Taking a pet out of Thailand

The Thailand export permit (DLD)

Before your pet leaves Thailand, the Department of Livestock Development must issue an export permit and health certificate. Here is how that half works.

Last updated 30 May 2026

Timeline at a glance

Work backwards from your departure date. The destination country’s rules — not the Thai desk alone — usually set the calendar.

What the export permit is

The export permit is issued by the Department of Livestock Development (DLD) through the Animal Quarantine Station (AQS) at your departure airport. It confirms your pet may be exported and is paired with a DLD health certificate after a veterinary inspection.

Start with the destination country

Thailand exports pets to another country’s rules. Before you apply, obtain that country’s import requirements or import permit and show them to the AQS — the Thai health certificate must match what the destination expects. Start with the export process and the destination page in our export guide — for example the UK, the USA, or the EU — and confirm with the foreign authority directly.

When to apply

Official DLD guidance asks you to submit export application form 1/1 at least 15 days before export. In practice, allow more slack — especially if blood tests, a rabies titer test or destination-side paperwork still has to be completed.

The destination country’s timeline is usually the long pole: a titer test plus a three-month wait for the UK or EU can mean starting months before you book the flight.

How to apply

Applications go to the AQS at your port of departure using DLD form 1/1 (export application). For Suvarnabhumi (Bangkok), the usual airport for Pattaya departures, email [email protected] or attend in person at the AQS office on the 1st floor of the Customs Export Building at the airport (Mon–Fri 08:30–12:00 and 13:00–15:30, except Thai public holidays).

An AQS veterinary officer reviews your documents, may examine your pet and/or request tests, then issues the export licence (form 9) and health certificate if everything complies.

What you will typically need

• Completed form 1/1 and a copy of your ID (passport for foreign nationals)
• Your pet’s microchip number and vaccination records
• The destination country’s import permit or written health requirements
• Flight details and consignee details matching all other documents
• Any test results the destination or AQS requires (such as a rabies titer result for the UK or EU)

Keep printed originals of the export permit, health certificate and every supporting document for the airport and the destination border check.

Confirm your departure date

As on import, DLD practice expects you to confirm your exact departure date with the AQS at least three days before you fly, once the export permit is underway and your flight is booked. Email [email protected] with your flight number and pet details — do not assume the permit alone is enough without telling the desk when you are leaving.

Common mistakes

• Starting with Thailand only — the UK, EU or Australian timeline is usually the long pole, not the 15-day DLD window.
• Last-minute form 1/1 — applying inside 15 days when inspection or titer results are still pending.
• Mismatched microchip numbers — across Thai export papers, airline booking and destination import forms.
• Wrong airport AQS — export paperwork must match your actual departure port (Suvarnabhumi for most Pattaya departures).
• Destination import proof missing — the AQS needs to see what the receiving country expects before issuing the health certificate.

What comes next

Book the flight under airline pet policies, budget in our export cost guide, and consider a pet relocation agent if cargo or a complex destination is involved.

Departing from Pattaya — airports, AQS and lead time

Most owners in Chon Buri export through Suvarnabhumi (BKK), roughly 90–120 minutes by road depending on traffic. U-Tapao (UTP) is closer to Pattaya and suits some regional routes, but your DLD export paperwork must name the actual departure airport — see U-Tapao or Bangkok for the import-side mirror.

Apply for the Thai export permit (form 1/1) at least 15 days before departure to the Animal Quarantine Station (AQS) at that airport. In practice, allow more when destination import permits, titer tests or airline cargo bookings still need to align. Email [email protected] for Suvarnabhumi export questions and confirm your flight date at least three days before you fly — the same confirmation rule applies on import.

Keep digital and paper copies of every document in one folder: microchip number, rabies certificate, destination import approval, health certificate draft and flight booking. Mismatched chip numbers between Thai export papers and destination import forms are one of the most common reasons export is delayed at the desk.

When a relocation agent earns its fee

You do not have to use an agent, but many Pattaya owners do for complex destinations (UK, EU, Australia, Japan, Singapore). A good pet relocation specialist lines up three timelines that slip easily when managed alone: destination import rules, Thai DLD export endorsement, and airline cargo or cabin booking.

Agents cannot override law — they still need your pet vaccinated, microchipped and tested on schedule — but they know which AQS forms to submit, which vet clinics issue export-ready health certificates, and how to keep crate dimensions within IATA airline rules. Compare quotes from more than one agent; PattayaPets lists relocation businesses as directory facts, not endorsements.

If you self-manage, budget extra time for a pre-export vet appointment in Pattaya or Bangkok, a dry run to the airport AQS if you have never exported before, and a contingency night in Bangkok if your flight is early and the pet must check in hours ahead in cargo.

Official sources

Official sources to verify against: DLD export of live animals; Suvarnabhumi AQS export: [email protected] (Mon–Fri 08:30–12:00 and 13:00–15:30, Thai public holidays excepted); UK pet travel; CDC animal import (USA); EU pet movement; Japan MAFF Animal Quarantine; Singapore AVS; UAE MOCCAE pet import; Australia DAFF; New Zealand MPI; Canada CFIA; Switzerland FSVO.

Frequently asked