It’s a dog’s life in Pattaya. At least, it certainly is for many of the dogs, the so called “Soi Dogs” that live on the streets of Pattaya. Soi dogs, as you see in these photos (below) don’t have an easy life. They are seemingly unwanted and abandoned, turned out onto the street, where they are basically left to fend for themselves.
The fortunate ones are fed daily by kind-hearted people, often food street food vendors or market traders, and you’ll often see the dogs hanging around the markets and close to the food vendors, waiting for their daily tidbits.
Temples are also a popular refuge for dogs, where many unwanted pets are abandoned by their owners, knowing they will be cared for and fed by the Monks.
Life on the street takes its toll, and without the care of loving owners, they become ravaged by diseases like mange and heart disease, hunger, and injury.
It’s a crying shame, really, because the dogs are considered a nuisance and one of the worst things about Pattaya by many, often quite rightly so, but what else is an abandoned dog to do, “it’s a dog’s life.”
Although Soi dogs are mainly harmless they can be aggressive and territorial, especially late at night, and are considered to be one of the dangers of Thailand that visitors should be made aware of.