Love Me, Love My Dog

[Guemlum]

I need help, and I'm wondering if anyone else has done this before. Im trying to export my dog from Thailand back to the UK. There are no specific requirements from the quarantine centre in the UK stating that my dog should have any particular vaccinations or certificates as it will spend 6 months in quarantine. But what sort of problems am I likely to experience at the airport in Bangkok. Knowing full well how Thailand and its people do things, and that nothing is ever straight forward, will we need to provide any information or paperwork at the airport in Bangkok. The last thing we want is to arrive back in the UK with our dog still in Thailand. Thanks

[farangsay]

Have no idea on paperwork necessary but would strongly

suggest you pick a direct flight.

When in Zambia some friends of mine were moving to

South Africa and as the quarantine there was only a couple

of weeks they decided to bring their dog.

There was a change of plane at Lusaka and when the

baggage handlers unloaded the cage the dog managed to

break out and run off into the adjacent ZAF base (Zambian

Air Force).

It took a while for the guys to get permission to enter , but

they finally did this and managed to catch what they thought

was the dog they'd lost.

You know what I'm going to say , don't you ? The dog that

arrived in RSA was not the same dog that left Kitwe.

Best of luck.

[Jet Gorgon]

Ooh, Guemlum, you better get started PDQ. You must get papers from a Government vet (most are) about health, rabies and other vaccinations; these must be dated within one week or so from your departure. Please check! Try Samui dog rescue website; they do many exports.

Most important is arranging air transport. Not all carriers do live cargo or not well. Call BA and KLM. Also important to take a direct flight or you could lose Bongo in Moscow.

You must have a dog cage, blankets, toy, maybe sedatives.

At BKK airport, you must check in way early and take your dog to the cargo section and get him checked by the vet there, too.

If you go to Italy first, you may NOT have to put your dog in quarantine in the UK. Check out Euro countries. If you can fly to Roma and then drive or paddle back to the UK, your pooch should get in without hassle. A friend did this a few years ago. Sure saves the heartache of 6-mo QT.

Check out embassy sites for bringing in dogs from Thailand.

good luck!

[Jet Gorgon]

Have no idea on paperwork necessary but would strongly

suggest you pick a direct flight.

When in Zambia some friends of mine were moving to

South Africa and as the quarantine there was only a couple

of weeks they decided to bring their dog.

There was a change of plane at Lusaka and when the

baggage handlers unloaded the cage the dog managed to

break out and run off into the adjacent ZAF base (Zambian

Air Force).

It took a while for the guys to get permission to enter , but

they finally did this and managed to catch what they thought

was the dog they'd lost.

You know what I'm going to say , don't you ? The dog that

arrived in RSA was not the same dog that left Kitwe.

Best of luck.

Not the same dog...sorry, but that is really funny.

Guelum, see my post on the general topics thread you posted.

[tolsti]

http://www.direct.gov.uk/BritonsLivingAbro...CFRE7GgodlmI-kg

this link will tell you, or lead you, to everything you need to know or find out about bringing an animal back to the UK from a foreign country.

I did it many years ago... a Labrador from Zambia and it wasn't easy..... looks a bit more feasible now.

[Jet Gorgon]

Hi, Tolsti. Do you think it's easier going thru Italy or another EU country? Guemlum better check it out, I think.

[November Rain]

Hi, Tolsti. Do you think it's easier going thru Italy or another EU country? Guemlum better check it out, I think.

I'm sorry, but that won't help unless you can keep the dog in that EU country for 6 months. Only then can you avoid UK quarantine. They are very stringent & will want to see vet records for at least 6 months from that country to get into UK. Also many EU countries (not sure if Italy is one, but definitely Germany & the Netherlands) are more difficult to get a dog into than UK (you need a blood test for rabies antigens which cannot be processed by any lab in Thailand, so it has to be sent to Europe etc).

I have sent a dog to UK to her new owners. The first things you need to sort out are in UK, not Thailand. You need to find a Govt approved quarantine kennels that you also like. Then you get them to apply for permission from the govt to import your dog (you can do it, but it's easier to get them to). You will need certain papers and a red (I think, can't remember) sticker to put on the flight cage, otherwise your dog won't be accepted. Check out the DEFRA website (the govt dept you need) they have lists of quarantine kennels & all the details you need.

From Thailand, the dog will need to have a rabies shot between 30 days to 3 months before it flys. Less than 30 days or more than 3 months, no go. It will need a health check at the airport. I always try to get these done the same day as flight, but they can be the day before or whatever. I always get the dog microchipped and a health certificate from our vet too, not always necessary, but the more paperwork you have supporting the dog the better. All your paperwork for the destination country will need to be in order, as they will probably check that too.

