Phuket pets to require microchips

PHUKET: From April 24 every cat and dog arriving on Phuket must be microchipped, Phuket Provincial Livestock Office Chief Dr Sunart Wongchawalit has announced.

He has also announced that with no reports of cats or dogs on Phuket being infected with rabies since 2003, Phuket is the first province in Thailand to be declared “rabies free” by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives.

To keep Phuket rabies-free, the Livestock Office will step up its vigilance in requiring every dog and cat arriving in the province to be vaccinated.

Livestock Office staff at Phuket International Airport (PIA) have for years required arriving dogs and cats to be vaccinated for rabies. “Pet owners bringing their dogs and cats into Phuket must have them vaccinated against rabies at least 21 days before arrival,” Dr Sunart said.

Pets arriving without papers confirming a recent vaccination will be vaccinated at the airport before being returned to the owner, Dr Sunart said.

Each pet will also have a microchip implanted before being released and a “pet passport” will be issued to the owner, he added.

The mandatory microchip implants and pet passports will cost 200 baht.

The Livestock Office will soon enforce the same requirements at the Tah Chat Chai road checkpoint, Dr Sunart said.

The new rule also applies to pets already on the island.”If anyone refuses to allow Livestock Office staff to implant their pet with a microchip, they could face a fine of up to 10,000 baht, six months in jail, or both,” he said.

The Livestock Office aims to have all cats and dogs on Phuket fitted with microchips, even strays. All the dogs being kept at the Mid Road Dog Shelter in Thalang have been fitted with microchips, said Dr Sunart.

“At the end of March, the Livestock Office will meet with every local OrBorTor. We need them to set regulations to have the dogs and cats in their communities implanted,” he said.

Although the Livestock Office charges 200 baht for fitting a microchip and issuing a pet passport, most pet clinics charge from 600 to 800 baht, he added.

For more information, contact the Phuket Provincial Livestock Office. Open Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-4 pm. Tel/Fax: 076-216934; Email: pvlo_hkt@dld.go.th