Thinking about bringing your cat with you to Thailand? If you’re like us and consider your cat to be a member of the family, you probably want a rough idea of how to handle this. For anyone shipping a cat to Thailand from the US, here’s an extensive timeline on what you need know, as well as information on the submitted paperwork, medical requirements, and shipping process.
01 Identify General Requirements, Restrictions, and Timeline
Look at the basic vaccine and timeline requirements for shipping a cat to Thailand.
Questions to ask yourself:
- Will I be able to afford to transport and maintain proper care for my cat once we’ve arrived in Thailand? We spent over $1000 USD for travel, and now spend about $20 a month on food and litter.
- Is the breed allowed on the airline? Some snub-nosed cats (and dogs) are not allowed on certain airlines due to difficulty in breathing and possible death due to high altitude.
- Is my cat healthy enough to travel? A certified veterinarian will tell you if you cat is healthy enough to travel during its health examination.
- Is my pet too young or old to fly? If a cat is younger than four months, there may be airline restrictions. If your cat is too old, it will not pass the health inspection by a veterinarian.
- What time of year should I avoid shipping a cat to Thailand? Shipping a cat to Thailand during America’s warm weather months can lead to a higher risk of suffering from dehydration or heat stroke during plane transfers.
- Will my cat be required to stay in quarantine for any amount of time? Thailand does not need the animal to be quarantined if it comes from a rabies-free country, like the US.
02 Establish a Firm Departure Date
When shipping a cat to Thailand, establish a firm departure date that is a minimum of two months prior to your departure date. Everything revolves around this date. Decide if you want your cat to fly with you or on a different flight and/or day.
03 Buy an Airline Approved Shipping Container
If you are shipping a cat to Thailand as checked baggage or cargo, buy an appropriately sized airline approved shipping container for your pet. It must be able to stand up in the crate and turn around. Look at this guide to make sure your pet stays comfortable.
Shipping container requirements differ if the cat is traveling in the cabin. Check your specific airline for weight and container requirements.
04 Contact a Professional Animal Shipping Company
Professional animal shipping companies offer services such as flight booking, overnight care of your pet, and ground transportation. These are great services as they take much of the stress off your shoulders during your big move. However, when shipping a cat to Thailand, choose a company that is reputable and reliable.
The shipping company should be able to recommend an airline and an airport with pet holding facilities that offer excellent care during layovers. They should be able to give quotes for the fastest and most affordable routes based on your priorities.
Provide the pet shipping company with a pet description, pet weight, shipping crate specifications, departure and arrival airports, and a phone number and address for your emergency contact in the US.
NOTE: Some airlines require the booking to be completed by a professional pet shipper and will not deal directly with the pet’s owner. |
05 Vaccinate Your Pet
No less than the 30 days* before the departure date, but no more than one year, take your cat to the vet for all required vaccines and a microchip.
Obtain a paper copy of the rabies vaccination certificate, a list of the administered vaccines, and evidence that the pet is microchipped. Keep copies for your records.
The required vaccines for shipping a cat to Thailand are:
- Rabies
- Feline Enteritis
- Feline Flu
- Evidence of no intestinal parasites
Vaccines required to ship a dog to Thailand are:
- Rabies
- Distemper (21 days)
- Hepatitis (21 days)
- Parvovirus (21 days)
- Leptospirosis (21 days)
- Kennel Cough (in instances where they will be kenneled)
- Evidence of no intestinal parasites
*Thailand requires a rabies certification no less than 21 days before entering into the country but no more than one year. However, most airlines and other countries require vaccinations no more than 30 days before arrival.
06 Notify Thailand of Your Intent to Ship an Animal
No more than 60 days (increased from 45 days) but no less than 7 days before arrival in Thailand, contact Thailand’s Department of Livestock Development (DLD) and notify them of your intent in shipping a cat to Thailand. The Suvarnabhumi Airpor (BKK) Animal Quarantine at the DLD can be reached by sending an email to qsap_bkk@dld.go.th. They will send you a list of information to email back to them.
Email the following information to DLD at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport:
- Completed Import Permit (Form r1-1) by a certified veterinarian*
- Importer’s passport or identification card*
- History of vaccinations (vaccination record AND rabies certificate)*
- Picture of your animal*
- Address in your country
- Detail of your animal (such as type of breed, sex, etc.)
