Exporting a dog from Thailand can be a long and complex process. Whilst not common, Thailand has had cases of rabies. Therefore, pretty much all countries have very strict rules for dogs coming from Thailand.
1. Check the requirements of the destination country
Usually this will include at the very least up to date rabies shots. In most cases, they require a rabies titer test also. Each country has different regulations on how long you have to wait after the titer test results to be able to enter. Strict countries like Japan are as long as 6 months. For this trip we were going to the UK via Netherlands (Amsterdam). Both the UK and Netherlands require a wait of 3 months from the titer test before you can enter. Given that you can only take the titer test at least 30 days after the rabies shot, that’s a full 4 months in advance you would need to prepare.
As I have moved internationally before, and will move internationally again we make sure we keep both my rabies shots and my titer test up to date at all times. A lot of countries will accept a valid rabies titer test as long as the rabies vaccines are kept up to date. However, for Japan, you need one that was done in the last 2 years. So we always ensure we keep this up to date.
For both UK and Netherlands the required documents we needed to have were;
- Microchip
- Up to date annual vaccines with vaccine certificate
- Up to date rabies vaccine with vaccine certificate
- Valid rabies titer test at least 3 months prior to your arrival date (taken at least 30 days after the rabies vaccine)
- Completed veteranarian health certificate (there is a specific form each for the EU and for Great Britain.
In addition to the above, the UK also require that the dog has a tapeworm (heartworm) treatment. This must be done within 5 days (120 hours) before arrival into the UK.
2. Apply for Export Permit & Health Certificates
All of the above documents then have to be taken to the Suvarnabhumi Airport Animal Quarantine at Suvarnabhumi airport. They will check all of the documents, along with the dog. These are the people responsible for the process of exporting a dog from Thailand. They will complete the relevant forms as required for the EU & GB as well as provide you with an export permit. The export permit will enable you to be able to leave Thailand. We found that they are extremely helpful. If you have any questions and you can e-mail them directly on qsap_bkk@dld.go.th. We sent them all of the documents in advance for them to check we had everything in order.
As you require tapeworm treatment for the UK form, this cannot be done at the quarantine section. Therefore, you need to visit a vet to provide the treatment before you go to the Animal Quarantine.
The Quarantine section is open Monday – Friday 08:30 – 12pm and then 1pm – 3:30pm and is closed on weekends and public holidays. So you might even have to book your flights around these timings! You don’t need to make an appointment you can just turn up. They advise that the process will take between 2 – 3 hours so you need to leave plenty of time. It’s advisable to do this at least the day before departure in case there are any issues. You don’t want to have the extra stress added if you are short on time. Check out my blog post for my experience on doing this.
3. Check in for your flight
Once you have the completed forms for your arrival country and the export certificate you can check in for your flight. You will be required to show all originals as well as copies of the above documents at the check in counter along with a copy of your passport. In the event your destination country also requires an import permit you will need to show this too. As we transited in Singapore we had to get a transshipment licence from AVA in Singapore in order to transit a dog there. The cost of this was S$50 and took 2 days to process. We had to show this on check in too.
The process was all very smooth which was helped by the fact that we keep on top of all vaccines and titer tests to make sure they are always valid. This meant that we could make a last minute decision to travel. If you have any questions about the process or want to share your experience of exporting a dog from Thailand, please leave a comment below.
You can also check out my Youtube video for more footage of me doing my checks before my flight as well as footage of my full journey. You can also check out my blog for my experience. I hope you enjoy woof woof, Wylie x
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If any of my travel tips help, please feel free to leave a small donation which would be greatly appreciated 😊
