Column – Stray dogs the silent witnesses that populate Thailand
Imagine a country where the streets have more dogs than traffic signs and where every street corner has its own stray dog territory. Welcome to Thailand, the paradise for homeless four-legged friends, where the streets are populated by a colorful tangle of dogs in all shapes, sizes and most of all… characters.
The Thai street dog, better known as soi dog, is not just a stray. No, this four-legged friend is actually a walking symbol of survival instinct, toughness and especially a good dose of street smarts. Every soi dog is a seasoned strategist, having spent his entire life on the sidewalks and markets, and now the king of improvisation. He can unerringly estimate which tourist he can beg for food from, which market stall he should leave alone, and even which monk might be willing to provide him with leftover rice.
These street dogs are not pets, but not strays in the Western sense of the word. They sometimes seem almost 'protected' by Thai society, like living mascots that find a corner at every temple and seize their chance at every food stall. They come and go, sleep where they please and smoothly fit into the rhythm of street life. Some find temporary shelter with animal lovers or small shelter initiatives, but the majority live as a kind of nomads, without a real fixed address.
Thailand, which likes to present itself as friendly and hospitable, seems to be a bit of its own reflection with these street dogs: warm and tolerant on the surface, but at the same time calmly embracing the chaos. Because tackling a problem? That is not necessary as long as everyone keeps nodding and smiling in a friendly manner. The street dogs are a bit like the chaos on the road, everyone knows that it is a bit messy, but as long as it works, people are happy to leave it as it is. The government announces campaigns every now and then to reduce the population, but hey, tell that to a street full of dogs with apparently their own agenda and a bizarrely high adaptability.
And if you think this is a picture of a lost generation of dogs, you’re wrong. Street dogs in Thailand don’t just develop their own ways of surviving, they form veritable mini-communities. Every street has its own little ‘pack’, complete with leaders, strays and loyal followers. They defend their corner, sneak up on tourists in the hope of a snack, and sometimes even protect the temples where they sleep as if they’ve become monks themselves. And maybe they are – patience and serenity in abundance.
Yet it is not always sunshine and roses. The life of a soi dog is hard, and the question remains how long a country like Thailand can continue to look the other way. The reality is that the street dogs, like most problems in society, remain an uncomfortable presence, an unsolicited reminder of the cost of carelessness. Because one day, when today’s street dogs have become old veterans, the streets will be filled with their offspring, perhaps even smarter, even tougher, but just as unseen.
About this blogger
- The Expat (66) has been living in Pattaya for 17 years and enjoys every day in the land of milk and honey! Previously employed in road and hydraulic engineering, but fled the capricious weather in the Netherlands. Lives here with his Thai girlfriend and two dogs just outside Pattaya, a 3-minute walk from the beach. Hobbies: enjoying life, going out, sports and philosophizing with friends about football, Formula 1 and politics.
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Nice piece about the reality of soi dogs and yet actually the mentality of many but not all animal lovers in Thailand, unfortunately. There is also a great variety from pet to soi dog to stray outside the city limits The last category is in my eyes extremely unreliable, but maybe just the rambo in survival.
Here in our quiet Moo Baan also had a few years a half dozen soi dogs where the mother animal and therefore the owner was simply known. Dog lover who simply deposited the litter with young in front of her rented house and let them grow up with the leftovers of rice and other food.
When they were reasonably mature, the street became too small and other territories were established in the Moo Baan.
The garbage bins here and there were the food supply plus the many donations from local residents with rice and meat [those animals can't do anything about it]
After many complaints and nights of lying awake at various homes and actually the first real generation in the wild the realization started that something had to be done. The official capture by agency X halved the pack and the rest yes, the rest disappeared per week month per dog. To this day everyone shrugs their shoulders where the last 'smart' dogs have gone, they are gone just like the lady who caused the problem with her sweet dog.