For organising the flight, yes, it does need to be non-stop. Prices depend on the carrier, dimensions of the flight cage & weight of the dog. You'll need at get a water bottle & food bowl that can be filled from outside the gage, as it will be sealed in transit. I use a local agent to make the flight arrangements for me. He charges a small extra fee on top (last time I did it was 2,500 bt) but it's well worth it for him doing the running around, not you.

You do need to check the dog in early, as said before, at the cargo area.

If you need any further info, or the number of the agent I use, please pm me & I'd be happy to help. Good luck

[Jet Gorgon]

Thanks for the update, November Rain. Too many new rules; guess best for puppy transporters to check wit their respective embassies for other little details.

[Guemlum]

Thanks to all you guys that have replied. I'm in no rush to get my dog back to the UK so if it has to spend 6 months in quarantine, then so be it. My main concern is getting it back to the UK and the issues that could possibly arrise at the airport, but I've got enough info now in order to proceed. I was actually quite surprised at how cheap it is to send my dog back!!

[Put Len]

You have nominated the centre in UK where the dog will spend its quarantine. Book the dog on the flight and tell the centre where and when to collect the dog when it arrives in UK. Ask the centre what its requirements are, eg specifications for the cage (water bottle, etc), special label for the cage, etc. An import licence will have to be obtained but they might do that. You take the dog (and cage) to the vet in the Cargo Terminal of Bangkok Airport. The vet will give the dog a check up, issue a certificate and the export licence. Then you take the dog from the Cargo to International Terminal (probably using a taxi) and book it on to the flight. Book the dog on to the most direct flight as possible.

If you are travelling from, for example, Samui to Bangkok then to UK (by plane), you can put the dog on the plane at Samui and do the transfer yourself in Bangkok. However, there is an agent which will do this service for you (at a cost of 4,000 Baht). The agent will pick up the dog from the inbound flight from Samui, take it through the export procedure and put it on the flight for UK. The Dog Rescue Center Samui (www.samuidog.org) has the details or telephone them for help. The dog must be able to stand up and turn round in the cage.

You can send the dog via, for example, Italy or Germany but that is a fiddle. Anyway, the dog must have a blood check before it goes off to Germany and, in effect, does the quarantine in Thailand - it can take around 5 months between deciding to take a dog to Germany and it actually arriving there.

Dog Rescue Center Samui has got lots of experience in transporting dogs and cats to Europe and Northern America and they will do that for cost. The cost of sending a dog from Thailand varies on the size of the dog but, for example, a 10 kg dog will cost around 900 Euro.

Best of luck

Put Len

[JiaJia]

rules in UK, you've got many info already.

here's the list of docs (which i got from the gal working at the animal quarantine office in phuket when i importing my dog) requested by thailand when you're exporting a dog:

- contact phuket animal quarantine office 7 days before jorney (check with your depart airport if any difference)

- a copy of the passport of an owner

- a copy of animals book (animal health certificate book, which records dog's health and vet)

- rabies vaccination 30 days before the departure (will have a label of batch number stick on the book)

- microship

- test report (blood)

export europe:

- requirements import dog & cat (UK side in your case)

- import permit (if export by cargo)

- address of port of disembarkation

- Ro. 1/1 (a form issued by thailand i assmue?)

- the animal(s) to by exported must be inspected for health condition, during the last few days (i assume it should be not more than 7 days ??? pls check) right before export, by a veterinary officer at the Animal Quarantine

- receive license (Ro.9) and health certificate (which is very important)

- export fee: 50 bhat each

suggestyou to go to the airport by yourself in very advance, their phones're never working.

most of big airlines arrange you and the dog on the same flight, thaiair for example, i was very happy that they took very care of my beloved dog. even i transferred once at bangkok.

- if it's a big dog, has to stay with cargo. always ask flight attendants to make sure if you dog receives suitable temperature and oxygen.

- if it's a little one or puppy, some airlines allow your dog to share your seat on the flight (however seems a cage is still required).

your dog will be charged as your extra / overweighted baggage, with total weight of the dog, the cage, bottle of water, (food, toys) in the cage. price should be around 8-9 USD / kg.

one more thing, ask the animal hospital / clinic or pet shop if there're any pills can give to the dog due to a changing situation, ie. moving / long trip... my dog started to take the pills 1 week before our departure, seemed it was working, cos he's neither sick, nor nervous after the flights.