Australia’s ABC is always onto the top breaking stories. Here’s one of the latest:
Thailands dogs are now eligible for life insurance, under a new policy that offers payouts to owners if their pets die. Veterinarian Sombat Pipattanamatha says about 2,000 dogs have already been granted life insurance policies since the program began last year. “Dogs are now like family members, and we think they should be well cared for,” he said. Locally bred dogs can receive coverage worth up to 10,000 baht ($AUS360), while foreign pedigrees can get up to 500,000 baht ($A18,000). Mr Sombat, who consults with the company that developed the policy, said he is now working on plans that would provide benefits to dogs in non-fatal accidents and that would cover injuries to humans in dog attacks.
When I read this I was reminded of this great photo of canine fashion taken by my colleage and co-author, Tim Forsyth at Jatujak Market:
But, all jokes aside, this is a serious issue. Insurance coverage is the latest step in the steady growth of Thailand’s pampered pooch culture. Even in the village where I work in northern Thailand the large and ill-tempered collection of seemingly ownerless mutts is now being joined by some very pampered looking poodles. And my casual observation suggests that sales of dog food have increased substantially in recent years.
Has anyone made a serious study of this canine aspect of Thai popular culture? Perhaps regular New Mandala reader Dog Lover may have some insights.
……here is a link to a lovely set of expressionist style paintings of Thailand’s most famous canines, the Bangkok Soi Dogs…….
http://www.chriscolesgallery.com/soi_dogs_bangkok.htm
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“…sales of dog food have increased substantially in recent years.”
Real Thai dogs, like my Shih-tzus, eat rice and Laap Mu.
I refuse to let my eight Shih-tzus mix with the soi dogs though who
have a little mafia like gathering at the garbage can at the end of the soi every evening.
The patriarch of our Shih-tzu clan, Ai Book Bik, used to run with the Mae Sai soi dogs, deeply revered and respected by them because of his abundant hair, until he got run over by a truck.
Live in the soi, die on the soi.
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“……here is a link to a lovely set of expressionist style paintings of Thailand’s most famous canines, the Bangkok Soi Dogs…….”
I like the smile of the welcome to Thailand Soi dog:
http://www.chriscolesgallery.com/welcome_to_thailand_soi_dog.htm
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Dogs deserve humane treatment. But taking a dog to a state ceremony is too much. And for 0ur Moslem brethren, we should not flaunt dogs in their presence. Likewise, putting a dog on a seat of honor next to you–if you are a big shot–amounts to bad taste.
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Americans can now include mutts in their car insurance (with some companies) in order that they be covered in case of an accident.
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There is a delicious irony in Thailand with dogs of foreign pedigree able to be insured for up to THB 500,000. Human foreign mongrels in Thailand cannot easily get local insurance cover for death but then I suppose a pedigree dog is a privileged species for some better-off Thais, especially if the owners can get them to bark at the right people, hopefully being those people who threaten “democracy” in Thailand. I suppose if I were a better off Thai I would think it right and proper that my dog, even if of the running variety, whose death can be leveraged to put what after all is a pittance to better-off Thais into the faithful dog owner’s pocket, rather than permitting “rent-seeking” farangs” and their various retainers from undermining the financial security of life insurance companies. Perhaps this is what Sarit Thanarat used to have in mind when he personally “executed” errant Chinese shopowners who would burn down their shops before the Chinese New Year and try and collect the insurance.
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