# Thailand, Pets, and rabies



## lightpanther

Hello there.

Have been seriously considering Thailand as a possible retirement/relocation for a while now (along with a few other destinations: difficult choice).

I guess the rabies thing makes me a bit nervous, first because I have several cats I would like to bring with me (my fur family) and second, because I want to know realistically how easy it is to avoid encounters with dogs and other biting wildlife if out walking or cycling etc.

So, in particular

1) I have read varying accounts of people carrying a sitck or a stone to fend off barking dogs etc when walking. Is this apocryphal or the reality, as it doesn't sound like a relaxed kind of stroll in the beauty of nature, which is important to me. How realistic is it to avoid all interaction with others' dogs and biting animals and yet be an "outdoor type" (lots of walks, cycling etc)?

2) My cats are indoor pets...however, are the homes there secure enough to keep them from interacting with / being bitten by/ being eaten by wildlife such as snakes (or whatever)? (they are all rabies vaccinated).

3) I have five cats. There is not some kind of limit, for example 2 or 3, to the number of pets you are allowed to bring into Thailand?

4) Although my cats don't roam and are indoor pets, is there any persistent form of pet theft in Thailand that involves breaking in to homes in order to steal the pets for food markets (or whatever)? Additionally, how common is home breaking anyway, as this would likely cause the pets to escape?

Sorry of these questions seem a bit paranoid, but I am just trying to be careful and to acquire accurate information. I look forward to any information you can give me and thanks!

Mark


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## lightpanther

lightpanther said:


> Hello there.
> 
> Have been seriously considering Thailand as a possible retirement/relocation for a while now (along with a few other destinations: difficult choice).
> 
> I guess the rabies thing makes me a bit nervous, first because I have several cats I would like to bring with me (my fur family) and second, because I want to know realistically how easy it is to avoid encounters with dogs and other biting wildlife if out walking or cycling etc.
> 
> So, in particular
> 
> 1) I have read varying accounts of people carrying a sitck or a stone to fend off barking dogs etc when walking. Is this apocryphal or the reality, as it doesn't sound like a relaxed kind of stroll in the beauty of nature, which is important to me. How realistic is it to avoid all interaction with others' dogs and biting animals and yet be an "outdoor type" (lots of walks, cycling etc)?
> 
> 2) My cats are indoor pets...however, are the homes there secure enough to keep them from interacting with / being bitten by/ being eaten by wildlife such as snakes (or whatever)? (they are all rabies vaccinated).
> 
> 3) I have five cats. There is not some kind of limit, for example 2 or 3, to the number of pets you are allowed to bring into Thailand?
> 
> 4) Although my cats don't roam and are indoor pets, is there any persistent form of pet theft in Thailand that involves breaking in to homes in order to steal the pets for food markets (or whatever)? Additionally, how common is home breaking anyway, as this would likely cause the pets to escape?
> 
> Sorry of these questions seem a bit paranoid, but I am just trying to be careful and to acquire accurate information. I look forward to any information you can give me and thanks!
> 
> Mark


Does no one have any thoughts on this or experiences to share? 

Particularly interested in Chiang Mai area. Anyone care to share their thoughts / experiences on this who have lived in the area? :clap2:


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## Dave0

I have lived here in Thailand for 7 years and never seen or heard of any rabies incidents.


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## lightpanther

Hi Dave0, what area are you in? I know that phuket is now declared rabies free.


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## cnx_bruce

lightpanther said:


> 1) How realistic is it to avoid all interaction with others' dogs and biting animals and yet be an "outdoor type" (lots of walks, cycling etc)?
> 
> 2) are the homes there secure enough
> 
> 3) I have five cats. There is not some kind of limit, for example 2 or 3, to the number of pets you are allowed to bring into Thailand?
> 
> 4) Although my cats don't roam and are indoor pets, is there any persistent form of pet theft in Thailand that involves breaking in to homes in order to steal the pets for food markets (or whatever)? Additionally, how common is home breaking anyway, as this would likely cause the pets to escape?
> 
> Mark


1. It's unrealistic. dogs are everywhere and usually untrained and commonly not pets (live in the street). dog bites are one or the more common injuries for visitors. you must be careful when out particularly in the evenings. all pet owners are encouraged to have pets vaccinated for rabies annually (the council provides this service). Because of its rabies status you can just about forget the notion that your pets will ever leave thailand should you choose to move on

2. generally yes

3. the limit will be the thickness of your wallet. if coming from australia they will be considered as freight (even if you are on the same plane) ... therefore they will need to be picked up in the freight terminal and you will be hit with a list of real and imagined fees, based in part of THEIR estimate of the cats value.

