The news: postponed to 2027, not cancelled
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration ordinance on controlling the keeping and release of animals, B.E. 2567 (2024), has had its commencement moved from 10 January 2026 to 10 January 2027, with the amending ordinance published in the Royal Gazette on 8 January 2026.
The text says so directly: "this Bangkok Metropolitan ordinance shall come into force from 10 January B.E. 2570 onwards", as reported by Bangkok Business (Krungthep Turakij).
The word to read carefully is postponed, not cancelled. The limits per dwelling size, the registration and microchip requirements, and the penalties are all unchanged. Only the start date moved.
The ordinance applies only within Bangkok. It does not cover Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan or any other province.
How many pets are allowed, by dwelling size
The ordinance sets the number of dogs and cats by the size of the dwelling, not by the number of people living in it.
| Dwelling type and size | Dogs or cats permitted |
|---|---|
| Condominium or rented room, 20 to 80 sq m | 1 |
| Condominium or rented room, 80 sq m and above | Up to 2 |
| House on land up to 20 sq wah | Up to 2 |
| House on land up to 50 sq wah | Up to 3 |
| House on land up to 100 sq wah | Up to 4 |
| House on land over 100 sq wah | Up to 6 |
These figures follow the summaries published by AP Thai and Thai PBS, which agree.
What the table implies is worth spelling out. A studio of 25 to 30 sq m, the most common size in the Bangkok market, sits in the one-pet band. Anyone with two cats in a unit that size is the group most directly affected when the rules take effect.
Registration and microchipping deadlines
Dogs and cats in Bangkok must be registered and microchipped within 120 days of the animal's birth, or within 30 days of bringing the animal into Bangkok.
The 30-day rule is the one people moving to Bangkok tend to miss, because it does not run from the day you acquired the animal. It runs from the day you brought it into the city, so anyone relocating from another province with a pet falls under it on arrival.
Following the council's decision to extend the deadline, the BMA has sent mobile units into communities and shopping centres across all 50 districts to microchip and register dogs and cats.
Why it was postponed
The reason reported was that the supporting processes were not ready, rather than any retreat from the principle. Post Today reports the one-year extension was made in order to resolve problems with the paperwork and with the microchipping service points.
In practice this gives pet owners another year to complete their registration. It does not give them another year to acquire more animals.
The BMA rules and the condo's own rules are two different things
This is the most commonly misunderstood point, and it bears directly on a purchase or rental decision.
The BMA ordinance is the maximum that public law permits. A condominium's regulations are that building's own rules, and they may be stricter. A condo whose regulations prohibit pets continues to prohibit them, even though the ordinance says a unit of that size may keep one.
The reverse does not hold. A condominium that permits pets cannot permit more than the ordinance allows once the rules take effect in 2027.
A condominium's regulations can be amended by resolution of the general meeting of co-owners, which means a building's pet-friendly status is not permanent. Anyone buying because pets are allowed should read the actual regulations and ask whether the subject has ever been tabled at a general meeting, rather than relying on marketing material.
Pet Friendly versus Pet Allowed
The two labels mean different things in this market, and Sansiri sets out the distinction.
Pet Friendly means a development designed around pets from the outset: units with extra floor area suited to animals, dedicated activity zones, and no restriction on breed or size of dogs and cats.
Pet Allowed means pets are permitted but the building was not designed for them: no designated relief areas, fewer amenities, restricted zones, and limits on breed, size and weight.
Both typically ask for a veterinary health certificate issued within the last 30 days, plus a deposit, an annual fee and damage insurance.
The practical advice is to ask in numbers rather than in adjectives: what is the maximum weight in kilograms, which lift may the animal use, must it be carried or in a bag, and how large is the pet deposit and when is it returned.
Penalties and public-area restrictions
A breach carries imprisonment of up to three months or a fine of up to THB 25,000, per AP Thai's summary.
The ordinance also prohibits keeping or releasing controlled animals in public places and thoroughfares, including footpaths, roads and public parks, as well as the common areas of a community or building. That last part bears directly on condominium residents, because lift lobbies, corridors and shared gardens are common areas.
What to do this year if you are buying or renting
- Check the unit size against the table. A 20 to 80 sq m unit allows one animal. If you already have two and are buying, look at units of 80 sq m and above.
- Ask to read the actual juristic person regulations, not the sales brochure. The regulations are the enforceable document.
- Ask whether pets have ever been on the agenda of a general meeting, and what was decided.
- Register and microchip this year, while the BMA mobile units are still operating.
- If renting, put the pet terms in the lease: how many, what kind, and any additional deposit, rather than agreeing verbally.
For tenants, an additional pet deposit interacts with the statutory ceiling on deposits. See our article on the 2025 rental contract control announcement.
Frequently asked questions
When do the Bangkok pet rules take effect
On 10 January 2027, after a one-year postponement from the original date of 10 January 2026. The amending ordinance was published in the Royal Gazette on 8 January 2026.
How many pets can I keep in a Bangkok condo
One animal in a unit of 20 to 80 sq m, and up to two in a unit of 80 sq m or more, under the 2024 Bangkok ordinance.
How many pets can I keep in a house
It depends on the land area: up to 2 on land of no more than 20 sq wah, up to 3 up to 50 sq wah, up to 4 up to 100 sq wah, and up to 6 above 100 sq wah.
What is the microchipping deadline
Within 120 days of the animal's birth, or within 30 days of bringing it into Bangkok. Both registration and microchipping are mandatory.
What is the penalty for a breach
Imprisonment of up to three months or a fine of up to THB 25,000, under the Bangkok ordinance on controlling the keeping and release of animals, B.E. 2567.
Does this apply in Nonthaburi or Pathum Thani
No. It is a Bangkok ordinance with effect only inside Bangkok. Other provinces are governed by their own municipal or local ordinances.
My condo bans pets but the BMA rule allows one. Which applies
The condominium regulations apply. The BMA ordinance sets the maximum public law permits; it is not a right that overrides a building's own rules, and stricter regulations remain enforceable.
What is the difference between Pet Friendly and Pet Allowed
Pet Friendly means the development was designed for pets, with activity zones and no breed or size restriction. Pet Allowed means pets are permitted without supporting facilities, usually with limits on breed, size and weight.
In short
The Bangkok pet ordinance now takes effect on 10 January 2027, with the numbers unchanged: one animal in a 20 to 80 sq m unit, two at 80 sq m and above, and two to six in a house depending on land area.
What to do this year is complete the registration and microchipping. And if you are choosing a new home, check twice: the unit size against the ordinance, and the juristic person's actual regulations, because the rule that binds you is whichever is stricter.
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