- Approximate date of arrival to Thailand
- Name of port of exit from your country
Starred (*) items should be scanned and attached as image files.
We were later asked for:
- Email and phone number of owner or point of contact in exporting country (US)
- Address and phone number of point of contact in Thailand (we used our pet-friendly hotel’s address and phone number)
- Arrival date, airline, and flight number
- Microchip number
A sample copy of our email to the DLD:
Dear Sir or Madame,
I would like to import my cat from the USA into Thailand, departing from NAME OF TERMINAL IN USA on DD MMM YYYY at TIME and arriving at NAME OF TERMINAL IN THAILAND on DD MMM YYYY at TIME. The cat will be on CARRIER flight #XXX, layover in CITY, COUNTRY, and arrive in CITY, Thailand on CARRIER flight #XXX (FOREIGN TERMINAL to THAILAND TERMINAL) DD MMM YYYY at TIME. Information about the cat: Information about the owner: Respectfully, |
Once your information is processed, the DLD will email you the Import Permit, which will be on letterhead stating that you are shipping a cat to Thailand.
Print a copy of the Import Permit. Present this Import Permit to the arriving cargo facility in Thailand, NOT to the departing cargo facility in the US. You will also receive a nine-digit account number to be used if you ever contact the DLD Office.
A sample copy of our import permit, valid for 60 days:
07 Visit a Veterinarian for a General Health Overview
Ten days before shipping a cat to Thailand, a general health overview must be administered. A certified veterinarian must fill out and sign the International Health Certificate, known as the Aphis Form 7001. This form should be available at your local veterinarian’s office.
Immediately overnight the following to your state’s United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) office:
- International Health Certificate (Aphis Form 7001) completed and signed
- Photocopy of the rabies certification
- Check made out to your state’s USDA (ours was for $38 in Virginia, but it varies per state)
- Photocopy of the cat owner’s driver license
- Pre-paid (overnight) self-addressed envelope (so that it gets back to you in time!)
Within a week, you will receive the certified International Health Certificate required for shipping a cat to Thailand.
08 The Date of Departure
Bring the certified International Health Certificate (Aphis Form 7001), a copy of your flight reservations provided by your pet shipper, your cat, the crate and travel accessories to the departing airport. If you’re shipping a cat to Thailand via cargo and not in the cabin, go to the cargo facility the day of departure, not the main terminal.
It is recommended to check in three hours before the flight departs, but no less than two hours, on international flights. Although the flight has been booked in advance by the animal shipper, the tickets must be paid for the day of travel.
At the cargo facilities, the shipping crate should include the following:
- “Live Animal” stickers on each end
- Food bowl and gravity-drip water bottle that can be clipped onto the inside door of the crate
- A ziplock bag labeled with your pet’s name and containing several meals
- A bottle of water
- A picture of the animal taped to the outside of the crate
- Absorbent pads to line the bottom of the crate
Whether your cat is flying via cargo or in the cabin, do not give your cat a sedative. Do not feed your cat eight hours before the flight.
What We Packed for Our Cat
We brought a folder to house our important paperwork for our cat. Inside, we included the required copies of the Import Permit and the International Health Certificate. We also brought a photo of our cat and copies of the rabies certificate and shot record if we needed them.
In our checked bags we packed some cat travel accessories:
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Cost of Shipping a Cat to Thailand
It cost us roughly $1050 total to ship our cat. Here is an approximate total cost of a one-way trip to Thailand:
- $150 medical exam plus up-to-date vaccines
- $50 hard-shelled airline approved cat carrier
- $25 x 2 overnight packages (one to the USDA, one from the USDA to return to home)
- $50 pet shipper fee
- $750 international flight to Thailand
Pet-Friendly Hotels
These are several pet-friendly hotels that either we have stayed at or friends of ours have stayed at with our pets:
Pet-Friendly Hotels in Bangkok |
Pet-Friendly Hotels in Chiang Mai |
Additional Information
Suvarnabhumi Airport Animal Quarantine, Department of Livestock Development (DLD)
Phaya Thai Road
Bangkok, Thailand 10400
Phone:+66 (0) 213-407 312
Email: qsap_bkk@dld.go.th
Does anyone know what’s changed due to covid and the restrictions on flights. My cats are currently stuck in Jordan and the cattery that is supposed to be organising thier flights over for us are saying they are struggling to find flights. My pessimistic side says that’s BS and they just want more money so I’m keen to find out for myself if there are pet cargo flights happening at the minute as I know there aren’t any commercial flights.
