Tag: Thailand animal

Traveling with pets in Thailand_featured

Traveling with pets in Thailand: options and considerations

Categories Thailand, ,

If you are an animal lover, and you can’t be separated from your pets – then your ideal vacation would be with your pets. In our previous article, we talked about the process of bringing pets into Thailand. Now, we will be focusing on the process of traveling with pets in Thailand once your pets have arrived there.

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Traveling with pets in Thailand

Domestic travel within Thailand are mostly done via air and land transport.

Are domestic flights pet friendly?

At the time of our research, Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways and Nok Air provide pet flight service. While you would generally hear about “Pet in Cabin” and “Pets as Checked Baggage”, most airlines in Thailand now only offer Pets as Checked Baggage service. This means you have to check-in your pets to a special area right under the passenger cabin,

In general, Airlines recommend that you get in touch with their service center as there are many limitations including pet breed, container condition, maximum number of pet / flight, and aircraft type.

We have consolidated pet policy pages from the 3 airlines here: Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, Nok Air

Travel by land options

In our opinion, if you are already in Thailand, the most convenient way to travel with a pet is to drive or hire private transportation. However, keep in mind the travel distance. For example, a drive from Bangkok to Chiang Mai would take 6-7 hours, Pattaya or Hua Hin would be more suitable for a road-trip from Bangkok. 

If you or your local thai friends already own a car then the process is simple, however if you don’t – there are a few options. First, you can get in touch with a pet relocation specialist. Pet town, for example, also provide pet taxi service on top of their pet relocation service. Another option is to rent a car. There are a vast number of car rental / car with a driver service providers in Thailand. Some of them would also allow pets in exchange for higher fees. AVIS is among the most international (but also very expensive) one which we have tried during our business trip. We did not have a pet with us back then but feel free to get in touch with the company for inquiry.

Traveling with pets in Thailand_pet town

If you want to go for a cheaper/local alternative, make sure to do your research on provider’s credentials, pricing or go with providers that transparently list out pricing on their website. While we have not personally tried this provider, a desktop research shows that Okay Travel lists out pricing by destination, and also mentions pet transportation as their service.

Train is another land travel options, however Thailand train infrastructure is not well developed like in Europe or Japan/Taiwan. Pets are also restricted to lower fare cabin, which you may find it uncomfortable.

Pet-friendly hotels and resorts in Thailand

Being a tourism destination, Thailand has a large number of hotels and resorts. However not all hotels are pet-friendly, and even fewer have clear pet policies that you can easily check online.

Below are some of the hotels and resorts that have transparent pet policies. However, you are encouraged to still get in touch with these hotels ahead of your booking for full details. Lastly, if you are looking for more alternatives, feel free to check websites like Tripadvisor which has a longer list of pet-friendly accommodation. 

Image from Novetel Hua Hin which has a dedicated post about their pet friendliness!

Pet-friendly hotels in Thailand: there are a number of hotels in Bangkok that would allow you to stay with your pet

Pet-friendly resorts in Thailand:

Pet-friendly condos for rent Thailand

Traveling with pets in Thailand_cat

If you are looking to have a longer stay in Thailand then purchasing or long-term rental would be your options. 

If you are living outside of Bangkok or in other cities, your best bet would be to check out detached landed property or townhouse since they provide more space for your pets. However, if you are looking to stay in Bangkok, it does get more tricky as majority of condominiums would not allow you to keep pets.

Here are some of the condominiums in Bangkok that are pet friendly:

  • M Thonglor, M Phayathai and M Jatujak
  • Ashton Sukhumvit and Ashton Morph
  • Maru Ladprao and Maru Ekkamai
  • Metris Ladprao and Metris Pattanakarn
  • MAESTRO Siam-Ratchathewi and MAESTRO Ratchada
  • The Monument Thonglor
  • Waterford Sukhumvit

For shorter term stay like 1-3 month(s), the easiest way to find accommodation would be to check for Airbnb within condominiums that are officially pet-friendly (like those listed above).

There are many beautiful condominiums in Thailand that would satisfy both pets and their owners. Photo from Maru Ladprao. 

So, is it easy traveling with pets in Thailand?

Traveling with pets in Thailand requires a lot of preparation, so maybe it’s not worth it for a weekend get-away. Being on the road for a very long time can be stressful for the pets too. 

However, if you and your pets are inseparable or you are planning on a long-trip away from home. There are logistics and accommodation options that would allow you to enjoy holiday with your pets. 

Learn more about Thailand via our other posts

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Stray cats in Thailand_featured

Stray cats in Thailand: situation / how to make a difference

Categories Thailand, ,

In the previous post, we talked about how there are about a million stray dogs and cats in Thailand and how you can adopt a dog from/in Thailand.

Not only stray dogs that need your attention, but also stray cats in Thailand. This is because many shelters and kind-hearted citizens who help to take care of the strays are facing financial difficulties due to coronavirus. 

Many stray cats in Thailand face challenges such as population control, illness, lack of food and other natural predators. In Thailand, there are a lot of kittens and cats on the street that fall prey to predators such as snakes and water monitors (a smaller version of comodo dragon).

In this post, we will talk about where and how you can make a difference for stray cats in Thailand. 

Stray cats in Thailand_Catsanova

Photo from Catsanova – Adoptable Cat Cafe.

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Where can you visit stray cats in Thailand? Shelter, cat cafes and cat island!

While many strays are still living on the streets, there are already shelters and volunteers helping to connect strays to prospective adopters. 

