats, and copies of all required documents to the carrier, gonna do the ice cube thing along with a large water bottle for each carrier. each carrier is a medium dog size carrier so they will have plenty of room. With EVA, i was gonna ship them together to save money (they charge by the carrier, not the pet), but at times they "scrap" and dont want someone in Taipie to freak out when they're stressed and start to "scrap". so alone they go. they can see each other again in thailand.

Anyone think i've missed something? i'll give an update after the vet visit.

thanks for your help

Hello Casual1.

As you've likely read above, I also interpreted the rabies shot time frame as you have. The vet at the airport in BKK did tell my wife that it was within 21 days of arriving in Thailand.

Quite a change of scenery and weather Alaska to LOS, also for the cats. We live about 2 1/2 hrs north of Bangkok and have a fairly large and lush garden around the house, complete with a few nasty critters - snakes, centipedes, the odd scorpion and some frogs emitting poison from their skin. We are "open air" during the day and did make an effort to keep him inside, which doesn't work for long, so we finally had to let it go and hope he learned his flora and fauna lessons without a tragic ending. 11 months here now, he's satisfied his curiosity and has returned to his normal routine of sleeping in the house all day, and doesn't venture too far anymore. We've had him at the vet at least once for some nasty junk growing on his lips and tongue, I think he licked the wrong toad, or got bitten by something, he was lethargic, had a fever, etc. Week's worth of antibiotics and ointments cleared it up whatever it was, and our local vet in town (moonlighting government vet) was so inexpensive, I thought he made a mistake charging us only 200 baht for the visit and all the meds he gave us. Incredible. We also keep up on the Frontline flea/tick applications every month and watch out for ear mites.

One thing we learned is canned cat food selections here are fish, fish and fish. My cat loves human canned tuna, which is available here so not a problem, but we did send over a whole load of other varieties of beef, chicken, salmon, turkey, to hold us over until finding a local source - without success so far. Maybe in Bangkok, dunno. Finally found small cans of chicken cat food at Tops super market but ended up having my family send over a big box of beef, chicken, salmon and other varieties from California. There are plenty of dry food options but if your cat likes a variety of canned food besides mackerel, sardines and tuna, plan ahead.

Good luck on the flights, airports, and getting your cats settled in here.