Fortunately, people are starting to realise that pets are welcome, but animals without an owner should not be allowed; sterilisation and castration are becoming increasingly popular.
There will come another day…………well, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves.
When people call themselves animal lovers, it is usually about our kitty-woofs. All in all, and certainly in the Isaan, I do not think that these street dogs have it so bad. Most of them always find or get something to eat, but above all they are as free as a fish in water. I actually do not see any dogs locked up in a cage anywhere here, not even on a chain. I rarely hear anything about abuse.
If we talk about all the other animals, it becomes a completely different story. When I see a truck drive by with pigs literally stacked on top of each other or a truck with thousands of chickens crammed into small cages, I feel much more compassion. Those animals also feel pain and have feelings. Pigs are very intelligent animals, by the way.
But apparently we prefer to bury our heads in the sand because they are not going to take our chicken chop or our steak ola away from us.
I call that selective outrage.
There is a not so pleasant development going on, pitbull-like dogs are becoming more and more popular and not everyone is a good owner for these dogs.
In case of aggression from these dogs they are thrown out and in the meantime they have mixed with the soi dogs, there are now packs of dogs just outside our village that attack a walker, cyclist or moped rider who comes near in the evening.
I am currently in the Bang Sai/Mai Tra area, surrounded by rice fields and small villages, close to Pathum Thani and Ayuttaya.
In the spring I was here for the first time, and had to/wanted to explore a lot of the area. Due to the lack of parks and forests nearby (I am a 'nature teacher' in NL) a walk is not really an option. And since I am Dutch, I think of the bike.
My girlfriend works as a teacher at a school, where I also go regularly. By bike (it's only about 6 km). This caused hilarity among the locals. "What is that crazy Farang doing?!".
I had been warned: it would be dangerous. I assumed the traffic was hectic (which kills 70 people a day in Thailand).
But, I have found a much scarier threat: dogs… And not so much stray dogs, but also farm dogs.
One Saturday morning I decided not to cycle straight from school, but to make a round, explore the area… I already encountered the first problem. Where in the Netherlands you can choose the bicycle icon in Google Maps, here in Thailand it is not even shown. Fortunately I can read maps well, as a former taxi driver from the time when digital navigation did not yet exist 🙂
Unsuspectingly I started paddling in a randomly chosen direction. From Mai Tra in a northerly direction, via North-West, east towards Bang Sai and back to the homestay. I was looking forward to it. Unfortunately I didn't have my binoculars with me, because it was a spontaneous action after all.
At first it seemed to be going well, and I enjoyed the many black-winged stilts, herons, bee-eaters and kingfishers. Until the first attackers showed up…
In a rice field stood 3 dogs proudly taking me in. And as if agreed they started walking towards me… Barking and snapping they came closer and closer…
Luckily, as a Dutch person I can cycle fast
Soon they gave up…
I continued my way in the open terrain. The farm roads meander between the rice fields.
Unsuspectingly I paddled around, now and then in hamlets with multiple farms. And that's where the trouble started. Every farm has one or more dogs. And those dogs, I can tell you, have an 'attitude'...
Where I was not aware of any harm, they saw me as a great threat. So, cycling fast again… And I was not very happy, even scared. I was happy with the fact that these dogs turned out to be lazy, and soon gave up.
At every farm my heart started beating faster. What could I expect now? Going back was not an option (anymore). I was already halfway there.
Further on, hoping for the best…
After many times 'in the paddles' I came near Bang Sai. Through rice fields and along the highway, because well, they haven't heard of cycle paths here...
I ended my trip with mixed feelings. I enjoyed the surroundings. Next time with binoculars. But, whether that next time will come…
(I later read in a blog that you should bring a stick, even if it is only a meter long. The dogs associate that with discipline. But whether I will try it...)
Also live in the countryside here near Korat
Also go for a bike ride every day
But no dog will ever come to me again
You just have to stop and then those barking dogs will stop
They also quickly walk back to their yard afterwards
Exciting what you've made with it, it looks like a horror movie.