Hey! This is awesome info! Thank you for putting this out.
I have 3 kittens (brothers) about 10 months old. They literally HAVE to sleep touching each other! It’s so damn cute.
I’ve been to Thailand a few times and am toying with the idea of moving there.
My question is do all cats have to be in their own carrier or can I get a big one for them all?
Some airlines require all animals to be in separate containers. Others allow max two of the same breed in one container. We are not familiar with any airline that would allow all three in one container. Hope this helps!
Thanks for all the information in this post , it’s fantastic!.
You’re welcome :) We wish you luck shipping your pet to Thailand and your new life abroad!
Can I fly directly into Chiang Mai with my cat or must I go through Bangkok?
You can fly directly into Chiang Mai as long as your international flight has a route there. For example, we know that Korean Air is pet friendly and that it has flights from Washington DC to Chiang Mai without flying through Bangkok.
Hi! Is there any “Import Fee” or “Customs Fee” when you arrive to Thailand?
Thanks!
Yes, sometimes there is a customs fee. There is no rhyme or reason as far as we can tell. If you mail something to Thailand, sometimes randomly they will make you pay an import fee when you pick it up from the post office. If you are flying into Thailand, generally you can walk right back the customs table without declaring anything. But something there are officials there and randomly make people open their suitcases and they will slap on a big fee for the items in your bags. IT is very random so we just hope you don’t have… Read more »
Hi
Can you go London Bangkok Chiangmai with your cat, or is Bangkok as far as you can go on the place?
There are domestic airlines in Thailand that are pet friendly, so you can go from Bangkok to Chiang Mai if you aren’t able to find a “direct” route from London to Chiang Mai (meaning, you have a layover in Bangkok but your final destination on your itinerary is Chiang Mai, booked with the same airline).
Super thank you.
Going with KLM to Bangkok, bangkok airways would be the carrier to Chiangmai which are not pet friendly
Also I think CM has a different criteria of documentation required to Bangkok when bringing in a pet.
Great post! When applying for the import permit, do you know if it’s acceptable to use a hotel’s address in Thailand? Thanks!
Yup, that’s what we did!
Good morning – this is a great entry, and very useful.
Do you know if:
1) Cats can enter Thailand through a land border? [We are moving from Malaysia]
2) If we must go through Suvarnabhumi, do any internal Thai airlines carry live animals?
Thank you!
1) We aren’t sure, but we have read someone’s story about people going through the Thai-Laos land border crossing with their cat and had no problems.
2) Yes, Thai Airways and Nok Air, but they do not allow pets in-cabin.
Hi, Thank you for your informative site. I am in a huge dilemma and hope you can help… I am presently in Thailand on the island of Koh Phangan. I have fallen in love with a very sweet cat and cannot bear to walk away from her. We have tried (unsuccessfully) to find someone to rent our lovely sea view house to cat-sit her while we are away (mid April – mid Sept). We offer the house at half of what it normally costs – it is an incredible offer, but sadly, due to it being the off season here,… Read more »
Our hearts go out to you! You’re right, pets can’t ride first class. Even though the cargo area is not air conditioned, you are traveling at night, which is MUCH cooler during the day. Would you be willing to rent a car and drive? We have found it to be hassle-free to book a rental car at an airport – in your case, Surat Thani Airport (with a big national name, we used Avis if we remember correctly) and then drive one-way and drop it off at BKK Airport (little to no extra fee for the one-way trip). Worse comes… Read more »
Hi Guys
I really love this blog! I am planning to relocate to Laos beginning of 2018 with 2 dogs and 3 cats. I have one problem kitty that i just cant imagine to leave behind but i am a bit worried that i might not get him in. He has fiv and a chronic cat flu. I probably can work something out to get him a passport and a helth cert but i am concerned about a health check on arrival. Are the animals being inspected on arrival?
Thank you for your help!
The health check is done by the certified vet from the country you are traveling. Pets aren’t required to get another official health check once they’ve arrived in Thailand. However, if the animal control officers notice that the cat is sickly when they look into the crate, they have the freedom to reject it. Also, we don’t know the rules for Laos. Not sure if this helps or not!
Can we put a cat litter box in the cat’s cage when they fly oversea?
The airlines recommend laying down something absorbent, like a pee pad. We know it’s messier for our pet but when the workers pick up and move the crate it prevents loose litter from going everywhere.
