Koh Hang Wild Dogs Attacking People

[nikkoid66]

Koh Chang wild dogs attacking people.

It is low season, and apparently many people go back home, leaving the soi dogs without food.

For one month, I have seen the number of stray dogs increase to alarming numbers.

Every day I have to pick-up my girlfriend at midnight in a well known resort, and that mean I will drive from Bag Bao to Kai Bae Beach and every day I am attacked on my scooter by some dogs, always the same.

Yesterday something changed, we went at Panviman resort on Klong Prao beach in the afternoon, and when we took the scooter back a very big black dog that seems to be owned by some bar on the beach attacked us. Because the road is made of sand, it was very hard to distance it and very dangerous. The dog was very agressive and scary, it was no mystery that if he could I would have bitten us or worse.

The same day at about 10:30pm, at the corner of the Panviman road we saw a incredible scene (close to the farang minimart and Crush Bakery) where about 5 dogs, very big where chasing motorbike, sometime 2 dogs at the same time. Many Thai people were screaming and almost falling on the floor. We have been chased too when we passed and we decided to make a stop at the Police station at Chai Chet.

I took this picture in the police station, the police guy laughed at us, saying he is in Koh Chang for 13 years and it is always the same, we just have to punch them on the face and they will remember.

Well I do not agree with that, and I asked him, if I am bitten and I fall with my scooter, who will pay for that?

He answered nothing and laughed.

Well, this man probably didn't read this news: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/636314-boy-mauled-by-stray-dogs-at-rayong-beach/

These dogs are dangerous and starving. It is just a matter of time until something nasty happen. I post this for the record. I complained to this police guy, and he laughed at me. If police is here to protect the people? But he was not laughing when he charged me 200 baht for no helmet violation the day before!

Good luck to the tourists who buy food around the place and walk with kids! Some might have Rabies and police won't help.

So the place where I have been attacked so far:

- Casa cabana, on the road to Bang Bao, a group of 5 dogs, one back dog, they stay in the forest between Casa Cabana and Lonely beach where are some baracks used by hotel staffs.

- Lonely Beach, in front of Green Turtle restaurant (close to Mercure Hotel): 2 dogs are there almost every night, one big white dog try to bite me almost every night at 11:30/ midnight when I pass there.

- Kai Bae around the police station, about 3-5 dogs, one black dog very agressive and one brown dog try to bite me about 3 times, both 30 kg+.

- Klong Prao: at the intersection of Panviman and on the Panviman: apparently they sleep at the trash place on this deserted road. Same group of dogs from Kai Bae.

[impulse]

I can't help but wonder, if Lonely Planet and Frommers, et al. and all the foreign embassy travel warnings were to mention the chance of getting attacked by roving packs of dogs in Thailand, would they lose enough face and tourist $$$ to do something?

Perhaps if travel insurance companies were to exclude coverage for dog attacks in big print on the front page of the policy?

I've been attacked on several occasions- way too many, both on foot and on bicycle in the 2 years I've lived here. Only been bitten once, and just happened to be in the middle of doing the series rabies shots for a dog bite from China at that very time so no harm, little foul. The rest of the times, I was either faster or had a stick or a rock.

(Note- electric bicycles can't outrun a soi dog without pedaling like crazy. Ask me how I know that)

[marstons]

so out of all the times they have tried to bite you how many times have they actually bitten you??? I came here on holidy many time befreo living here and realized dogs were a problem but still moved here. In 17 years of beig here and actually treating street dogs never been bitten, and that involves going into packs of dogs and picking out sick dogs and females for neutering, still never bitten. Then I don't go in wielding sticks or stones.

Can also conclude to the 2 dogs charities I deal with d onot see soi dogs as aggressive and they have treated thousands and thousands and only 1 rabies case.

[nikkoid66]

None have bitten me so far, but I had to accelerate and in some cases I could have an accident, same for some people I have seen doing zig zag to avoid them... I like dogs, some are very nice. But it is a common issue in Thailand, soi dogs are a pita and nobody has to balls to fix the problem.

[nikkoid66]

Thanks for your comment, I have a good scooter, but they run fast. I scare having an accident, when they jump from the dark in a curve around Lonely Beach, one may end up in the trees...

Maybe a Tylenol+ Dark Chocolate + Macadamia nuts + Dog food dropped in strategic place (trash deposit for example) would solve the problem?

