Pampered pooches

Savvy business owners are filling gaps in the pet market by offering dog massages, crystal-encrusted collars, imported pet food, and rides to the groomer in a Maserati for the most discerning pets. Pet owners in Thailand are also spending considerable amounts on their dogs, as pets are treated increasingly more like family members.
Once banned in China for being a bourgeois pastime, owning a pet has now become a symbol of financial success, with consumers spending 17.5 billion yuan (Bt87 billion) on their pets last year. That figure is forecast to rise to 46.3 billion yuan by 2022, making it one of China’s fastest-growing industries.
Thai consumers are also spoiling their pets with premium animal-friendly apartments, trips to the groomers, designer clothing, jewellery, and swimming lessons for their furry friends. The Thai pet products industry is now worth approximately Bt2 billion and will continue to grow as owners provide a higher quality of life for their pets. Between food, health, grooming, exercising, and socialising, some Thai pet owners are spending approximately 10 per cent of their income on their animals. Many are comfortable to spend as much on their pets as they spend on their own parents.
Thailand’s pet food industry alone was worth $700 million in 2016, three times more than a decade ago. Until recently, it was common practice to feed Thai pets rice mixed with meat and scraps from meals, but food intended specifically for pets has increased in popularity over the last few years. In fact, Thai pet food production accounts for more than half of the Southeast Asian market overall and Thailand is now Asia's third-largest pet food consumer, behind Japan and China.
While these costs of pampering a pet can seem extravagant, the animals themselves can also fetch enormous amounts at auction. 
In 2014 a golden-haired Tibetan mastiff puppy sold for 12 million yuan, making it one of the most expensive dogs in the world. These enormous dogs have become a prized status symbol among China’s wealthy, sending their purchase prices soaring. 
As a response to the stresses endemic to modern life, many people are happy to spend money on their treasured pets because they are seen as equal members of the family. 
Some pet-owners are even choosing to care for their fur babies in lieu of having their own children. Pets are also seen as a way to keep elderly family members company. As these family structures continue to change, companion pets will become even more popular, and significantly more expensive, too!

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