On the advice of our vet we put shredded newspaper at the end of the cage on top of the absorbent liner. From San Francisco to Bangkok our cat did not use it!
Just a note also, we flew China Airlines and they charged us $115 for the travel cage, the charge equivalent to an extra suitcase. And they took excellent care of our cat!
I haven traveled with my cats for 16 hours but never longer than that. How did the do on the airplane to Thailand? My cats will cry all the time on board. If I load them in the flight cargo, the won’t do any bathroom at all. They need a cat litter box. I remember 16 hours it made my cats got urine issue. Any advice?
Thank you very much for all you’ve done.
Our cat was on two connecting flights with a 12-hour layover. The pet facilities at the airport were responsible for taking him out, feeding him, letting him potty (he flew cargo). But if you are flying on the same plane as your cats, then book a flight with a long layover so that you can pick them up from baggage claim and take care of them before boarding your next flight. Better then them getting UTIs!
Hi, how long it will gonna take if i send email requesting for import permit? great help by the way. Thank you!!!
Anywhere from 12 hours to a week. Glad to help!
Thank you for the detailed information. We are moving with our 3 cats in a few weeks to Pattaya. Looks like there are a few more items we still need to do.
You’re welcome, Ilene. I bet you are excited and glad you stumbled across this article to help you straighten out the last few items. Good luck!
This is awesome! Please disregard my last comment on the other page! Cheers
Joanne,
Please tell me how it went and what it costed with Qatar. I was told it would start around $250.00. I really can’t afford $1,050 per pet but have two cats and a small dog. If you could email me at gigasoundrecording@gmail.com I would REALLY appreciate it! Thank you!
Tom, I will fly with my cat as a checked bag with Qatar. How was your experience if you remember? Thank you.
Yes, I just got them there shots yesterday. About the intestinal parasite screening. Is that a fecal test that is sent out to a lab? I have asked a few vets and they said that is how they test for parasites.
Yes, the test is usually sent out to a lab like your vet (the expert) said.
Hi Chris and Angela!
Did your cat have to have the hepatitis shot? I have called around to vets and none of them have it for cats. I’m in California.
Based on an inquiry we made in Aug 2016, we were told that the ‘animal’ (no species specified) required records of rabies and DHP/L. Upon more digging around on the internet, this is a vaccine for dogs. When we pulled up our cat’s pre-Thailand vaccine records, he had received the FVRCP (Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis Calicivirus and Panleukopenia) vaccine, a rabies shot, and an intestinal parasite screening. Hope this helps!
Hi Chris and Angela,
I am moving to Bangkok with my two cats. Your blog has been incredibly useful in gaining knowledge about how to apply for an import permit. I struggled to find any other useful information around with regards to completing the paperwork. Thanks again!
You’re very welcome!
I found this article very helpful. The info for the Thai DLD and USDA to be exact. I have two cats and have figured out all the travel arrangements. A lot of intense reading for hours. I had a couple freak out moments, but all is well.
Thank you!
Aw, ‘intense’ and ‘freak out’ are definitely words that describe what we went through, too! We’re glad to hear that our info has helped you :)
Hi Chris and Angela Thanks for the extremely helpful post. I am traveling with my german shepherd from Phnom Penh, Cambodia to the USA, however will be changing planes in Bangkok – the dog will need to be taken through customs and then checked onto the next flight to the US by myself as the airlines don’t transfer the luggage for me. Whilst I am going through the process of getting the Thailand import paperwork you have described, I am wondering if I will need an export permit for Thailand as the dog is essentially entering Thailand for a couple… Read more »
This question is probably best answered by the airport’s (BKK?) Department of Livestock Development’s office: qsap_bkk@dld.go.th. Good luck with you and your pup.
Hi I am travelling from Qatar to Thailand with two cats, do we need the Aphis Form as u have mention here? Thank u so much!
You will need an endorsed health certificate from a government approved vet. The Aphis Form is specific to pets being shipped from the US, but essentially yes, you will need the equivalent. Please double check but we believe the form is only good for 7 days in Qatar (as compared to 10 day in the US). We wish you all the best for your two cats!
This is excellent information. Thanks so much for the detail. Is your cat an indoor or outdoor cat in Thailand? Any worries if she’s outdoors? My cats are indoor cats, but I’m thinking that it may be an issue to keep them inside in Thailand. Thoughts?
