Now showing: Pet dogs and their owners sitting in a movie theatre on the opening day of the pet-friendly i-Tail Pet Cinema opening at Major Cineplex in Samut Prakan. — AFP
A FLUFFY white cat in a yellow dress perched on a Bangkok cinema seat while, nearby, a Chihuahua in a Sebastian the Crab costume geared up to watch Disney’s The Little Mermaid with their owner.
One terrier even channelled Ariel in a red wig and mermaid’s tail. They were among dozens of four-legged film-goers that arrived in strollers on Saturday for the opening of Thailand’s first pet-friendly cinema.
The country’s pet industry is the second-biggest in Asia, behind China’s, with some 8.3 million dogs and 3.7 million cats in 2021, according to industry data.
Pet ownership grew further during the coronavirus pandemic, and now some businesses are trying to cash in.
Mano, 37, had brought his rescue cat, Kati, to the cinema.
“We take him to work sometimes ... today is like an experiment,” he said. “We are seeing The Little Mermaid.”
The animals had to wear diapers and sit in bags while the sound and lighting were adjusted for comfort, Major Cineplex spokesman Narute Jiensnong said.
“Bangkok is not a very pet-friendly city,” Narute said, adding that the concept built on their child-friendly theatres.
Narute noted that some pets acquired during the pandemic suffer separation anxiety now that owners are no longer working from home or in lockdown.
“In the kid cinemas, kids will be running around or shouting. I think pet cinema will be the same. Everyone who comes will be understanding (if dogs bark),” he said.
It is not the only business opening its doors to furry visitors.
Earlier this month, Swedish furniture giant Ikea announced that small dogs and cats were welcome to visit its Thailand stores, as long as they sit in prams.
Outside the cinema, there were howls of disappointment as a 62kg Alaskan Malamute named Tungchae – who arrived in a 1.5sq m dog trolley equipped with a fan – was considered too big to enter.
Despite the cinemas’ animal welfare safeguards, not all pet owners were thrilled.
One long-time Bangkok expat said that, while her cat frequently falls asleep beside her on the couch at home, she thinks the concept is “unnatural” and “torture”.“Being zipped up in this cage, I don’t know if that’s enjoyable for the animal,” she told AFP.
“It’s so ridiculous dogs are not allowed in (most Bangkok) parks but they can go to a movie. What comes next, you bring your dog or cat to a massage parlour?” — AFP
