Thailand vs. Vietnam: Dog ownership edition!

I realize that this isn't going to be a factor for most people out there but I am one of those guys, and I know it is cliché, that likes company of dogs more than he likes the company of most people. Therefore, having a dog is a big part of my life. Also, I have spent the last more-than-a-decade living in two different South East Asian countries and have had the same dog living with me in both.

It is very different owning a pet in these countries than back in the west, and I'll point out the pros and cons of both Thailand and Vietnam as far as having a pet is concerned.

Accessibility to pet stores and groomers

src

There have been times that I have cut my dogs hair on my own from home but this process, since I don't really know what the hell I am doing and have sub-standard equipment normally takes a few days because the clippers run out of juice and I also take much longer to complete the process than a professional would. I also absolutely refuse to cut Nadi (my dog)'s nails because of that one time that I accidentally cut too far and hurt her. I don't think she has forgiven me for that to this day.

Both cities have a ton of pet stores really close to where you live as well as groomers an both of them are very inexpensive from a western standpoint and therefore this one is too close to call

Winner = Draw

---

Harassment from strays

There is no animal control service in either Vietnam nor Thailand so if you are trying to take your dog for a walk there is always the opportunity that a pack of feral dogs believes that this is their territory and while they may tolerate you coming through there, the presence of your dog is going to create a bad situation quickly. I have had to on multiple occasions pick my dog up and still had the street dogs trying to get at her over my head. Eventually I built a basket on the back of my bicycle and this was how we had to go for walks.

The above all happened in Thailand though.

src
_{The above image is not my own and is an exaggeration, mostly it would be just 2 or 3 but when your dog is the size of a toaster, that is all it takes}

Vietnam has virtually no strays at all and the reason for this is tragic but effective: It is because the dog meat trade is alive and well and animals are picked up not by the government but by individuals that supply this food industry. I can't imagine eating dog or the type of person that would do so, but it does happen.

So I can take my dog for a walk without worry for the most part in Vietnam even though there is a dark and horrible reason why that is the case.

Winner = Vietnam

---

Availability for housing that allows pets

I lived in Thailand for more than a decade and have only lived in Vietnam for 15 months. However, when I moved from city to city in Thailand it was actually quite difficult to find places that allowed pets. Here in Vietnam (at least for the time being) it is extremely simple to find just about anywhere that will let you have a dog in there with you.

_{Even if she wanted to destroy the apartment, she is simply incapable of doing so}

Of course you have to pay an extra deposit for potential damages and they do realize the difference between a Shih-Tzu and a Rottweiler, but finding a place that would allow me to have Nadi live with me in Vietnam was a piece of cake whereas in Thailand you really had to search before you could find a place that would let you have a pet in it regardless of what kind of pet or what size it was.

Winner = Vietnam

---

Veterinary Care

This is absolutely essential if you actually want your dog to live for very long and I want mine to live forever. Therefore, I take her for regular checkups and blood tests even if she isn't sick or showing any signs of anything being wrong with her. Maybe I worry to much but she is my child and I will go the extra mile to ensure that she is as healthy as she can possibly be.

src

I don't know why this is, but Thailand has TONS of veterinary clinics and hospitals, some of which serve as 24-hour emergency centers. When I lived in a small city in the south of Thailand there were more than 10 clinics despite the fact that the population was under 40,000 people. I now live in Da Nang which has over a million people and I struggle to find clinics at all. The one that I did find, I am not convinced that the vet actually knows that the hell he is doing. I have been to 3 different clinics and I feel the same way.

I really don't understand how someone can go all the way through medical school (even if it is animal medical school) and somehow make it all the way through the rigors of that and still not be capable of speaking even basic English. It doesn't instill me with a great deal of confidence. Every clinic I have ever been to in Thailand the doctor was extremely knowledgeable and spoke high levels of English

Winner = Thailand

---

Availability of outdoor activities

There are a bunch of people out there, particularly in Asia that have "house dogs" and to me that is just awful. You can't seriously think that your dog doesn't want to be outside and if you do, you don't understand dogs. They LOVE being outside and running around. It is basically their favorite thing. Even though Shih-Tzus are considered great "house dogs" I get Nadi outside as much as possible and unfortunately this isn't terribly easy to accomplish in Vietnam.

The streets of Vietnam are crazy. I'm not suggesting they are safe in Thailand because that would be a flat out lie but for whatever reason the people on motorbikes here take the corners like they are in a Moto-GP race. It isn't safe for a pedestrian to be in that spot let alone a dog on a leash. Also, many of the public areas that are perfect for dogs such as beaches don't allow them there. I am frequently reprimanded for this because I take her there anyway and just pretend I can't hear the guy who is blowing a whistle at me. Recently, I snuck onto the beach through a construction site and a guy pointed at the sign where it say "no dogs" and I responded to him with "I know, I just don't care!"

I can understand that they don't want dogs running wild on the beach but if on a leash and you pick up their poo poo I can't really understand why this rule is in place. It's stupid.

In Thailand on most beaches, parks, and nature areas, dogs are just fine but it is up to you to look after them because there is a better-than-average chance that there are some rather wild and territorial dogs in the same area. This is something that you definitely need to keep in mind but at least they are allowed. Our outdoor exercise here in Da Nang is limited to sidewalks and that is just bullshit since most of the sidewalks are parking lots for motorbikes anyway.

Winner (by a long shot) = Thailand

---

src

If you tabulate the various categories you will see that it is 2 for Vietnam, 2 for Thailand, and one draw. However, the veterinarian care and ability to do things outdoors with my doge pal is far more important than the other things because I am willing to take the extra steps to avoid feral animals and hunt a bit longer for a house that will let me have a pet. The inability to find quality medical care (or even what appears to be competent medical care) and not being allowed to do almost anything outdoors with my furry buddy means much more to me and I think most other dog owners. Therefore, deciding the winner of this was easy. Thailand wins by a long shot despite their shortcomings as far as animal control is concerned.