Off to Thailand for 3 weeks... share your tips and advice please!

yhack said:
I guess you only spoken to unlucky people and/or I only spoke to lucky people. I found all of them really tame. Once one barked at me but that was it. I may have accidentally stood on it. I only ever saw ones with collars causing trouble because he stole a stray dogs floor chicken.
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I definitely didn't speak to unlucky people, and was assured it was the norm. My friend was hassled by dogs at two separate temples, and once in two different cities.

There are tons of (often starving) starving stray dogs, many of which have rabies, logically they are not going to be behaving like kittens, and what I saw multiple times confirmed that. The government themselves acknowledge the problem.
 
Richdog said:
Not true according to the travellers and locals I talked to... they are a menace to everyone, and apparently the only reason they aren't rounded up and shot on a regular basis is because the Thai King has a soft spot for them, and so people leave them alone.
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That is not true. The reason they dont deal with stray dogs is because Thailand is a Buddhist country and in Buddhism all life is respected. Kill anything and its bad karma. My driver on the way to work ran over a stray and spent the rest of the day at the temple, after he'd cleaned the car. It's live and let live when it comes to most strays.
 
panthro said:
That is not true. The reason they dont deal with stray dogs is because Thailand is a Buddhist country and in Buddhism all life is respected. Kill anything and its bad karma. My driver on the way to work ran over a stray and spent the rest of the day at the temple, after he'd cleaned the car. It's live and let live when it comes to most strays.
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I'm not sure what Panthro's experience with stray dogs was, but having lived in Thailand for over a year, from Bangkok, to Kanchanaburi and Chiang Rai there was only ever one instance where a dog bothered me, and that was my fault - that was when I was walking towards a pack of dogs whilst telling a story to someone and for some reason made a forward jerking motion, which the dogs interpreted as aggressive. I threw a stone at them and they left.

Perhaps things are different in southern Thailand, but then again I now live a little bit further south than southern Thailand and get on fine with strays. I think that you were unlucky.

Anyhow, I can see how the tourist spots would get tiring for a tourist, since everyone is trying to sell you something.

Personally I can't wait to go back to Bangkok, should be making the trip up there in a month or two.
 
I had more problems with peoples pet dogs than I did with strays. I used to carry a big stick with me when walking back from somewhere in the evenings, but I never got harassed or attacked by any strays. That said I was always mindful of them. I felt sorry for them more than anything.
 
sounds like you had a good time

koh tao is amazing, i lived there for a long time , and dogs can be a bit of a problem

there were charities that tried to raise money to neuter the dogs so they couldnt breed but it was very difficult

my nickname of saumui is samuage, stinks and you really have to get out the main tourist bit to stay there otherwise one/two nights is enough

you didnt go to koh phangan, which is a shame and i would recommend people to do, not for the full moon party (though they are fun) but to see the rest of the island
 
panthro said:
That is not true. The reason they dont deal with stray dogs is because Thailand is a Buddhist country and in Buddhism all life is respected. Kill anything and its bad karma. My driver on the way to work ran over a stray and spent the rest of the day at the temple, after he'd cleaned the car. It's live and let live when it comes to most strays.
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Some sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wendy-diamond/thailands-dog-day-afterno_b_1004136.html

From Bangkok to Phuket, Thailand is a country filled with abandoned pets. Dogs of all sizes, shapes and descriptions roam the streets, alleys and beaches in search of food and shelter. Some form packs, others hunt solo looking for a handout or a misplaced scrap of food. Many of these dogs, especially the packs, will claim a street or stretch of sand as their turf that they will defend with their lives.

Often sickly or covered with sores and fleas, these dogs are an ever-worsening problem. Several country-wide surveys have been administered to determine what tourists like best and least about their visit to Thailand. Stray dogs begging for food and being a general nuisance was the number one complaint, according to those surveyed.
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http://www.mongabay.com/external/stray_dogs_thailand.htm

Thailand's revered king, Bhumbibol Adulyadej, adopted a stray of his own five years ago, to set an example. In 2002, he wrote an 83-page book, "The Story of Tondaeng," with 129 photos (and one X-ray), extolling the virtues of his mixed-breed mutt. Thais rushed to buy the book but not to adopt dogs.
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http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/06/090608-thailand-straydogs-video-ap.html

http://mariloureflects.blogspot.ch/2009/09/growing-problem-of-stray-dogs-in.html

Personally I think a mass cull would be in order... but then again i'm not a Buddhist. :p
 
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Seriously people... Try the Philippines.

I did more in a month in the Philippines, than I did in four months in Thailand (and I didn't once see a rabid dog).

For note: The movie "The Beach" may have been set in Thailand, but it was written in (and based on real places in) The Philippines.
 
I think Thailand and the Philippines both have their own pro's and con's. I lived in Thailand for 13 months and spent about 6 of the past 18 months in the Philippines as well as being married to a Filipina. Even she prefers some aspects of Thailand to the Philippines. I would definitely recommend a visit to the PH but its not as well developed as Thailand and needs a reasonable amount of planning to get the most out of it.
 
panthro said:
needs a reasonable amount of planning to get the most out of it.
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No more than Thailand.

An unplanned trip to Thailand will result in a few visits to the most touristy locations, and missing some of the best things the country has to offer (this thread is a prime example of that).

Only difference is it isn't 'quite' as safe for zombie tourists as Thailand, so you have to be a 'little' travel-savvy. But not to any worrying degree. Just don't completely disengage brain and you'll be fine.

Philippines has more beaches than any other country in the world, so if you can't find one that suits you then give up on beaches. :D
 
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