Among the many animal cafes in Bangkok, Big Dog Cafe is one of those that are featured frequently on friends' social media! Hence, when my younger sister suggested a visit back in April, i was happy to join her as the cafe is conveniently located near the Thailand Cultural Centre MRT station
Even though we read somewhere that it would be better to make an appointment to reserve a time slot; we couldn't be bothered as we prefer flexibility. Turned out our arrival timing at about 4.30 pm on a Thursday wasn't a busy period and a slot at 5.00 pm was still available.
Change to the cafe's slippers before you step in; separated into three sections, the cafe operation is in the middle one whereas the one facing the main road would likely be open should there be a crowd. The inner section would be where the mingling with dogs shall take place and as mentioned above, the next slot is at 5.00 pm.
Interesting thing about the Big Dog Cafe (which would be celebrating its 10th birthday this year) is that you don't have to pay the cover charge of 199 baht if you don't have the intention to play and mingle with the dogs!
Dog lovers would be pleased to note that there are over 40 dogs in this compound and they range from the diminutive Pomeranian to the gigantic Great Dane!
Certification of vaccination for your reference.
A few dogs require extra attention and those paying the cover charge should be mindful on the dos and dont's listed on the booklets placed around the cafe; for example, not to wear sunglasses, mask, cap when the Tibetan mastiff is around.
Be mindful around the wolf hounds too! You may attempt photo-taking only when the trainer / carer is around to assist you. As the bites for big dogs can be lethal, especially for some of the breeds, it's good to take precautions.
Other cafe rules as above!
Awaiting the dogs to bounce down the ramp from the second level and crowd out the not-too-big compound; Alex chose to sit in the air-conditioned cafe and guard our belongings while we prepared for the doggies arrival at the inner, non-air-conditioned section.
Some ongoing renovation for another structure next to the inner section; maybe an expansion to include birds or reptiles? Or maybe an air-conditioned mingling area given how hot Bangkok can be.
A swimming pool for the dogs!
Canines are generally greedier than felines and having a bag of treats would make it easier for you to get closer to the dogs! Available at 150 baht a bag and promotion was buy two, get one free! Stinginess runs in our family as we didn't bother to purchase.
Here come the dogs!
As it's impossible to get all the dogs down at the same time (imagine the noise, the confusion and the mess), there are shifts limiting to about five dogs at one time and each shift is about 15 minutes. In order to see all the dogs, you would need at least two hours.
Time to bombard you with picture and picture of the adorable doggies!
'Accidents' can happen and i don't know why people can still willing sit on the cement flooring! Aside from the risk of dirtying your clothes, you would likely be potential urine "markers" for the dogs.
Thankfully, there were a lot of staff members on standby and once they spot the "accident", they would proceed to mop up the mess. However, if you "kenna" the urine, there's really nothing much they could do except to pass you wipes and febreze fabric refreshener spray.
Fans and air-coolers were placed at strategic locations and it's so cute to see some of the dogs making use of them to cool themselves down; like this kawaii pomeranian!
Bowls of drinking water (for the dogs) were also available and the doggies knew exactly where to get them! Just note to steer clear of them after they drink as they would shake off the excess water once they are done!
A time-lapse for your viewing pleasure! Those people in yellow vests are the friendly staff members who would help you entice the dogs to come over and take photos for you, regardless of whether you bought their treats.
My younger sister with some of the dogs!
While her original choice was the Alaskan Malamute, i think it's the breathless English bulldog that eventually won our hearts! How can it be so ultra cute?!
Check out the video i took of Beary!
A satisfied sister even though we didn't manage to check out all the dogs given that we had already scheduled dinner with our elder sister. p.s. how they did manage to squeeze in 40-over dogs on the second floor?!
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Address
82 Ratchadaphisek Rd, Khwaeng Huai Khwang,
Khet Huai Khwang, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10310,
Thailand [Exit 1 of Thailand Cultural Centre MRT Station]
Map
As above.
Facebook Page
Menu
As above.
Charge to Play with Dogs
199 Baht - Per Person