But I am afraid to harm good dogs, cats, or other wild animals too.

I can't help but wonder, if Lonely Planet and Frommers, et al. and all the foreign embassy travel warnings were to mention the chance of getting attacked by roving packs of dogs in Thailand, would they lose enough face and tourist $$$ to do something?

Perhaps if travel insurance companies were to exclude coverage for dog attacks in big print on the front page of the policy?

I've been attacked on several occasions- way too many, both on foot and on bicycle in the 2 years I've lived here. Only been bitten once, and just happened to be in the middle of doing the series rabies shots for a dog bite from China at that very time so no harm, little foul. The rest of the times, I was either faster or had a stick or a rock.

(Note- electric bicycles can't outrun a soi dog without pedaling like crazy. Ask me how I know that)

[impulse]

so out of all the times they have tried to bite you how many times have they actually bitten you??? I came here on holidy many time befreo living here and realized dogs were a problem but still moved here. In 17 years of beig here and actually treating street dogs never been bitten, and that involves going into packs of dogs and picking out sick dogs and females for neutering, still never bitten. Then I don't go in wielding sticks or stones.

Can also conclude to the 2 dogs charities I deal with d onot see soi dogs as aggressive and they have treated thousands and thousands and only 1 rabies case.

Safety stats don't begin and end with one person's experiences. All you can say is that you haven't been bitten YET in 17 years. Take your 17 years and multiply that by the 60 million other people's experiences and then you can have some reasonable data.

For example, I've driven almost a million miles in the USA and I've never died, nor even been injured in a car accident. But over 30,000 people a year do die in US traffic accidents, so it would be ridiculous for me to claim that there is no risk in driving. All I can say is that I have not died YET in a traffic accident, and there's only a small chance I'll die in any given year. (And I keep my car insurance valid despite my experience that could tell me it's a waste of money because, after all, I haven't needed it)

And if you read the sad stories of the rescued dogs, how many of them say "we still can't approach this one safely", and how many dogs on tourist streets in Kanchanburi (just for example) have muzzles on them? I've seen half a dozen in just a few weekends there. And why do ya figure they would muzzle a dog- and only half a dozen of the hundreds of soi dogs in town?

I've been attacked half a dozen times by strange dogs in 2 years in Thailand, and bitten once. In 10 years in China, I was never attacked by strange dogs. In 40+ years in the USA, I can count the times I have been chased by strange dogs on my bicycle on one hand- and even those were laughable.

The OP makes an excellent point and I agree with it.

[DekDaeng]

Very naive Marstons. Kids aren't as smart as you, get chased by dogs, go into barbed wire fence or under a car. Also many adults get chased or attacked - as I have been - I was carrying a stick, because I was out walking my dog, got attacked by a pack of dogs (in middle of public street) from one house. Happy to say I drew blood on one dog, elicited very sour looks from owner. I did not 'wield' my stick until pack began threatening.

Suspect that dogs may sense human feelings, so f'lungs more at risk here.

It is a serious problem.

"On our last day with xxxxxx and xxxxx, xxxxxx and xxxxxxx in Thailand we decided to go and visit an island known for its handicrafts Ko Kret. It is in the middle of the river that flows through Bangkok. We took the ferry across from the mainland and hired bikes to circumnavigate the island. xxxxxxx with 4 month-old xxxxxxxxx in a front-pack took the lead, then xxxxxxxx, then me and finally xxxxx with xxxxxxx (2,1/2) seated on a front seat on the handlebar of xxxx's cycle, bringing up the rear. We followed the 1.5m width elevated pathway that runs between the houses nestled against the footpath, many of them being little shops displaying their home-made wares, pottery and other crafts. We were more than halfway round when one of the many dogs roaming round the place and sleeping on the pathway, jumped up and bit my leg. That began the drama!

