How to Travel with your Dog from Thailand to the Philippines

by Regin Reyno

Owning a dog requires great responsibility. They deserve our utmost love and care. Like humans, they too have emotions and are great at reading their owner’s emotions. They’re one of the loveliest creatures created by God.

As a traveler, one of the most difficult parts of my travels is leaving my dog either at home or at a pet hotel. Seeing him having that look as I leave crushes my heart. So when I decided to go to the Philippines, I brought my dog with me.

My teacup shih tzu arriving in Manila International Airport

These are the needed documents in order for your dog to be successfully transported from Thailand to the Philippines.

1. Import Permit
2. Export Permit

Basically, these are just the two documents that you need to worry about. It’s that simple.

HOW TO GET AN IMPORT PERMIT

Fill out this form and email it to nvqsonline@bai.da.gov.ph. They’ll mail you back your import permit. Print it.

The form is valid only for 2 months.

Price: 350 Php. You’ll pay this in the Philippines

HOW TO GET AN EXPORT PERMIT

Export permit can be obtained in Suvarnabhumi airport in the cargo area. It’s in building no. 20. Make sure you have enough time prior to your departure in getting your export permit. It can take hours in getting it especially if the queue is long. Their advice is to get 3-7 days before your departure. But you can get in the day of your departure as long as you’re sure you have all the requirements and you have enough time prior to your flight.

EXPORT PERMIT REQUIREMENTS

1. Vaccination card with complete vaccination record according to the Philippine Bureau of Animal Industry which are vaccines against:

1.      Rabies

2.      Canine distemper

3.      Infectious hepatitis

4.   Leptospisrosi
5.   Canine parvovirus

and proof that the animal has been treated for external and internal parasites.

2. Health certificate/letter from your veterinarian stating that your pet is healthy to travel.

Fee: 50 THB

3. Import permit

AIRLINES

Dogs don’t need an airline ticket but they are considered excess baggage in terms of payment. They will weigh your dog including his/her crate and that will be considered an excess baggage even if you haven’t exceeded your free baggage allowance. Philippine Airlines, the airlines which I took has a rate of 385 baht per excess baggage. My dog with his crate weighs 7 kgs. So I paid 2,696 baht.

Some airlines allow dogs below 10 kg. to be in the cabin. But unfortunately as of this writing, no airlines traveling from Bangkok to the Philippines allow pet to be in the cabin. Thai Airways which previously allows-changed their policy in August 2013-so all pets traveling now in their airlines must be in the pressurized cargo hold.

Before booking a ticket, call the airlines first and check if their particular plane or flight that you’re planning to book has a pressurized cargo hold. Pets cannot breathe in a non-pressurized cargo hold so make sure of this. They’re also going to ask the dimension of your crate so make sure to know this information.

My recommended airlines: Thai Airways and Philippine Airlines

 Cebu Pacific and SEAIR don’t have pressurized cargo holds. 

CRATE

Buy a crate which is IATA approved. And it must be large enough for your dog to stand, lie down, and turn around. And also, it must be sturdy.

TIPS

Traveling can be very, very stressful for your dog. Change of environment, separation anxiety, change in atmospheric pressure, noise, and fear of the unknown-all of these can be too much for a dog, especially if your dog is not used to traveling. So do all what you can to minimize the stress.

- Acclimate your dog to his crate.

-Take short trips around your area for him/her to be used to traveling and movement.

-Take your dog for a walk before your flight to drain his energy.

-No food 5 hours before the flight and withhold water 2 hours before the flight, to avoid possible vomiting and aspiration.

-Have an early check in but put your dog in the cargo hold a few minutes before boarding time. Spend time with him/her first. You don’t want your dog to be in the tarmac or cargo hold for a long period of time. Ask the attendant at the counter about this.

-Keep calm and pray. This is also a stressful time for you but just keep calm. Your dog can sense if you’re worried and panicking and he/she will also panic.

-Take flights in the early morning or at night. A lot of dogs die in the cargo hold because of too much heat-especially snub-nosed dogs.

-Ask the attendant at the check-in counter to inform the captain that your dog will be in the cargo hold. Remind again the attendant at the boarding area that your dog is in the cargo hold. Upon entering the plane, tell the attendant-the one greeting the passengers at the entrance- to inform the captain that your dog is in the cargo hold. If possible, talk to the captain. And as you are relaxing on your seat, tell again the flight attendant to remind the captain that your dog is in the cargo hold. You don’t want your dog to be in a place without oxygen.

 

-Be early in the baggage carousel in the Philippine airport and get your dog immediately. Check for possible injuries and offer water immediately.

After flying from Bangkok to Manila, we took a ferry from Manila to Cagayan de Oro which took 1 day and two nights.

These are the basic requirements on how to take a dog in the Philippines. 

As I’m writing this, my dog is relaxing in this old American-style house in Mountain View College, Philippines. I’m so happy that he’s here with me. The transportation may be hard, inconvenient, challenging, and costly, but it’s worth it-if you really love your dog.

enjoying the mountian 

NOTES:

Import permit: 350 Php (7.85 USD)

Export permit: 50 THB (1.53 USD)

Philippine Airlines excess baggage fee: 2,695 THB (385 THB x 7 kg.) (82.71 USD)

2GO Ferry pet fee: 150 Php (3.36 USD)

TOTAL: 95.45 USD

Questions? Write it in the comment box below.