How much would you pay to get your dog groomed? 2800 baht?!

The husky seems to be the only one with a smile on his face.

A Facebook Live post by a 32 year old Chachoengsao man complaining about “Thailand’s most expensive dog bathing fee of 2,800 baht” for his Siberian Husky has become a hot topic attracting more than 10,000 comments, nearly 400,000 views and 5,000 shares in 10 hours after he posted it on Thursday evening.

Sitthichai Wichitwong said he took his dog, which he imported from the United States for 200,000 baht to be a breeder for his business, to be washed at a shop that then charged him 2,800 baht – 1,500 baht to bathe the dog, 850 baht for transport, 150 baht for paw grooming and 300 baht for a special deodorising spray.

“When I dropped off the dog, I told them to just wash it,” he said, adding that the shop, located on Sukprayoon Road in Muang district, had not warned him about its charges in advance. Nevertheless, the man paid 2,000 baht of the bill and said his brother would pay the rest later.

Sitthichai added that he had previously paid 800 baht at most to have a dog washed in Bangkok, while it cost as little as 500 baht in the Paed Rew area of his home province.

The shop’s owner, 38 year old Kanokwan Siangprasert later told The Nation that the service fees were charged according to the size of dog and details of the work. She added that the dog’s size justified the fee of at least 1,500 baht because its hair was thick and tangled, requiring two rounds of grooming before bathing. The paw trimming and deodorising spray also cost extra, she said, adding that three or four people were required to work on such a large animal and ensure safety, which was reflected in the price.

She also said the complaint partly stemmed from the customer just dropping the dog off at the shop without staying so that staff could explain the service details, and staff needed to finish the job by the 6pm deadline.

STORY: The Nation