It was a nasty bite by a bull-terrier type, 4 pierced holes, very deep and a lot of blood. Continuing without dressing the wounds was out of the question. It caused a big commotion with the local Thai people who rushed me to a clinic that happened to be just metres away. However being a holiday, it was shut but on its courtyard there was a hose connected to a tap with running water, enabling a clean-up of sorts and it was good to note that the wounds were clotting very quickly. I felt very little pain, as if it were not really happening and tried to reassure the very concerned folk gathering around. xxxxx had already contacted xxxxxx by cellphone and pretty soon he and xxxxxx were with us, xxxxx ready to take control, using a baby nappy to cover my leg. But he was no match for a quietly determined young Thai man who organized a friend to take me on his motorbike to the ferry while he took xxxxx on his. Once on the mainland the young man commandeered another friend to take me to a hospital in his clapped-out car, refusing us to take a taxi. We obliged, and just as well, because this was Bangkok lunch-hour traffic! That man knew all the short-cuts and back ways, keeping his car going on full throttle as the motor wouldn't idle, so it was barely an hour before I was having the wound cleaned in a govt hospital, at which point our 'helpers' mysteriously disappeared! We suspect the young man was the dog owner!

However the govt. hospital did not have the special equipment to deal with dog-bites, so we had to take another 2 hour journey across Bangkok city this time in a proper taxi to get to the closest private one that could deal with dog-bites and best of all the doctor that administered the rabies and tetanus shots spoke a little English. By his time my leg had ballooned up and walking was impossible. We were due to fly back to xxxxx the next day, so xxxxxx took the Dr's advice and organized an up-grade for me from cattle to business class. He is good at this sort of thing and soon discovered that because I’d paid for our trip on my xxxxxx platinum card I was covered by insurance, a fact not known to me as I never bother with travel insurance. Once home, he phoned the insurance company, the airline, the Dr who had attended me, back and forth, printing out claim forms and permission to travel forms and eventually driving back to the hospital to get physical signatures on those forms in the wee small hours of the morning."

[zyphodb]

A friend of mine up here in Chaiyaphum Province was riding his Honda Phantom with his wife on the back was attacked by a dog, he lost control trying to kick it as he pulled away to keep it off,(which is exactly what I do on my Keeway superlight 200 which is a very similar bike to a Phantom) his wife was in hospital for several days with a eye injury & he had a broken leg all because of one crazy soy dog...

I wish that instead of stopping people exporting them to Vietnam, They had a general round up of all the strays around Thailand & flogged em to Vietnam to pay for it, There are way to many stray dogs here & who knows how many have Rabies.....

t

[mauGR1]

Thanks for heads-up OP.

I also live in Koh Chang, i have noticed this happening every year the low season starts. I noticed that the dogs are more aggressive at early morning, when there is still a little traffic on the road.

It's true that you can accelerate, but doing that you risk a more serious accident.

Sadly, i have almost given up riding the scooter around the island, this road is a death trap.

Oh, on the beach, the beach dogs are getting aggressive too this time of the year.

[Peeete]

If this is all regarding the dogs chasing the motorbikes you guys all misunderstand the dogs and mistake them for aggressive. They don't want anything from you, they want your motorbike. For them it's like a game.

If you speed up in this situation you only encourage them. As faster you go as more fun it is for the dogs as it is like a challenge for them and they want to go to their limit. This can look aggressive but you don't need to be scared. They might bite your motorbike but not you.

Now the simple trick is to not speed up. In most cases it already helps to simply slow down so it becomes boring. If not enough, stop your motorbike, spread your arms to look bigger and shout at them. They'll go away. Then you can safely go on. If they come again, just repeat the whole thing. Try it next time and you'll see it works.

[overherebc]

If this is all regarding the dogs chasing the motorbikes you guys all misunderstand the dogs and mistake them for aggressive. They don't want anything from you, they want your motorbike. For them it's like a game.

If you speed up in this situation you only encourage them. As faster you go as more fun it is for the dogs as it is like a challenge for them and they want to go to their limit. This can look aggressive but you don't need to be scared. They might bite your motorbike but not you.

Now the simple trick is to not speed up. In most cases it already helps to simply slow down so it becomes boring. If not enough, stop your motorbike, spread your arms to look bigger and shout at them. They'll go away. Then you can safely go on. If they come again, just repeat the whole thing. Try it next time and you'll see it works.

Sorry, don't agree with any of your post.

I'm not here to dictated to by any dogs, including mine.

The dogs should not be there in the first place. Hit your front brake someday when it's on a fresh dog sh-t on the road and then post back from your hospital bed.

Soi dogs, no collar or ID should be rounded up and if not claimed in 3 days then put down.

