Can you bring a dog or cat to Thailand?
Your move to Bangkok is set, and the dog flies with you. You can bring a pet dog or cat to Thailand with an import permit from the Department of Livestock Development (DLD). Thai Customs treats living animals as restricted goods, so the permit is not optional. With the papers in order, pet relocation to Thailand is simple to plan.
There are three parts: the permit, the vaccines and health papers, and the flight. Each has its own timing, so start early. Two to three months before the move is a comfortable lead time for most pets. Moving the whole household? Our guide to moving to Thailand covers visas, homes and banks.
Step 1: the DLD import permit
Request the import permit at least 7 and no more than 60 days before you fly, says the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Los Angeles. The permit is valid for 60 days. You apply to the Animal Quarantine Station at your arrival airport, and processing takes about 5 to 7 business days.
Send clear copies of every document with the request: the vaccination record, the microchip certificate and your passport. A missing page restarts the clock. Check the list before you send.
Print the permit and carry it. You show it to the quarantine officer when you land.
Step 2: rabies vaccination and health papers
Your pet needs a rabies vaccination. After a first or lapsed vaccination it must wait 21 days, the DLD says. The consulate adds that a first rabies shot is given at 12 weeks or older. Your pet also needs a microchip with an implant certificate, and its other routine vaccines.
The DLD's own pages disagree on when the 21 days end. The general guidance counts them before departure; the guidance for the United States counts them before you apply. Finish the 21 days before you apply for the permit. Then both readings are met.
Your home vet issues a health certificate before travel. For pets leaving the United States, it is valid for 10 days from the USDA endorsement, the Ministry of Agriculture says.
Ask the DLD or your vet which microchip standard is accepted and whether your pet needs a rabies antibody test. Rules change, so check close to your travel date.
Flying your pet: cabin or hold?
Most pets fly to Thailand in the hold. Thai Airways allows no pets in the cabin except trained service dogs, the airline says. Pets go as checked baggage, with a limit of 70 kg for the animal and crate together. Other airlines set their own rules, so ask before you book.
Take a direct flight when you can. A short trip with no transfer is calmer for the animal and leaves less room for mistakes.
If your pet should stay with you, fly private. Your dog or cat rides in the cabin, and you set the timing. A jet is priced per route and paid in full before departure. For flying together in the cabin, see our private jet charter page.
Arriving at Suvarnabhumi
Your pet gets a veterinary check at the Animal Quarantine Station when you land, the consulate says. At Suvarnabhumi the station is next to baggage carousel 8. Bring the printed permit and every paper. The station issues the import approval and licence for ฿500 per animal.
Quarantine rules change and depend on your pet's papers. Ask the animal quarantine station before you fly, above all if your pet is a special case.
Restricted breeds
No dog breeds are banned from import into Thailand, say the Thai instructions for bringing in dogs and cats (revised January 2025). Airlines may set their own breed limits, above all for flat-faced dogs and cats in the hold. Check with your airline before booking.
Leaving Thailand with your pet
To take your pet out of Thailand, apply through the DLD's e-Movement system with Form R.1/1, the DLD says. The application goes to the Animal Quarantine Station at your departure airport. It issues an export permit, called R.9, and a health certificate in English.
The rules of the country you fly to also apply. Check them first: some countries ask for tests that take months.
What is daily life with a pet like?
Many condos and villas in Thailand accept pets, but rules differ by building and owner. Ask before you sign a lease, and get the pet clause in writing. A villa with a garden suits a large dog better than a high condo. Our guide to property in Bangkok explains the main areas and building types.
For care in Bangkok, the Chulalongkorn University Small Animal Teaching Hospital runs an emergency clinic 24 hours a day, every day. The Faculty of Veterinary Science gives these hours.
Thailand is hot all year. Walk dogs early in the morning or after sunset, and keep water close. Pavements heat up fast at midday, so test the ground with your hand first. A groomer who comes to your home keeps a thick coat short through the hot months.
Plan it with Tanner
Tanner, your planner, takes the timing of the whole pet move off your hands. We line up the permit dates, the flight and a private car from the airport with room for the crate. For the new home, we can introduce a trusted agent and an independent lawyer. See our relocation services for the full picture.
Tell Tanner your pet, your dates and your city. We get back to you right away, and build the plan from the Live in Thailand basics to the first night in your new home.
