Entree Kibbles: Dog In Town in Ari - Animal Cafe with Many Big Dogs @ Bangkok [Thailand]

Friday, December 30, 2022

Dog In Town in Ari - Animal Cafe with Many Big Dogs @ Bangkok [Thailand]

It's a given nowadays that I would check out an animal café whenever I am in Bangkok and it's no exception for my first trip to Thailand after the pandemic started more than two years ago.

Even though it was within walking distance from Ari BTS station, we decided to GRAB over to Dog In Town Ari as it was a warm day and Alex have had enough walking for the day!

We were sent to what appeared to be a residential building that was converted. It's a pity that such concept would not likely happen in Singapore given the concerns on noise, hygiene from neighbors.

Divided into four sections; the waiting area, the artificial lawn, the air-conditioned indoor area and the cafe. It was the main, indoor structure that caught my attention for sure; for its almost full length windows that brought in plenty of natural lighting.

Entrance fee would be 350 baht per person, with one free drink. Not cheap but I thought it was absolutely worth it; reasons of which I would share further in this post. Time limit was an hour but we stayed in Dog In Town for about 90 minutes.

Cafe rules and regulations!

Entry pass which didn't seem to add any value as I would have to pass it to the staff member upon entry. Maybe because I visited during off peak and there wasn't any queue at all; entry was almost immediate.

Removal of your shoes; note, don't wear expensive shoes if you are concerned about people stealing them. Thankfully, I am casually dressed when I am overseas and I don't have a penchant for branded goods anyway.

Inhouse slippers; note, this would be more for use on the lawn as you are required to remove them again before stepping into the indoor area and cafe.

Stepping into the indoor area, where the dogs were. Use of the outdoor lawn to expense the pent up energy for the dogs appeared to be at specific timings as weather can be sickeningly hot and humid.

Be careful when you open the door!

Before focusing on the dogs (trust me, plenty of photographs later), let's take a look at this spacious, bright lit, arena that would have totally nailed it as an instagrammable non-animal cafe!

Given the high ceiling, the owner and / or interior designer came out with this tree-house conceptions that not only beautify the place; it also allowed humans to have a bird's eye and have a respite from the dogs, if need be.

View from the top. I can imagine Singaporean parents being very protective towards their kids as there are certain safety risks although I personally feel that it is still safer than Lhong Tou Cafe.

This message is so true even though it can be applied to many things; how do we understand the pains of others if we have never been through the same work as they do?

Now, it's the doggies' time!

There were more than ten dogs and breeds included Samoyeds, Alaskan Malamutes, Corgis, French Bulldog, Welsh Corgi, Siberian Husky, Standard Poodles etc. More photos to come.

The Samoyeds loved the cooler fans! The place was well air-conditioned and for those worried about the smell, my sensitive nose didn't pick up the usual dog poo / urine smell. The canines were all upkept every well, with nice, fluffy fur and even the saliva didn't stink! So cuddly!

Timeout for the Shiba Inus as they had a fight earlier.

I spotted this cute pup behind the counter when I was on the "tree house". Now, I don't know if this would be a Siberian Husky or an Alaskan Malamute. My gut feeling told me it would be the latter.

The lawn in between the cafe and the air-conditioned indoor area. As mentioned earlier, it's artificial turf and unlike the indoors, my nose caught the unmistakable "dog" smell.

Dogs love it though! Aside from having a bigger, unobstructed space to run about, I think their key highlights were quenching themselves with bowls of iced water and the many ice cubes their sharp, strong teeth can crunch through.

Before going back into the indoor area, the staff members of dog in town would also wipe the dogs' mouth so that they don't drool and drip over the flooring.

Picture-perfect for the guests! If you need to take photos with the dogs, please don't force your way through. Let the staff know about it and they would help to ensure a great photo! That's some kind of demon training they have to go through in order to make the dogs so obedient!

Tidying up my hair so that I would look slightly better!

A nice photograph right?! Credits to the staff member! It would be nice to have a family portrait with so many dogs sitting obediently for the photo and those travelling as a family should consider!

A deluge of selfies with the doggies! I don't think I have ever posted so many photos of myself in a singular post. Of course, such photos are the best of the lot; real life product might differ. :P

Personal favorite - the Alaskan Malamute with heterochromia. Very mesmerizing and I wonder if people with heterochromia see things differently; for example, the colors.

Last few photographs of the indoor area. You can also secure some memorabilia of Dog In Town from the counter, including dog shampoo, dog perfume etc. Those looking for pet accessories should consider the humongous Pet Section at JJ Pet Market and Jatujak Plaza instead.

Wait, we have not ended yet!

I almost forgot about our free drink!

Interior of the somewhat standalone cafe. No dog is allowed within and to be honest, it can totally operate as a cafe separately, like the former Big Dog Cafe. Especially helpful when not everyone in your entourage is interested to pay extra to play with the dogs.

Drinks menu; unlike animal cafes in Singapore, the free drinks here included macchiato, Italian soda, tea by pot. For specials like frappe, milkshake and smoothies, you just need to top up 20 baht. That's why I think the 350 baht entry fee is not that expensive.

Of course we would need some desserts too!

Now, this would be more interesting for this blog. In spite of its unappetizing outlook, this would be a challenge for the faint minded but I am willing to take up the challenge! None of the cakes appeals to me anyway.

Our hot milk chocolate and the four red fruits tea; latter of which was served in a teapot and tasted more like rooiboos tea. We absolutely enjoyed what we had and couldn't wait for the dog shit dessert.

Here it is! Visually a piece of freshly shat dog poo on a pile of sand yet in reality, it's a shit-shaped brownie on a bed of biscuit crumbles and a scoop of ice cream.

Served warm, the brownie was pretty good with a fluffy cake-like texture although I would love to have some nuts in the batter for the extra crunch. Even the vanilla ice cream didn't taste like it was some cheapo brand and for the price we paid for, 155 baht (about S$6.00); the dessert was worth it!