[mauGR1]

If this is all regarding the dogs chasing the motorbikes you guys all misunderstand the dogs and mistake them for aggressive. They don't want anything from you, they want your motorbike. For them it's like a game.

If you speed up in this situation you only encourage them. As faster you go as more fun it is for the dogs as it is like a challenge for them and they want to go to their limit. This can look aggressive but you don't need to be scared. They might bite your motorbike but not you.

Now the simple trick is to not speed up. In most cases it already helps to simply slow down so it becomes boring. If not enough, stop your motorbike, spread your arms to look bigger and shout at them. They'll go away. Then you can safely go on. If they come again, just repeat the whole thing. Try it next time and you'll see it works.

Sorry, don't agree with any of your post.

I'm not here to dictated to by any dogs, including mine.

The dogs should not be there in the first place. Hit your front brake someday when it's on a fresh dog sh-t on the road and then post back from your hospital bed.

Soi dogs, no collar or ID should be rounded up and if not claimed in 3 days then put down.

I completely disagree as well, i never saw a dog biting a motorbike.. but a couple of times their fangs have been very close to my ankle.

Recently, i've seen a couple of aggressive dogs being muzzled by their owners..I guess they have bitten some locals who have claimed and received compensation.

Unfortunately most of those dogs have not any owner, and if they have, good luck to foreigners claiming compensation for being bitten.

[watcharacters]

.

Unfortunately one event involved immediate personal profit and the other represented work for him. No doubt it was an easy choice for the man to make which to do and which not to do.

Looking at your attached thumb, I'm left to wonder if the person is a cop or detainee. He looks like a dark alley nightmare to me.

Sadly, my Missus believes the police are just about the last person one should contact in an emergency. That's too bad for Thailand and anyone here needing protective service.

Years ago, there was an official government sign on the old pier in Pattaya that read "No Rabies Zone". What on earth could that mean? It was as comforting as seeing a "no HIV sign" on a nearby dental clinic.

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[hgvneil]

When i stayed in Samui i managed to ride straight over the top of a dog that ran out in front of me.It was on the main ring road and i wasnt going slow! I was amazed how i didnt come off.

The dog flapped about in the road and died.What then happened was that the 'owner' was distraught as the dog was dying.I had managed to hit one of the few dogs amongst all the packs of strays that had an owner.

I then had a short lecture from a falang friend of the lady owner saying "here in samui,many dogs in road,you must drive careful" !!!!

I didnt bother to tell the guy i'd been in samui a year and hadnt just arrived for a weeks holiday and also.....if this dog had an owner what the hell were they doing letting it wander in the main road on a fast straight stretch used by lorries speeding through.!!

[poanoi]

This may sound scary, but i think you should buy a baseball bat,

stop next time a dog come after you, and see how it will ignore you.

You see, it is an instinct and a game for dogs to give chase, they dont want to pick a fight,

but if the dog really is "else", that baseball bat beats the dog any time

[nikkoid66]

Last week a Spanish friend got attacked from behind and bitten seriously for no reason. It was in the night, he was just walking on the road at Lonely Beach heading to a shop to buy some beer.

He had to be rushed to the Bangkok hospital. Cost of everything 40,000 baht!!!

So maybe it is a good enough business that the authorities don't want to stop?

[huangnon]

When i stayed in Samui i managed to ride straight over the top of a dog that ran out in front of me.It was on the main ring road and i wasnt going slow! I was amazed how i didnt come off.

The dog flapped about in the road and died.What then happened was that the 'owner' was distraught as the dog was dying.I had managed to hit one of the few dogs amongst all the packs of strays that had an owner.

I then had a short lecture from a falang friend of the lady owner saying "here in samui,many dogs in road,you must drive careful" !!!!

I didnt bother to tell the guy i'd been in samui a year and hadnt just arrived for a weeks holiday and also.....if this dog had an owner what the hell were they doing letting it wander in the main road on a fast straight stretch used by lorries speeding through.!!

Yup. Problems are never seen here until they happen. The dog was probably "unlucky" or maybe wearing the wrong amulet?

[wellred]

OP do you have that pic of the 5 dogs chasing the guy on the bike?

[nikkoid66]

No picture, but if you go out at 11pm and drive from Chai Chet to Lonely Beach I would be surprised if you are not chased by some dogs.

