Bringing a dog or cat to Thailand
A moderately easy destination. You email the airport's Animal Quarantine Station for an import permit (e-permit), vaccinate at least 21 days before travel and carry a government-endorsed health certificate. Official sources found mention no rabies titer, and compliant pets are released after an inspection on arrival.
Which rules apply to you
Thailand sorts arriving pets by where they travel from. Find your group, then follow its steps.
| Arriving from | Titer test | Wait after sample | Permit | Quarantine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All countriesOne set of rules for every origin in the official sources found. Rabies vaccination may be waived only for pets from a country free of rabies for the past 12 months. | No | — | Yes | Only if rules not met |
Step by step
Microchip and vaccinate
Implant a microchip and give rabies at 12 weeks or older. Dogs also need distemper, hepatitis, parvo and leptospirosis; cats need panleukopenia. Give all of these at least 21 days before travel.
Apply for the import permit
Email Form R1/1, a passport copy, a pet photo, English vaccination records, the microchip certificate and your itinerary to the AQS at your arrival airport. Apply 7-60 days before departure; about 30 days is recommended. The permit is valid for 60 days, and some airlines want to see it at check-in.
Get the endorsed health certificate
An official vet in the export country issues an English health certificate, which the government vet authority endorses. For the US the 10-day validity counts from endorsement. Thai AQS has required an original ink-stamped paper copy.
Dogs without a valid lepto vaccine
Get a negative leptospirosis test within 30 days before departure instead.
Report to AQS on arrival
Show the originals and the printed permit and pay 500 THB per animal. You receive a Notice of Import Approval (R-6) and an Import License (R-7).
There is no quarantine if the pet is healthy and documents are complete, but an AQS officer can detain a pet at their discretion. Older DLD conditions allow at least 30 days' quarantine at the owner's cost, or return or destruction, for non-compliant animals.
Good to know
- Cats
- Rabies plus feline panleukopenia, given at least 21 days before travel. The leptospirosis requirement does not apply to cats.
- How many pets
- Not specified. Permits and fees are per animal.
- Parasite treatment
- None mandated for dogs/cats. The pet must be free of ectoparasites at the export exam. Rabbits need internal parasite treatment 7+ days before export.
- Arrival
- Airports with AQS: Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK) and Don Mueang (DMK), Chiang Mai, Phuket, Samui and Krabi. Accompanied pets are processed 24h at BKK (next to baggage carousel 8). Air cargo at BKK is handled Mon-Fri 08:30-16:30.
- The import license (R-7) lasts until the pet leaves Thailand. A new permit is needed for every re-entry.
- Pets shipped unaccompanied as cargo also need an import permit and may involve a customs broker.
What we could not confirm
- Titer: I found no official Thai source that requires a rabies titer for any origin; the brief said one applies 'for some origins'. Verify directly with DLD before publishing.
- Banned breeds: the Thai Embassy DC (Jan 2025) says no dog breeds are banned. The older Thai Embassy Australia page (2018, updated 2022) says Pit Bull Terriers and American Staffordshire Terriers are prohibited. bannedBreeds is left empty pending confirmation.
- The health certificate validity of 10 days is the US-specific instruction. The DLD general conditions give no window.
- Older DLD conditions state 'at least 30 days quarantine' while current AQS practice is release on inspection. The 30 days likely applies only to non-compliant or suspect animals.
- Min age at entry is 4 months per the Chicago consulate page; this is implied by the 12-week vaccine age plus the 21-day wait.
Sources
- Royal Thai Embassy Washington – Instructions for bringing dogs/cats/rabbits into Thailand (revised 30 Jan 2025)
- Royal Thai Consulate-General Chicago – Bringing pets to Thailand (Dec 2024)
- Thai MFA – DLD Requirements for dogs and cats
- Thai MFA – Bringing pets into Thailand (AQS Suvarnabhumi)
- Royal Thai Embassy Canberra/Sydney – Bringing pets into Thailand
Checked against official sources on 2026-10-28. Rules change: confirm with Department of Livestock Development (DLD) – Animal Quarantine Stations (AQS) before booking.