How to Bring a Dog to Thailand: Taking Your Dog to Thailand is Easy If You Know How
Many People Want to Bring Their Dogs with Them to Thailand, If You're One of Them, Here's How
Get All Necessary Documents Before Leaving Your Country - At least a month before you're planning on leaving your own country, go to your vet to get the necessary documents to import your dog into Thailand. You will need to get a rabies vaccination certificate, showing your dog has had all his/her rabies shots. If your dog hasn't had vaccination shots, make sure the vaccination is given at least 21 days before you leave for Thailand, as Thai officials won't let your dog in the country before the 21 day period is up.
A second vaccination certificate should show that your dog has been vaccinated against Leptospirosis, Distemper, Hepatitis, and Parvovirus. Finally, you will also need a certificate of general health showing that, overall, your dog has no major health conditions, and an identity certificate showing the breed, color, age, sex and markings of the dog. While you're at the vets, also make sure you pick up any medications your dog may need as well as special shampoos, flea powders etc. You can get all these things in Thailand, but you won't want to be messing with them the first couple of weeks you're here.
Arrange For Shipment of Your Dog - If your dog is large, it will have to travel in the cargo hold. If it's smaller, most airlines will allow you to transport him/her in a dog carrier under your seat. A friend of mine did this recently, but she said it was a pain as she had to take the dog to the bathroom and try to get it to pee down the toilet. Don't forget, it's an 18 hour flight from the US to Thailand, and 12 hours from the UK, so you're probably better having your dog travel in a crate in the hold. I've done this on domestic flights within the US with no problems, and international flights are no different, just a lot longer.
Get Copy of Photo Page of Your Passport - When you pick up your dog at the Thai airport, you will be required to give a copy of the photo page of your passport to Thai officials. Make sure you have one with you, which will save time hunting around for a photocopy machine.
Pick Up Your Dog at Bangkok Airport - If flying in, your dog will arrive at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport. If the dog comes on the same flight as you, or if it comes a day or two later, you will still have to go to the Department of Livestock office in the cargo area that deals with the importation of live animals. Here, you will fill in the necessary paperwork to get your entry permit for the dog. Some people say this takes 24 hours and your dog will have to remain there until it's complete. A friend of mine however managed to get this certification in less than an hour, and was able to leave the airport with her dog only a couple of hours after arriving in Thailand.
Quarantine - On the form you complete at the cargo office, you'll see a section about where the dog will be quarantined. Quarantine for a dog in Thailand can be as simple as at home or a hotel and, on the form, you'll see a section to mark about quarantine saying "at home". Just check this box, and the dog will be released into your custody.
Check Up by Vet - At the airport, you will most likely also have to allow your dog to have a quick check-up by a vet. This takes about ten minutes and is just to ensure your dog doesn't show any signs of obvious illness. You will not have to pay for the check-up, it's free.
Import Duty Fees - Some people report having to pay import taxes on their dogs, other friends had no import taxes charged. At the cargo office, if you're unlucky enough to be told to go to pay the import fees, you will have to do so. If no-one tells you though, you're pretty much home free and can leave.
Don't forget, once you bring your dog to Thailand, Thailand is a country that has rabies. So be careful which dogs you let your own dog play with and, if it's bitten by another dog, immediately take it to a veterinarian.
Published by Cassandra James
I'm a British-American writer currently living in Bangkok, Thailand. I've been writing for Associated Content since 2007 and was named one of AC's Top 100 Writers for 2008, 2009 and 2010. I primarily write a... View profile
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8 Comments
Post a CommentCurrently living in Chiang Rai Thailand on a property with 10 dogs - if I had my 9 year old female Golden Retriever from Australia shipped to Thailand how do you think she would adjust to living with 6 females (all desexed) 4 males (2 desexed, 2 shortly)???
JFYI - I did bring my dog to Thailand and thought that the process was going to be extremely easy. I had all my paperwork done correctly and submitted to the appropriate authorities. I had been in phone contact and had instructions in hand for time and place for picking her up. I couldn't wait to pick up my dog at the airport when her evening flight arrived. There ensued one of the worst nights of my life. My dog was not released to me for over 8 hours while I "discussed" the situation with those in charge. I, too, could have had her released with little bother if I was willing to pay a ton of money. Since I had already paid a ton of money and all the fees that were required and had brought no extra cash with me, you can see I was going to have a problem. After many hours or reasoning, emptying out what I could from the one ATM card I brought, crying, asking my taxi driver, who graciously stayed the entire time to help translate for me, if I could borrow what he c
I am told i need an export certificate. My dog has a passport, all the jabs, rabies included, a page in the passport says he is healthy to travel, and he had a blood sample taken today too. Do any of you know if this is enough? Thank you X
LOL, only if you're planning on EATING the dog :)
you have to bring the dog health certificate from the your dog clnic to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to approve and stamp USDA on the dog health certificate. In california the office in scamento.
Yep, weird isn't it? There's freakin' stray dogs everywhere - I've never seen a mangier bunch of dogs, but they're really strict on vaccinations for imported dogs. But ya know, it's Thailand - none of it makes sense :-)
Man... a lot of vaccination requirement for a country that is full of unvaccinated stray dogs! ;oP When I was there in the early 90's one street dog actually infected my sister's dog with rabies. They put her down and all of us had to go on a week long round of vaccination (luckily they had the 5 shots formula then so we didn't have to do that 20 something shots around the appendix thingy... Ewwww!). I'll never forget the Thai street dogs. :o)
ok.