Tonight I have seen 2 scary dogs barking at a farang who was walking in a curve at Klong Prao. He was really afraid, I slowed down to see if they would attack him or not (I have a machete in the scooter now, if one dog want to fight I will chop him!)

When I came back with my GF after picking her from her work, the 2 dogs we trying to bite people on a scooter a the exact same place.

If the police is supposed to protect us, they are not doing their job. But when they get you with no helmet at a checkpoint, it is 200 baht. Is it supposed to protect us? Against what?

[wellred]

A dog chased me in Bangkok once. Seems generally they don't want to do anything about them. I don't like to see innocent animals killed but in the case of these dogs there doesn't seem to be much of an alternative when no one is taking responsibility over them.

[wellred]

Do you get any of these packs of dogs around white sands beach? I will probably be staying around there. Hope it's not as bad as you are making out.

[blue eyes]

Keep a ballpen hammer with you and your motorcy.A dogs skull is softer then it.A punch to their face may just get them more pissed.

[jpinx]

pepper-spray

[buck99]

Yesterday while riding my bicycle in Jomtien i was attacked by a large black dog. However, I carry pepper spray velcroed to the top bar of my bicycle and was able to spray the dog just inches away from my leg. The effect was immediate and the dog retreated. I brought the spray from the USA but have seen it for sale here in Thai. Pepper spray is an effective and safe deturant for Soi dogs both canine and human.

[mrtoad]

Thankfully, I drive a car so don't have to worry about some of the dogs that are in packs. I have had problems with the dogs on the hill between Bai Lan and Nisa Cabana, where the Staff accom for one of the hotels in lnely beach is situated. The dogs there can be aggressive, and several int he past have chased me on a bike. I have found that a motorcycle helmet is an effective weapon to give a hard smack to the head.

Personally, they should round up a lot of these dogs - the condition that some are in are awful. There used to be a dog in Bang Bao (Tiger) who attacked a number of people, eventually he bit a youn child, and thankfully the dog was taken out and put down by the authorities, however it should never had happened int he first place. We are constantly having to move stray dogs of our site here as well, as I think some people dump them.

I have also seen some pretty aggresive dogs on Whitesands beach, chasing tourists and really the local authorities should be a bit more proactive about this.

[bentarm44]

The bloody dog vermin problem does seem to be getting worse on koh chang. Kai Bae can be dodgy any time, white sands is getting worse. I drive a car, and have been successful in hitting (hopefully killing) two of the examples. I now have a pistol crossbow, which I look forward to using on the vermin soon.

[mrtoad]

Saw a couple on a bike this morning being chased by a large brown dog in Bai Lan, it did have a muzzle on it - it only stopped chasing them, when I ran it off the road. The owners of these sort of dogs should do something about it, and the others that are just strays should be rounded up by the local authorities - there are some pretty nasty dogs here on the island at present.

[mauGR1]

This time of the year, as others too have noticed, the dogs get quite nasty,

I blame it on the less food they get , less traffic on the road makes them feel bolder as well.

Gone are the times when i used to enjoy a ride around the island.

As for the suggestion to carry pepper spray, i just can't imagine myself riding a motorbike with one hand on the handle and the other hand spraying the dogs.

My technique, slow down and the accelerate, it has worked so far, but , what a bore..

[theblether]

I'm not scared of dogs, far from it, but like everyone else I don't want a pitbull terrier sinking it's teeth into me, so I'm wary when I see packs of dogs with their tails up.

If it makes me wary and I've owned dogs since childhood, what effect must it have on people who are not used to dogs or have a genuine fear of them? They must be terrified.

On the bright side, I met a Thai lady in Chiang Mai who volunteered for an organization that captured and neutered these dogs, but on the downside there are far too many Thais with a callous disregard for their pets and the safety of others.

I'm sick of seeing dogs suffering with horrific mange and all manner of infections, we do have a responsibility to kill or cure.

[cloghead]

The bloody dog vermin problem does seem to be getting worse on koh chang. Kai Bae can be dodgy any time, white sands is getting worse. I drive a car, and have been successful in hitting (hopefully killing) two of the examples. I now have a pistol crossbow, which I look forward to using on the vermin soon.

Pistol crossbow? Thanks, now we know who to look for

And...the hunter becomes the hunted--the tables turned and there's a lot more of us than there is of you

Be afraid, be very afraid...