Pattaya-Revealed.com - Chatuchak market, Dogs and Hawks.

It's not often that I big myself up but this post is useful and could really save somebody money and heart ache. I wanted to post this in the open section so anyone doing a search can find it.

Ex pats.

When people move to LOS full time and set up home. Due to boredom, lack of entertainment other than drinking, whoring, golf etc people get into having pets.

It will normally start with a home aquarium. As there are no standards here for glass thickness or anything else a tank costs next to nothing. In UK this hobby might sent you back hundreds of ££££'s but here you can get massive tanks with all the air pumps,filters,gravel and plants for a couple of thousand baht.

Fish tanks are normally a 5 minute wonder and you see loads of them for sale 2nd hand on the Villa Mart classifieds section.

As you know Chatuchak market sells every kind of animal under the Sun. I'd always loved birds of prey. I did have more than a basic knowledge of how to keep one before I came here. For me it's turned into a fantastic hobby. I'm a member of a falconry school in Bangkok and still go every week. Porno loves it and we still have Odin our white kite who is fully trained.

BUT.......

It is a very bad idea to buy birds from Chatuchak.

Most of them are dead. OK, they still look alive but they were wild. Most are in a stage of shock at being caught and handled and will die within a week. Having any type of bird is hard work. Owls look lovely and are always on sale. They are the most difficult to keep. Only people who know what they are doing and really understand what they are taking on should even think about it. A bird of prey is easier to look after but again if you have no plans on joining a falconry club don't even think about it.

Odin looking lovely.

Attachment 15899

Dogs.

Now this next information should read like the gospel to anyone buying a dog in LOS. I know if I posted this on other boards I would get experts disagreeing with me and quoting facts and figures etc. Well bollocks to them. They don't know what they are talking about.

I grew up with dogs. My family always had at least one and I have personally owned 2 German Shepherds and a Black Lab.

Dogs in LOS is big business. It is really easy for people to get parted from their hard earned. Falang man comes to Thailand and he decides he wants a dog. A normal Thai dog won't be good enough. Oh no he'll want something special. Myself included.

We moved into a house a few months ago. The first thing the lady renting it told us is that we would need a dog for security. Of course that was music to my ears. I didn't need any more encouraging. Porno is the same. We are big animal lovers.

Small penis, bullied at school? I don't know the reason why but I love fierce animals. Porno's Thai. Shes from Khon Kaen. I've found out this area of Issan is famous for producing violent people. Most of the red shirts causing the grief were from Khon Kaen. If we have a dog or bird it must be a vicious bastard anyway.:birdshit:

I decided I wanted a German Shepherd. I've got the time and the money so set about finding a good un. Internet searches came up with quite a few breeders in Bangkok. We visited them all.

They all try parting you from your money with the usual dog seller patter. To anyone who doesn't know a pedigree dog must come with papers/certificate. In UK it's the kennel club and the certificate will list the parents names and history. The papers are white colored.
Now a very special dog will have pink papers. To get pink papers the dogs parents must have been show champions and the dog will cost mega dough.

It's always a good idea to buy the best dog you can especially with German Shepherds as health problems are common and will cost you dearly in the future.

Anyway, we managed to find lots of pink papered champion dog here.

Funny that.

We settled on one breeder in Bangkok. Her dogs were breed in Chang Mai and had pink papers. Puppies were 40,000 baht each.

All sounded good. We had visited all the other breeders and I didn't like what I saw or heard. The usual LOS shit. Everyone tells you to never buy a dog from Chatuchak as they are sick. Well let me tell you that all the shops and dealers buy from the same puppy farms no matter what breed of dog it is. If it makes you feel better paying 30,000 baht for the same dog you can buy at Chatuchak for 5000 baht then fill your boots.

I'd say the dogs at the market are more likely to have something wrong for sure but whatever you buy will need taking straight to the vets anyway. Not much in it.

Back to our dog lady.

So we are all set for the 40,000 baht pink paper champion.

The big day arrived and we headed off with the money. Dog looked really good. Had all the things you look for in a GSD. The Thai woman selling it started looking and speaking a load of bollocks like they do when they are about to rip you off. I think we all know the signs. I waited for it. Something was wrong.

' I'm sorry I lose pink paper. If you buy dog now I send away and give you next week' :bigfinger

Fucking knew it. So the champion dog has just turned into a 5000 baht Chatuchak dog that shes bought and trying to flog to some mug.

She knew it was game over. I said no thanks and walked. As we got to the bottom of the drive she said 'Wait, what can you give me?'

I didn't look back.

We still didn't have a dog and Porno was all pissed off because she had waited weeks.

I decided the whole pedigree dog thing in LOS is bullshit. Yes, there are a few Europeans who have imported good dogs and charge for them. What you have to ask yourself is why do you want a special dog like that?
You can't take the bastard out for walks. You try.

You get about 10 yards up the road then some manky Thai dog attacks. Think about that. How many dogs are on the soi's?

They do have dog shows here but again the standards are nothing like in UK. 6 people will turn up in a field, bung a few police cones out and have a competition. Certificates and cups will be handed out. Hey presto champion dog.

Knowing what I know now I can say there is really only one dog to have in LOS.

Thai Bangkaew.
Attachment 15900

Bangkaew is a village located in the Bang Rakam District, Phitsanulok Province in the central region of Thailand. In this district, near the Yom River, there is a monastery called Wat Bangkaew where it is believed that Thai Bangkaew Dogs originated.

Legend has it that the third abbot of Wat Bangkaew Temple, the respected Luang Puh Maak Metharee, was known for mercy and care given to all living things. An old Bangkaew villager named Tah Nim gave the abbot a native bitch. Because she was pregnant without any dog in the area, her mating was though to be either a jackal or a dhole lived in the surrounding forest. A chromosome study of Thai Bangkaew dog confirmed that the breed is the result of domestic dog and jackal interbreed. The resulting litter produced longhaired puppies of black and dark brown coloration. Luang Puh Maak Metharee raised the resulting puppies, four females.

Bangkaews are vicious bastards to strangers but love the family they live with. Eat anything, short haired and don't need taking for walks.

If I could wind the clock back I would have bought 2 of these but it was too late. Porno wanted a GSD.

We went to look at Chatuchak. Saw some manky Thai bloke who had a GSD in bad shape. Heart ruled my head and we ended up buying her. Porno kicked him up the nuts and said the dog was sick and needed vets. Turned out to be true. Anyway we only gave him 1500 baht.

Took poor thing straight to vets. Had to spend out quite a bit. She had worms and a virus. Would have died 100% so felt good. Did the right thing there.

Called her Lucky.

Attachment 15901

Had to laugh. Our new GSD turned out to be a rip off. She's not a true GSD. I think I knew that anyway :hugehug:

She's turned into a great dog though.

I'm always down Chatuchak and know all the dealers by name. As we had been making noises about buying a special dog it wasn't long before we got the phone call I'd been expecting from a lady dealer.

'Please come we have Shepherd dog you want'

I wasn't bothered about another dog but went to have a look anyway. I was amazed when this woman takes me out the back of her shop and produces a Belgian Malinios.

Same sort of thing as a GSD but this dog was a cracker. Big puppy and looked in perfect health. Where she came from? Don't go there. You don't ask.

Anyway the lady only wanted 6000 baht. Porno knocked her down to 5800 and we walked away with the Malinois who we named Honey.

Our new wolf.

Attachment 15902

The lady had asked for our address and said the pedigree papers would be following. I nealry fainted when they actually arrived?????

So, there you have it. The guide to buying a dog in LOS.

I'll help any of you if you ever want one. Just ask.