1

I've been biking in Thailand a couple of times, and I don't ever recall having problems with dogs there. Plenty of strays, but they're pretty friendly.

Not at all like Eastern European, or Turkish sheepdogs.

2

Oh and yeah, some parts of southern Thailand have been problematic for quite a while. North, central is fine. No problems either if you're going along the southwest, and into Malaysia.

There have been a number of bombings, etc., but it's not targeted at tourists. There's plenty of the rest of Thailand to see in your month though. Don't worry about it. You could always go northern Thailand/Laos/Cambodia.

3

Dogs are not a big problem in Thailand, you are unlikely to be worried more than a couple of times in a week, if at all. It is normally too hot for them to stir.

The ones that may chase you are just guarding their propery and give up pretty quickly. They are not in packs. I usually slow or stop and face them - they always back off. Often owners are near so no need for concern. This comes from someone who used to be petrified of dogs, but now realises that most are not a problem.

Re security - where did you read that? Thai is very safe. There have been problems in a small area in the South East, that you can easily avoid. Roads are good, traffic OK for Asia.

I have cycled in the south many times in the last 10 years (I often go sailing out of Phuket or Langkawi on my sister's boat) and usually get there by bike from somewhere like Surat Thani train station.

I will be entering Thai from Cambodia in a couple of days and have absolutely no worries. Go and enjoy.

4

things change.....dogs are a big problem in the south. so much so
that i abandoned the tour. i managed from kanchaniburi to hua hin,
but stray dogs, and packs of dogs (a dozen labs!) were too much to
deal with. only option is the 6-lane highway (and you still get dogged).
the owners generally don't give a flying rat's ass...they're too damn
lazy to get out of their hammock when you're getting attacked. they
usually just look up and smile.
.
so i took a train from hua hin to hat yai. that's the moslem area.
moslems don't seem to like dogs. very peaceful, animalwise.
.
but insurgents were very active this year during ramadan. there were
20 or so people killed. this includes drive-bys of soldiers standing on
street corners, and car bombs at checkpoints. you're not targeted,
but you could be in the wrong place at the wrong time. note also,
this year they started blowing up hotels and shopping malls. once
into malaysia, no problems at all.

5

In Thailand i have some problems with dogs,nearly every day!! but they are small and not dangerous. even funny i would say!(compare to the big dogs we've got in Europe!!)
Usually, the problem come in very early morning...After 9 am they'll sleep!
.I've been cycling in Thailand for more than 20 years and keep coming! in fact Thailand is THE cyclingtourist paradise in south east asia.

6

In the past year we've cycled though different parts of Thailand (across Issan; then from Cambodian border through Bangkok and down to Malaysia) and in a few days we'll set out from Bangkok heading for northern Thailand and then back into Laos and China.

Compared with other countries in the region, Thailand does seem to have a bigger problem with aggressive dogs and it was the first place in the past four years of a world tour that a dog went to bite me (fortunately just tore a nice big hole in my shorts and not my knee). I wasn't even on the bike though, I was just walking into a bathroom at the petrol station and it was in the doorway salivating and shivering and looking like an ad for rabies and I tried to squeeze past. By and large, however, while we had the occasional dog chase us it never lasted very long and I certainly wouldn't be overly worried. We occasionally asked to camp at the Buddhist temples and sometimes there are a lot of dogs on the temple grounds as the monks feed them and take in the strays. They bark a lot at night sometimes but again not a big deal.

Have you got the rabies vaccine? It buys you time to get treatment and can mean less waiting around in the event of any bite while you get all the shots.

Go for it :)

7

Go for it just carry a stick under the bungee strap and if dogs chase just raise the stick above your head this will stop most dog chases Thailand is one one my fav place to cycle have fun.

8

I'll go with being very lucky. That or I just don't recall any hassles with them because I'd had experience with much more aggressive packs in Eastern Europe & Turkey. A bit in Kyrgyzstan too.

9

shazam! thanks for that link, base. i met a cyclist on the main highway
after leaving pattani.......a german guy heading up from malaysia, just
wanting to do a short loop to 'top off' his tour, and would soon exit back
to malaysia to the west. twas our frankie.
.
had a chat for about half an hour in the forested median strip, discussing
route plans, dogs................and bombs.

10

Thanks everyone, both reassuring and cautionary, I'll go anyway!
Sandy

11

Will you have a travel blog we may follow ?

12

1dayasalion...our blog through thailand. yes the dogs can be a pain. They are fine in general but if you get out in the sticks they tend to bark and chase a bit but are only protecting their patch. an ex police truncheon fits nicely in a pump bracket or even better a dog dazzer. electronic gadget. fantastic bit of kit.
Just go and enjoy!!!