I live in CM, not in the countryside, just outside the city, but here too there are many stray dogs.
I regularly go out for a ride on my mountain bike and I often meet dogs, dogs that are not interested in me at all, except for one who runs away with a lot of air after I lift my brakes.
A walk along the lake, soon 15 dogs, sometimes alone but also as a small group, sometimes they come barking loudly at me and I have to talk to my partner because she is terrified, if she remains calm and I just talk calmly to the dogs, then there is no problem and to the annoyance of my partner I pet them.
We were away for a week, Koh Payam our favourite island, there we had 4 stray dogs that came to camp with us every day and 1 big black dog stayed outside our hut at night (it is officially called a bungalow but I don't give it that name), a free guard dog, many an evening he chased away people who came too close and during the day I went swimming in the sea with this dog.
Whenever we went for a walk he was with us and any dog that came too close to us he chased away, we had a private bodyguard.
I am used to dogs, I have had German Shepherds for 25 years and I know a bit about how a dog works, not every dog can be trusted, but what I read in Thailandblog, I have never experienced and I am often surprised about what is recommended if and when necessary what you should do.
My advice is to stay alert, not every dog can be trusted, but that also applies to our fellow human beings, it does not matter where our fellow human beings live or have lived, once again always remain calm and alert.
Greetings and much strength,
MeeYak
I almost always have my electronic dog scarer with me, the very high pitched tone, barely audible to us, scares them off considerably. Too bad it's not much use when cycling because holding that thing in your hand all the time is also not possible.
I cycle almost every day for 1 to 2 hours and have experienced a few times that a dog chased me while barking aggressively. These experiences and the few family members who have suffered dog bites make me suspicious of these stray creatures.
Thai dogs are mostly afraid of a farang, and they often get scared of a bicycle, with some barking, because they only notice you at the very last moment, because they didn't hear you.
Instead of a stick, you might want to bring some dog food, who knows, you might make some new friends.
I myself cycle around the Red Lotus lake a few times. On the way I meet dozens of hungry dogs, but none of them dare to come near me. Except at a rest area, where some boats also moor, there lives a pack of different dogs with a few puppies. Whenever I stop there, they are with me within a few seconds, even if I didn't see them beforehand. and we really come to greet some dogs, as if they were my own dogs. Nowadays I even take food with me for them. It is sad to see how unkempt they sometimes look, at the moment the oldest male has a completely torn ear and is limping. I sometimes think I'll take them all home with me, but where does that end. We ourselves have two dogs, who don't leave the yard and when we go out they are allowed to go on a leash, believe me they are much happier, without the freedom described above.
Moral: You decide whether these dogs are your friends or enemies, reward or stick.
Have fun on the bike Ruud
They probably realize I'm a cat person.
I only like dogs with others.. but not in Bang Sai. Even my girlfriend doesn't want to walk or bike in this area because of the dogs. She doesn't let her cat outside…
Keep feeding and continue to bring puppies into the world. A street without end. It's bad that you hardly dare to go outside at dusk.
I was once unexpectedly bitten by such a beast. It cost me a lot of money. And the sleepless hours every night, we gladly accept that.
I don't know why, but I spend about 3-5 hours on my bike every other day here in Thailand and very rarely do I have dogs following me.
I don't cycle in Thailand, we often stay in a village near Prajak Silpakom, when the sun decreases in strength at the end of the afternoon we like to go for a walk.
The disadvantage is that the dogs become active around that time.
Many times a yapper has stormed from his/her home to us.
As a precaution, we always take a large stick with us.
However much it is against my wife's Buddhist beliefs to hurt an animal.
I taught her that when a dog becomes too dangerous, she should literally hit it with a stick.
Better to hit a dog with a stick than to be bitten.
It won't be the first time that we had to go to the hospital with someone who had been bitten by a dog to get injections against infections, etc.
Gr. Arno