4. pet theft unlikely unless they are rare and you walk them up and down the street. break-ins .. well obviously depends on the home and location .. how much you are home etc etc


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## lightpanther

Thanks for your information Bruce. Are you in the Chiang Mai area?

PS: just curious as to why you would say that about leaving Thailand? I'm originally from UK. Surely there would still be a six month quarantine option.


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## cnx_bruce

lightpanther said:


> Thanks for your information Bruce. Are you in the Chiang Mai area?
> 
> PS: just curious as to why you would say that about leaving Thailand? I'm originally from UK. Surely there would still be a six month quarantine option.


Hi. Because so many expats seem to turn around and leave within a few years. I don't know about the UK, but to return them to Australia would require documented rabies immunisation prior to departure (from Oz) and then quarantine and testing in a rabies-free country (e.g. Malaysia) and then a further period of quarantine and testing in Australia. So it may be possible but the combined effect of $ cost and months of separation from the pet means that it is not really practical or fair on the animal.


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## Dave0

lightpanther said:


> Hi Dave0, what area are you in? I know that phuket is now declared rabies free.


I am in Pattaya.


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## philobert

Dave0 said:


> I am in Pattaya.


I am not...

funny ay?

phil 


but I want to be in patters.....lane:


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## katzenmatze

Dave0 said:


> I am in Pattaya.


Hi Dave,
I will be new in Pattaya, starting in October this year. Seems that you know a lot about pets (in my case it is a cat). May I ask you the following: Is it for sure that the cat will be in quarantine after landing in Bangkok airport? I come from Germany.
Would you propose to carry SNOOPY in the cabin? What difference would it make in all the paperwork and taxes?
Do they sell cat-trees in Pattaya and all stuff for a cat? 
Thank you very much for your help.

Best regards
Heidi from Germany


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## neilr

1. During daylight hours, I would think it unlikely to encounter any real problems. At night however, it may be different. Many Thai people do carry sticks when walking to fend off dogs though at all times of the day in the back streets etc.

2. We have lots of cats and rabies has not been a problem. However, Cat Flu, other diseases and cats killed by passing motorbikes have been :-(


3. No limit as far as I know - we have 5 with another litter on the way. 

4. May well depend where you live. We have no personal experience of breaks in's where we are, but we are a quite rural location (outside Udon Thani). I am also pretty certain that Thai's do not eat cats


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## tod-daniels

"neilr"; I think you got your wires crossed; SOME thaiz definitely eat cats ( I've eaten cat here in thailand).. That's just like some thaiz eat dogs (and yes, I've eaten dog too). However far more thaiz eat dogs than cats. The people that do eat either are relegated to provinces up in the neither regions of the country, and I've never seen dog meat sold in Bangkok.

I brought my two Somali cats from the US when I moved here 10 years ago. They'd been with me in 3 other countries before that. Never had a problem with rabies, and they were indoor outdoor cats after they adjusted to my back yard. 

I think the O/P is more than a little gun-shy, believing what they read on the internet versus any real hard evidence on the ground. 

I'm all for researching what's what before you wash up here in the glorious "Land 'O Thaiz", but don't believe everything you read. 

Stray dogs can be a problem but not to the extent that I'd do anything more than carry a stick when I'm out and about IF I think I'm goin' into uncharted territory at nite.. Once the local stray dogs get to know you, they ignore you just like the neighborhood thaiz ignore you.

I've lived in the same ground floor apartment for the last 10 years, never had a break in and I've never heard of anyone in my entire neighborhood having a break in either.

Good Luck, 

Oh, you can most definitely get your cats in to the country, however a LOT of countries won't let cats from thailand in. So if you bring 'em, be prepared to have 'em here for life...


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## neilr

tod-daniels said:


> "neilr"; I think you got your wires crossed; SOME thaiz definitely eat cats ( I've eaten cat here in thailand).. That's just like some thaiz eat dogs (and yes, I've eaten dog too). However far more thaiz eat dogs than cats. The people that do eat either are relegated to provinces up in the neither regions of the country, and I've never seen dog meat sold in Bangkok.


Yeah I knew dog meat was available and I am told there is a town not too far from us where is is freely available. Must admit though, I had never heard about cats forming part of the Thai diet, but having said that, they do tend to eat just about anything that breathes


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