A Dog's Life, Bangkok Edition

Hello, October! We're nearly reaching the two-month mark of life in Thailand--it feels like we've been here longer. I'm still comparing my adjustment to my China move, struggling to understand how two situations 10 years apart can be simultaneously similar and juxtaposing.

Full disclosure: moving is hard. Moving with two people is harder. Moving with two people and a dog with separation anxiety that you've tried to drug with a dinky dose of doggy CBD oil is the hardest yet. 

I should preface this with the fact that our 'dog' is an 8-year-old, 3.6kg miniature dachshund who picked up some bad habits when the world shut down during Covid. Remote work became part of Paul's permanent plan and with his parents down the road, we had ready-made doggie daycare for the odd long work days, evenings out and travels out of the country. Frank loved our flat in London. He'd lollop from room to room following the sun spots on the east-facing balcony to the west-facing living room. He loved his loops around the park twice a day and the proximity to Paul's family. 

And then we moved to Thailand. 

It turns out the flight, something we mega stressed out about, was the least of our worries. Frank flew with Paul in the cabin and there was minimal fuss. The dog refused to use the toilet but was otherwise fine.

And then we arrived in Bangna, a suburban enclave of the city far removed from your imagination of what Bangkok is. Beyond the mundane nature of our neighbourhood, the main problem with this suburbia is the lack of grass or parks within a walkable distance. That and the proliferation of soi dogs, Bangkok's semi-cared for, semi-feral street dogs. More on this later.

Maybe it was all too much too soon for Frank; the sights, the smells, the sounds became all encompassing. He has clung to us. Only BKK is not nearly as dog friendly as London and so he has to stay home more than he's used to. When we leave him, we're greeted with a puddle of saliva twice his body length upon our return; his paws are licked to soaking. He scratches at the floor and cries. It's absolutely heartbreaking.

'Dog Friendly' Bangkok 

At the weekend, we're trying to find our new normal. But 'dog-friendly Bangkok' is a bit of a misnomer thus far. There's tons of dog-friendly cafes. Only in town. And there's excellent doggy daycare facilities and boarding places. In town. And some shopping malls have designated themselves 'pet friendly.' Also in town (and completely next-level unhinged). But the BTS, the city's excellent public transport that avoids the omnipresent traffic, is not pet friendly. So a taxi it is. 

At Central Eastville, a mall that touts itself as 'pet friendly,' you're greeted with next-level madness. People push their corgis, huskies, three tiers of pugs in dog trolleys around the mall. These dogs do not use their paws. There's a 'running' track on the roof and dog yoga classes on special holidays. And because Bangkok, people also bring their Mexican hairless cats, their chinchillas, their parrots for a day out to see and be seen. It turns out pets are something of a status symbol in Thailand and the infrastructure has opted not to keep up with a group of people who sometimes haven't cleaned up after their beloved pets in the past. So there's really no middle ground for pet lovers; you're either pushing your pup in a trolley or hiding him at the bottom of a canvas bag to get through the park. Because even the parks are largely designated not dog-friendly. 

Benjakitti Park in the city centre is one exception. The dog-friendly section is spacious, leafy and green and spans the width of the main park itself. It's glorious. But the remaining 3/4 of the park is decidedly not pet-friendly. We got chased off by security guards on bicycles before knowing the reality. There are a few other gems we've yet to try; Nong Bong Park is apparently lovely. And we'll get there, perhaps once we've mourned how easy everything was for Frank back in London.

The Soi Boys 

Down our street (or soi) a motley crew of street dogs that sort of have humans but mostly don't live their lives roaming the neighbourhood. They mostly sleep under parked cars, scratching themselves and wandering the food market waiting for people to drop them bits of sustenance. Paul calls them the Soi Boys. And true to his form as a tiny dog with a Napoleon complex, Frank absolutely hates them. 

The Soi Boys are largely harmless but there's one territorial scruffy, grey lady dog who's taken to growling at people who get too close to her 'territory.' One of our colleague's named her Fluffy. And six weeks ago, Frank, from his perch in Paul's arms, squared off with Fluffy, who lunged for him and got Paul's leg instead.

Paul is now the proud recipient of a series of precautionary rabies jabs, 5 vaccinations given over the course of a month.

This story will one day be funny. So will Frank's separation anxiety. In the meantime, we despair just a little bit.