He’s an indoor kitty. We only let him outdoors in our fenced-in yard under supervision. The street dogs can’t get in, but we don’t trust the stray cats and don’t want any confrontation because he’s such a softie (and we want no problems with immunizations if we ever take him back to the US!) We’ve realized that the majority of rental places do not allow pets. Apartments are an absolute no go, but if you can rent a townhouse or house from a single landlord and not a major corporation, you have a chance to negotiate. We address a lot… Read more »
The link for the Import Permit is broken. I am unclear whether this is required prior to travel or upon arrival in Thailand.
The form is required before you ship your pet. Email it to qsap_bkk@dld.go.th.
Thanks for the heads up. It appears as the the DLD has updated their website. The new location of the Import Permit can be found here:
http://aqi.dld.go.th/th/images/stories/document/form-movement/form-r1-1.pdf
Thanks for the link to the form. How did you fill out the following fields on the form:
Departure from Thailand to By
เดินทางมาจากประเทศ………………………………………………………………โดยพาหนะชื่อ / เลขที่………………………………..
come from By
นำไปกักกันดูอาการ ณ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
quarantine at
นำผ่านไปยังประเทศ……………………………………………………………….. โดยพาหนะชื่อ / เลขที่ ………………………………..
pass Thailand through By
Thanks!
Thanks for you patience! You won’t need to fill out all of the lines. We only filled out the first row for “come from” (USA) and “by” (AIRPLANE). There was no quarantine and we were not just passing through Thailand, nor were we departing Thailand. NOTE: The English translation is located below the lines on which you are to write your answer.
Thanks see the English translation but maybe just me, it isnt clear what info is requested. For example the following:
เขียนที่…………………………………………
Address
วันที่…………….เดือน……………………….. พ.ศ……………….
Date Month B.E.
เรียน……………………………………………………
To
Address – is that current residential address?
B.E. – is this for year?
To – what information goes here?
Sent emails to the DLD email above but not getting response.
The first line is your current (not Thai) address. The second line is the date you filled out the application DATE – MONTH – YEAR. The third line is the name of the person in charge that you are addressing this form to: “Khun Anusorn Kosathip, Veterinary Officer of SAAQS” It took a week and a second email to hear back from DLD after we originally submitted this form.
Thanks for the response. Heard back from DLD and they provided slightly different information to fill out the form: ADDRESS – is this for current residential address? = it is the location where you fill out this form. B.E. – is this for current year? = it is the Buddhist calendar’s year which is year “2558” (= 2015 A.D.) TO – what information is supposed to go here? Leave it blank for now, you can complete this form at the animal quarantine station. WOULD LIKE TO… – what information goes here? Air Transport AS THE FOLLOWING ITEMS – is this… Read more »
Thanks for the update!
Also, was there any pet-specific reason for flying into Bangkok first instead of into Chiang-Mai directly?
Nope, it was just our personal preference to have him flown into Bangkok. Chiang Mai’s airport is international, so that is an option as well.
Hi guys!! Thanks so much for this amazing post.. I am traveling on Thursday from Spain to Bangkok (then Phuket) with my cat, but have the same issue as the person who commented recently from Maui! My vet says these vaccines you mention (apart from rabies) are only for dogs, not cats. They just don’t administer those to cats here. I asked my vet (and another) if she was 100% sure, and she was like “after 25 years of being a vet, i assure you, you don’t vaccinate cats with these, only dogs”. Your vets in the US give those… Read more »
We wish you the best on your travels from Spain to Phuket! It doesn’t surprise us that there are conflicting answers. TIT, right? And the US has a lot of it’s own bureaucracy as well. Our vet is Washington DC did not question the vaccine list we provided as it was direct from Thailand’s Department of Livestock Development. Our cat is happy and healthy, so we must have done something right, right? :) We do know that rabies is your number one priority, and since you’ve confirmed that with the quarantine guys, it sounds like you’re good to go. Good… Read more »
Spoke to number of vets here on Maui and they say the all the vaccines you mentioned-except for rabies are for dogs and not required of cats.
We were provided the list of vaccines directly by Thailand’s DLD and not from an American vet. Quoted from their official document emailed to us: “The animals are vaccinated against rabies with an official approval vaccine no less than 21 days before departure… The animals shall be vaccinated against other significant infections or contagious diseases i.e. Distemper, Hepatitis, and Parvovirus with an official approved vaccine no less than 21 days before departure.” We hope this clarifies things.
