Although there are plenty of stray dogs in Thailand, there are also some privileged pooches enjoying a pampered lifestyle. The two dogs in the photo below were curled up asleep on a stall at Chiang Mai’s Sunday Walking Street Market.
There is a fondness for the ‘narak’ (cute or charming) in Thailand, whether it be children or animals and these two dogs certainly fit firmly into the narak category. Dogs in motorbike baskets or perched with paws on handlebars are an everyday sight in Chiang Mai where there is also a trend to dress dogs in costumes during the cool season. The smaller breed of dogs in particular seem to be viewed almost as a fashion accessory. So much so, that one of my Thai friends in Chiang Mai claimed that his girlfriend paid more attention to her little dog than she did of him. His girlfriend meanwhile complained that he loved Manchester United more than he loved her. Now that I come to think of it, I shouldn’t have been that surprised when they split up!