  1. Shelter: There are many small shelters who take care of cats across Thailand, however only a few communicate in English. For instance, PickaPet4Home-Bangkok is a shelter with bilingual language capability, and they operate a Facebook page that bridges stray animals (both cats and dogs) with prospective adopters. 
  2. Cat cafes: There are many cat cafes in Thailand, however some cafes focus solely on strays – that means you can even adopt these cats and bring them home! An example is PAWS Bangkok, which operates a cat café and rescue operation in Bangkok.
  3. Cat island: Japan has a famous cat island (Aoshima), and wait for it – Thailand has a cat island as well! Although a lot smaller in scale & less well-known, it does exist! 

One of many photos from cat island in Phuket by Catdumb.tv.

Can you adopt cats in Thailand (or from Thailand?)

Yes absolutely, the process is very simple for those who are living in Thailand. Although it is slightly more complicated to adopt from Thailand when you are overseas, it is still possible.

All you need to do is find strays who are up for adoptions via a shelter, cat café or an organization like Soi Dog. While this process is free-of-charge, some people/organizations may ask you to sign a simple adoption agreement. This agreement is purely to protect the animal and ensure that you would not torture them or sell them off.

There are many beautiful stray cats in Thailand. So, definitely you should consider the adoption route if you are a cat lover and looking for a meow furriends. You may even be able to pick up Thai  Siamese cats as well!

Adoption from overseas

If you are looking to adopt a cat in Thailand from overseas, this process gets more complicated and we recommend you to get help from local organizations like the Soi Dog Foundation. Such an organization can help you do the necessary preparation for the animals as well as the paperwork required by the immigration.

PAWS Bangkok is regularly on a look out for adopters. 

How easy is it to adopt a stray cat in Thailand?

The answer is, it is pretty easy! There are many stray cats in Thailand who are in need of help (and their number is growing). Therefore, A lot of organizations and people in the community have made it their mission to help these cats find a forever home. 

There might be some worries about adopting a cat without seeing them first. However, there are shelters and cafes that you can visit to see the cats firsthand, before you decide on adopting. With such a growing number of abandoned animals (especially cats and dogs) in Thailand, adopting is a way to help with these animals’ welfare. Do consider adopting instead of shopping for animals at the breeder/pet shop – this small action means a world to these furry friends. 

Go check out our other interesting insights into Thailand!

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How to adopt a dog from Thailand_featured

How to adopt a dog from Thailand: a chance to save a life

Categories Thailand, , 1 Comment on How to adopt a dog from Thailand: a chance to save a life

There are about one million stray dogs and cats in Thailand, according to Thailand’s Livestock Development Department. And what’s alarming is that this number could reach 2 million in 2027. That’s what brings us to this topic: how to adopt a dog FROM or IN Thailand. We would like to encourage everyone looking for a furry companion to adopt and not shop. #adoptdontshop

Why is the increasing stray animal population an issue? This is a matter of population control and wellbeing/welfare of the animals. 

As one of the consequences from Coronavirus, the stray population in shelters is ballooning. Strays outside of the shelters either have to fend themselves or they are usually taken care of by some kind-hearted citizens. Many of these citizens are actually also facing financial difficulties due to Coronavirus. 

If you are an animal lover who is looking for a dog companion, then you can make a difference by adopting a dog IN Thailand or FROM Thailand. Remember, a small act like this could change the whole world for one’s life.

How to adopt a dog from Thailand_Soi Dog Newsletter

Source: Soi Dog Foundation April Newsletter 2021

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Thailand's dog adoption requirement

If you are in Thailand, there is no formal requirement per se. The process can be as easy as adopting stray dogs or cats from the streets or finding people/organizations who are looking for adopters. 

If you are adopting a dog from people or organizations who are providing temporary shelters, you might need to sign a simple adoption agreement. The agreement is mostly there to protect the animal, ensuring that you will not torture or sell the animal.

Where can you find stray dogs or cats for adoption in Thailand?

The first stop you can try is Facebook page. There are many Facebook communities with members who locate strays and search for appropriate adopters. While most pages are in Thai, some pages like Furget me not – Thailand and The Adoptable Puppy Café  post about dog adoptions in English. These communities/groups are very active and you’ll see new updates every now and then.

There are also renowned organizations in Thailand facilitating animal adoption process:

Adopting a dog from Thailand while you are not in the country is a much more complicated process and we will cover this in the next section.

Facebook page like The Adoptable Puppy Cafe regularly posts adoption information both in English and Thai.

How to adopt a dog from Thailand

While this is a novel idea, we have to admit that the process could be complicated (and this depends on where you live). Each country has its own processes when you want to bring a pet or animal into the country. For example, we have written about Thailand’s process in our other post.  

In general, most countries will require some preparation (for example vaccination) and paperwork (info about the animal, health certificate etc.) done on the dog. Upon arrival of the adopted dog in your country, there might also be a quarantine requirement. 

Whether you are physically in Thailand or overseas, having an organization on the ground will make the process a lot easier. For instance, the Soi Dog Foundation provides detailed information about this process and will help you through this process without any fee.

How to adopt a dog from Thailand_puppy

How easy is it to adopt a dog IN or FROM Thailand?

If you are in Thailand, the dog adoption process is very simple (almost non-existing). It can be as simple as picking up stray animals on the street as your own, or visiting a nearby shelter to adopt. 

However, if you are not in Thailand, it does get more complicated because it will involve cross-border migration. Don’t be disheartened by this, because there are local organizations like the Soi Dog Foundation that can help you get through this. They will make the preparation and paperwork process easier for you.

We have various insights into Thailand, go check out our other posts!

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