Hi guys! Very interesting, enjoyable and exciting to read your blog. My wife also arrived in Chiang Mai and brought the cat. We arrived from Russia in Urumqi (China) We crossed China on trains and buses, stopping in the cities of Lanzhou, Chengdu, Kunming and went from China to Laos. Into Laos and moved to Thailand. This way it took us 20 days. While stopped at the condo, looking for a home. Cat feels good. Although we did all documents on the cat, we showed both in Russia and in China, at railway stations, in other places not needed. All… Read more »
You’re very lucky! We’re glad to hear that you took on this endeavor and successfully made it to Thailand. Many people eave their pets behind because the hurdles are outrageous, but yours seemed nearly impossible. You have a well traveled cat!
What about issues bringing your cat back into the United States if you choose to move back? Have you looked into that at all? Thanks!
No, we haven’t looked at what it takes to moving our cat back from Thailand to the US :/ We should probably check now… we don’t know if we’ll need several months or not of preparation!
Hi Chris & Angela,
I’ve recently got a quote for moving 2 cats to Thailand.
One piece of information I’m missing in your list of ‘total cost’ is the Import Duty Tax, which is quite high for 2 cats.
The Agent in BKK quoted the following for 2 cats:
Customs clearance Usd 330 ( import permit included)
Import duty tax. Usd 370
Did you use an agent to clear customs or did you do this yourself?
Thanks!
Robert
Looking at a copy of our airline bill, it was not itemized to include a line for import duty tax. Instead, it included “total pre-paid” and “total other charges due to carrier” charge lines. Perhaps the second one was the import duty tax. We used an experienced pet travel agent to book everything, but we ended up going to the cargo facility ourselves to pick up the cat (he was shipped on a cargo plane, and therefor was in the cargo facility and not at the main terminal).
Guys, great post, I knew most of this already but there were some nuggets of info that could prove really useful perhaps even essential re: get official paperwork to ‘import’ the animal. I’m transporting my dog ‘Budi’ from Buenos Aires to Bangkok and it’s stressful because he’s a big dog and it’s hard to find good cages and he has to transfer at least one as it’s a long journey as you know. When I took in a stray dog in a park in Argentina I never imagined I would end up putting in the hours of work to transport… Read more »
Budi is lucky to have an owner like you! Like you, we thought the hardest part planning for the trip was coordinating all of the CAT’s paperwork and bookings. It was the right decision and we suspect he loves being in Thailand, chasing all the bugs and lizards he didn’t have back in the States. We’re glad to hear you are going the lengths to get Budi safely here. You’re doing the right thing!
Hi guys, we’re moving to Thailand in June with our dog…do you know if there are specific hours (or days) the DLD office is open to process a pet coming into the country? Or is everything handled at customs? Just curious if we need to book a weekday flight or can if we’re okay arriving on a Sunday…
Thanks in advance!
Ryan
We’re sorry we’re not sure! It’s best to email the Department of Livestock Development Office at qsap_bkk@dld.go.th. They will be able to answer your question in great English. We got lucky because our cat’s flight landed in the early afternoon, during the tail end of normal business hours. He flew on an actual cargo plane, so we dealt with the cargo facility. We know a couple who shipped their cat to Thailand but flew cargo on a “normal” plane and picked their cat up at the main airport. The bottom line: you tell the DLD in advance the exact flight… Read more »
My husband and I have thought about moving to a different country at some point because of work, but then we think about the two cats and our dog. Money wouldn’t be the issue, but the stress on the animals and us would be. I know it can be done as your post shows, but in the end, I just don’t know if my basket case of a rescue dog could take the stress. Time will tell if we ever decide to take the plunge. Thanks for such a detailed post.
It is extremely stressful to even think about traveling with your pets. The first time is the hardest, but I bet it never gets a whole lot easier. We definitely recommend checking out a new country for a while. It is definitely enriching. Good luck!
Hey guys, when we move next year to Chiang Mai , we will be bringing our 3 dogs with us. I did my research on all the vet paperwork and the Thai requirements it about the same for cats. When we fly we will fly out of LAX ( we live in Las Vegas now) on Korean Air to Soul (1 1/2hr layover) and then directly to Chiang Mai. The whole flight time is about 19hrs. We will be bringing one on board with us and the two in cargo. Korean air and EVA air are among the best for… Read more »
Hey Ted, we are glad to hear that you are bringing your furry companions. You are right, the requirements are very similar. We thoroughly enjoyed flying on EVA, so great choice in airline! We aren’t ready for anything permanent at this point, but once your house is finished we would love to see a picture or two. Keep us updated!
