Before booking, confirm current requirements with the Thai DLD, your airline and the origin-country authority.
Source check details
Thailand’s own steps were checked on 7 October 2026 against the DLD’s manuals; the other sources cited on this page were checked on 5 August 2026. Thailand's Department of Livestock Development, airlines and origin-country authorities change their rules without notice. Treat this as orientation, then confirm every current requirement with the DLD, your airline and your origin-country authority before you book or travel.
Terminal 2, Shanghai Pudong International Airport (2023). Photo: Windmemories, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The timeline — China export and DLD import
Procedures vary by departure city. Ask the departure-city Customs office for its current application, examination and certificate sequence before booking.
Before filing the Thai permitChinese vet + arrival AQS
On the AQS-confirmed scheduleDLD AQS
Before bookingAirline
On the local Customs scheduleCustoms + animal quarantine bureau
In the confirmed certificate windowCustoms inspection office
Arrival in ThailandDLD AQS
Thai-side steps: Plan these linked document stages using the responsible AQS’s route-specific instructions — microchip, rabies and the other vaccinations, the health certificate and the DLD import permit.
Documents the DLD expects
DLD import permit
Microchip certificate
Vaccination records
Government-endorsed health certificate
Flight booking
For pets from the USA, the Thai consulate’s guide says the importer presents the animal and original documents for AQS inspection, and that Forms R-6 and R-7 are issued there. It does not state a dependable release time or detention outcome for every route. Ask the responsible AQS what applies to the actual origin and itinerary. Thai consulate guide, pets from the USA.
The Chinese export side
Pet export from China requires coordination between your veterinarian, the local animal health supervision authority and customs export inspection at your departure airport. Each major city (Shanghai PVG, Guangzhou CAN, Beijing PEK/PKX, etc.) has its own appointment system and document checklist — do not copy another city’s process.
This audit did not verify a single national export checklist for every Chinese departure city. Obtain the exact document list and certificate window from the responsible Customs office, then verify the itinerary and animal acceptance with the operating airline.
If you may return to China
Under GACC Announcement No. 5 (2019), Thailand is a non-designated origin. The checked national rule and current Shanghai Customs guidance say:
- One pet per person per entry.
- Microchip plus official animal-health/quarantine and rabies-vaccination certificates.
- Rabies antibody test from a Chinese Customs-accepted laboratory, above 0.5 IU/ml. If a new test is needed, the sample may be drawn no earlier than the second rabies vaccination; a second vaccination is not universally required when a valid existing report qualifies.
- Clinical health examination within 14 days before arrival; ensure the official documents record the required facts.
- Declaration to customs on arrival; entry through a port with quarantine facilities if waiver conditions are not met.
A non-designated-origin pet needs an effective chip, accepted titer report and a passed on-site inspection to avoid the national rule’s 30-day quarantine. Thailand currently has no laboratory approved by Chinese Customs, so confirm how the sample will reach an accepted laboratory without assuming private submission is allowed. See exporting a pet to China for the full Thailand-to-China pathway. GACC source; Shanghai Customs source.
Common mistakes on this corridor
- Copied permit timing — obtain this origin’s vaccination sequence and filing lead time from the responsible AQS; do not substitute USA-specific deadlines.
- Identifier mismatch — the implantation certificate, permit and vaccination records must identify the same animal.
- Assuming one certificate window applies everywhere — confirm the current requirement with the origin authority and arrival AQS.
- Assuming return will be easy — rabies-free origins (Japan, Singapore, NZ) have strict re-entry rules from Thailand.
- Assuming all Chinese airports work the same — Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing have different export offices.
- No export inspection appointment — customs export clearance is not walk-in at most airports.
- Inventing a universal two-shot interval — the current Thailand guidance only makes a second vaccination necessary when a new titer is needed; the veterinarian must apply the vaccine’s valid schedule.
After the AQS inspection — reaching Pattaya
For pets from the USA, the Thai consulate’s guide says the importer presents the animal and original documents for AQS inspection, and that Forms R-6 and R-7 are issued there. The DLD allows itself up to 1 working day 6 hours to issue the R.7 (DLD import licence manual), so do not plan on same-day release. Thai consulate guide, pets from the USA. After the AQS releases the animal, use a road vehicle that explicitly accepts the animal and crate.
Your R.1/1 goes to the animal quarantine station at the airport you land at, and the import licence (R.7) is issued there (DLD import approval manual). The DLD’s list of stations names none at U-Tapao (DLD AQS map); the Chonburi station covers its district (DLD station areas), so confirm in writing before you book a U-Tapao arrival.
Settling in Pattaya
Confirm pet-friendly housing, save a local veterinary contact and discuss heat and parasite prevention with a veterinarian. Keep every stamped AQS record. For a later UK or EU journey, check the destination’s titer rules. Australia instead requires an approved-country pathway under the standard non-approved-origin route. DAFF FAQ.
Official sources
China sources: GACC Announcement No. 5 (2019) — pet entry (English reference); original Chinese announcement. Shanghai Customs guidance for arrivals from Thailand. Export mirror: taking a pet to China.
Official sources to verify against: Thai consular import guide (detailed scope: dogs, cats and rabbits from the United States); DLD Animal Quarantine Station map.
Frequently asked
Does Thailand treat China differently for pet import?
The Thai consulate’s detailed guide covers only dogs, cats and rabbits from the USA and does not confirm China-specific additions or exemptions. Confirm every required document and test with the responsible AQS.
Which Chinese authority handles pet export?
Your accredited vet, local animal health supervision, and customs export inspection at your departure airport. Use an export specialist for your specific city.
Are there direct flights from China to Bangkok with pets?
This page does not maintain a verified live route schedule. Ask the operating airline to confirm the itinerary, aircraft, pet mode and space before payment.
What if I want to return to China later?
Plan for the non-designated-origin route: one accompanied dog or cat per person, matching microchip and official certificates, a qualifying accepted-lab titer above 0.5 IU/ml and on-site inspection. Without the waiver evidence, the national rule requires 30 days of quarantine. GACC source; Thailand-specific Customs source.
Can I import through U-Tapao instead of Bangkok?
Plan for Suvarnabhumi unless the DLD confirms U-Tapao in writing. Your R.1/1 goes to the station at your arrival airport and the import licence (R.7) is issued there (DLD import approval manual). The DLD’s list of stations names none at U-Tapao (DLD station map); the Chonburi station covers its district (DLD station areas), so ask that station in writing before you book. From Suvarnabhumi, Pattaya is a road transfer.
Which airport is better for Pattaya — BKK or U-Tapao?
Plan for Suvarnabhumi unless the DLD confirms U-Tapao in writing. Your R.1/1 goes to the station at your arrival airport and the import licence (R.7) is issued there (DLD import approval manual). The DLD’s list of stations names none at U-Tapao (DLD station map); the Chonburi station covers its district (DLD station areas), so ask that station in writing before you book. From Suvarnabhumi, Pattaya is a road transfer.
What should I do after reaching Pattaya?
Confirm housing, save a local vet, keep every AQS document and ask a veterinarian about heat and parasite prevention for the individual animal.
Will I need a titer test later?
That depends on the next destination. UK and EU routes can require a titer and wait. Australia’s standard route from a non-approved origin requires an approved country first; do not assume a test performed in Thailand qualifies.