Living in a foreign country comes with a lot of challenges. Not only the obvious language barrier and acclimatizing to the weather, but another issue also plagues the hearts of expatriates all over the world: loneliness. 

Today, MyFriend is taking you all to meet Christelle Pieterse and her lovely and energetic, girlies who are a Jack Russell and Dachshund! Christelle talks about how her pups helped her through the transition, and how her fluffy friends helped her find her crowd.

Please introduce yourself and your canine friends.

Hi, I’m Christelle. This is ​​Sadia and Olivia 

How old are Olivia and Sadia?

Olivia is a year and a half, and Sadia is five months.

Were there any inspirations behind the names?

So actually they’re named after singers, both. Sadia is a local DJ, she’s Thai. And Olivia Rodrigo. 

Why did you pick out these adorable breeds? Did you adopt them?

Olivia, I didn’t plan on getting Olivia. I went to Chatuchak and I saw her, she looked really really cute and she was with her brother. Sadia, I always wanted a sausage dog, since I was a kid. I had one and it was like my first dog, it was a sausage dog, and I really like them. 

Do you have any difficulty as an expat in Thailand? Did your pets help you cope with the situation?

Yeah, it can be kind of lonely sometimes and it doesn’t really feel like home always because you’re a foreigner. And I got Olivia first, because of that reason. To make it feel more like home. 

What’s it like having pets and living in Thailand? Is Bangkok a pet-friendly place?

It’s actually very difficult to find pet-friendly condos and apartments. In that terms, it’s not really pet-friendly. And also the parks, it’s really difficult to find pet-friendly parks. 

Have you ever been anywhere outside Bangkok with your paw friends?

So I think Benjakitti forest park just opened up, and they made a section of it pet friendly, and K-village is also a regular. And, I took Olivia to Hua Hin quite often

What is the naughtiest thing your pets have ever done?

Olivia chewed up my passport when I wasn’t home. Yeah, she chewed up my passport, like, the corner of it. I had to return home to get a new one. She was still a puppy!

Is there anything you would like to say to the audience?

It can be very fun, and the community is nice once you find it. If you go to places regularly, people often recognize you and your dogs. So I think it’s definitely a good idea to have a pet as a foreigner here. 

It can be lonely roaming alone in a foreign country, far away from home. But that’s why having a fluffy companion come along on the journey can help! Having a friend you can share the fun adventures and the happy moments with is something to cherish, not only that: you can also find like-minded pawrents through your paw friends as well!

MyFriend would like to thank Christelle Pieterse, Sadia, and Olivia for welcoming us into their homes for this lovely interview. Anyone will fall in love with these outgoing personalities who are always looking for a new game of fetch. Check out the video to see the adorableness in action!

Are you struggling to find pet-friendly places like Christelle? Stay tuned for our app feature that will help you find Pet-Friendly Places in Bangkok!

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