I can see how a cat lover like me would go through al these troubles for her cat. Lovely and informative post.
Yes, it is only natural! Thank you for the nice words. We always appreciate it. Take care :)
Nice to know for the future! I don’t have plans to go to Thailand yet, but I have a cat and we are thinking to move back “home”. Maybe Thailand could be my next home, who knows! :)
We think our cat loves it in Thailand because he gets to chase bugs and lizards all day! Definitely keep Thailand in mind for your future home. We are happy to have made it ours and to be able to bring our kitty with us.
Great post because we keep thinking about going ‘Home” to the UK and when I made inquiries to take our cat with us I found Mayflower. They will help with everything too including putting the cat in a cattery near where you are moving too to give you time to get organized into your new home and get over some jetlag. It was costly but they seemed like they could be really helpful. I know that Freya needs a Puddy Passport of her own to get there too : )
Wow, Mayflower’s services sound really nice! While the consensus is that shipping an animal is expensive, it’s hard to leave that part of your family behind. For some people, pets aren’t expendable and easily replaceable!
We did not need a passport for our cat. In fact, we had purchased one through an online pet travel store and later realized it was just a scam to make a quick $15!
I don’t have any animals but that’s some good info to know.
Thank you. We think it is important for others to have this kind of information handy when the are ready to make the move to Thailand.
Wow what an adventure. I am glad that you were able to bring your “furry friend” home. :-)
Us too, and yes it was definitely an adventure. We flew for for free, but Angela and I had to take a very indirect route because of it. While we flew 34 hours from the east coast of the US across the US and the Pacific, just a few days later Mooshu boarded his much shorter and direct flight from the east coast across the Atlantic. Lucky guy! Thank you for the comment.
Great news about Lufthansa!!! Thank you for putting me at ease. My 2 medium sized dogs are leaving Phuket with me to move to Namibia, Africa. It is costing me U$ 6250, yes, you’ve read that right!!! And the costs haven’t stopped there. We got the two puppies here in Phuket, but never in a million years did I think it would be such a mission and cost soooo much to get them out of here…. We’re all flying in less than 2 weeks, and I’m stressed up. The dogs are flying separately from me, they are going with Lufthansa.… Read more »
Wow! That is quite a lot of money. I am not surprised though with the strict weight limits that most airlines enforce. Glad we could steer you toward Lufthansa. They were great with our cat. Let us know how it works out! Take care :)
Wow! GREAT post Chris and Angela. If I was interested in bringing a cat, this info would be invaluable and is super concise. :)
Thank you Keith! Love hearing feedback. We hope you are doing well.
Excellent info for those people shipping their pets. Thank you for sharing all your knowledge and experiences in traveling to thailand
Thanks guys! We are always happy to help others that want to make the same move in life. Hope all is well!
Seems to be almost the same procedure for bringing Eden our puppy over here. Although Mooshus transport bill is considerably cheaper :-)
Pretty close, although it can be much more difficult depending on what kind of dog someone has. We had to make the tough decision to leave our puppy with family back home because of some of Thailand’s breed restrictions :(
oh my goodness! I’m not even sure I would go through that much to transport my 9 year old son….you must really love your cat! (kidding of course) If I spent that kind of money getting it over there…I would certainly treat it like royalty!
We joke it was the hardest part of the move! He has such a great personality and he makes us happy. We knew we would have a home in Thailand where he could stay safe and not be carted around if we were backpackers or very frequent travelers. The cat’s ticket cost a pretty penny, but our own flights were free because we used credit card rewards miles. We are really glad we brought him because he’s a little piece of home :)
Wow, so it’s quite a hassle to get your pet into Thailand. Thanks for all the info :) Btw is it possible to ship one’s pet via boat? Is it maybe cheaper?
Cheers
Cezary
No problem at all. We hope it helps others wanting to bring their furry companions with them to Thailand. Unfortunately we never looked into boat travel. It seemed a little too risky and worrisome since we are from the east coast of the US. It may be a viable option for residents of countries closer to Thailand though. Thanks for the comment!