Soi Dog Foundation | Compassionate Travel in Phuket, Thailand | Chrissie Miles

Link for the show notes

In today’s episode of The World Vegan Travel Podcast, we’re joined by Chrissie Miles, the Visitor and Volunteer Manager at Soi Dog Foundation in Phuket, Thailand. Soi Dog is a nonprofit dedicated to improving the welfare of stray animals across Southeast Asia, and Chrissie plays a key role in coordinating their volunteer programs and welcoming compassionate travelers to the sanctuary.
In our conversation, Chrissie shares what makes Soi Dog such a unique and impactful organization, the challenges and successes they’ve faced in animal rescue and sterilization efforts, and how travelers—especially vegan and conscious travelers—can get involved. We also explore why Phuket is more than just a beach destination, especially for those looking to travel with purpose.

🌿 We're heading back to Vietnam in 2026 and you're invited!  A few spots are still available — Click here to learn more and book.

📬  Sign up for our newsletter.

📸 Follow our adventures on Instagram: @worldvegantravel

Check out our website | Check out all the podcast show notes | Follow us on Instagram

Transcript

Hello, Chrissie and welcome to The World Vegan Travel Podcast.
Hello. Thank you for having me.
I'm so pleased that we are finally having this conversation. I think we've been talking about having you on the podcast for a really long time, it's quite difficult with our time differences.
Me being in Vancouver and you being in Thailand, and the fact that you are so busy with the work you do, it's not really surprising that it is taken so long. But I'm so pleased that we are finally here.
Yeah. I'm happy to be here.
So before we get started and talking about Phuket as a destination, which is where you are based, and where the main shelter for Soi Dog is located, can you tell me a little bit about who you are, and how come you ended up in this corner of the world. You've been there for a few years now. We've been visiting you for a few years. So how did you end up there?
Back in 2018, I was doing a [00:01:00] six or seven month trip, in this part of the world. Solely volunteering at shelters. And I spent one month volunteering here at Soi Dog and then carried on to other shelters and smaller charities in other parts of Thailand, and Cambodia, and Vietnam.
And I also spent some time in Laos and Malaysia as well.I returned to the UK where I worked for a charity but not an animal charity, a charity for homeless women. And the position came up and I was really lucky to get the position of the volunteer and visitor manager.
Fantastic. So when did you come over to Thailand.
Well, it was due to be 2020. The offer was at the beginning of 2020. I planned to move over in April, 2020, but because of the pandemic, it all got delayed and I eventually made the move in September 21.
Wow. And we've been lucky to go [00:02:00] to Soi Dog on our vegan trips. We went in 2017 on our first ever Vegan tour that we ran. So before you arrived, and then we've also visited you guys and had you taking us around the shelter in 2023. And then earlier this year, in February, 2025.Just seeing how Soi Dog is growing and thriving, I'm sure there's challenges also. It's just very inspiring to see. 
So can you talk a little bit about what the challenges are for dogs in this part of the world and how it came to be that Soi Dog was established and grew, and has become this kind of, huge shelter that's looking after so many animals.
So the biggest challenge, and one of the most important programs that Soi Dog runs is CNVR ,sterilization for overpopulation because overpopulation of dogs and cats [00:03:00] causes so much suffering. They live short lives, quite unhealthy lives. And the females have litters and litters of puppies and kittens that tend to die quite young, and it's quite traumatic for them. So the most humane way to prevent overpopulation. It's CNVR - 'Catch, Neuter, Vaccinate, and Return.' And Jill and John, the founders from the UK started doing this back in 2003. They didn't plan all of this, it happened by accident. They just wanted to try and reduce the overpopulation problem, and it grew from there. The following year after they started their work, the tsunami happened and that brought a lot of awareness from around the world about how bad the problem is here with overpopulation. And as a result, they started to receive a lot of donations and funding and it grew from there. And this year, Soi Dog will reach one and a half million sterilizations. So since 2003, 22 years, and currently Soi [00:04:00] Dog are sterilizing about 20 to 22,000 dogs and cats every month. So not only at the shelter in Phuket, but also, there's a clinic in Bangkok and then mobile clinics all over the country. So most of the cats and dogs get returned. Obviously we cannot keep that many dogs and cats here at the shelter in Phuket, and they don't all need to stay here. And then the vulnerable ones stay here. So all the dogs and cats that live here at the shelter have health issues or behavioral issues, that mean they may not survive in the community. 
 Yes. When I first spent a lot of time in Thailand, which I think was in 2002, 2003 when I was tour leading there. The situation with dogs and cats was really quite alarming. You would see these poor animals all over the place and it really has, just from my observations, when I lived in Thailand, I left in 2020 and coming back since, the situation is so much more [00:05:00] improved from the places that I end up being in anyway. So I'm guessing the situation has generally improved through Soi Dog efforts and other organizations doing similar things. Is that fair to say?
Yes. So in Phuket, I think they estimated when Jill and John started work, there were over 70,000 strays here and now they estimate there's about six, six and a half thousand. So a massive decrease and they're much healthier and happier. And yes, there are lots of other organizations doing a similar thing and there's a lot more awareness now about the situation, and people wanting to help and prevent the overpopulation and the suffering that comes as a result of that.
Amazing. And Soi Dog also works on some other campaigns as well, correct? Can you tell us about those?
Yes. Soi Dog successfully helped the government put an end to the dog meat trade in Thailand back in 2014.They were doing undercover work to catch people who were [00:06:00] illegally smuggling dogs out of the country to be sold, to be eaten.
They helped the government change the law on animal abuse because back then the penalty was just 500 Baht and it wasn't really stopping anyone. It wasn't being enforced. And now the fines are up to 40,000 Baht and up to two years in prison. If there's any reports, Soi Dog will investigate and help build a case to make sure people are prosecuted. But thankfully, we don't really see it in Thailand anymore. But sadly still active in many other parts of Asia, and currently, Soi Dog are working in Vietnam, to try and put an end to it there. It's still legal, but I think the government and the younger generations are open to putting an end to it. And then in the Philippines, because in the Philippines they have a similar problem that Thailand had. It is illegal, but it's not really beingenforced. No one's really investigating it,so we're trying to help them crack down on it there. So we do hope eventually it will be a thing of [00:07:00] the past in all of Asia.
To give listeners a little bit of context to 500 Baht, but which was the fine before it was raised, was like $15, US dollars or something like that. So there wasn't reallythe stick to prevent people from doing it because this fine was so low. So that's a huge change from 500 Baht to, did you say 40,000?
40,000. Yeah. That would be a large sum of money for most people, I think.
Yeah, I think in pounds. I still think in pounds. So almost a thousand pounds, but in dollars probably over a thousand dollars. Yeah. Amazing. 
And I'd love it if you could tell me like how travelers, when they're coming to Phuket or Thailand could help become involved in what it is that you are doing there because you do really enjoy and appreciate having visitors and volunteers coming [00:08:00] to help with the animals, and I think it's such a nice way to add, like a do good part to your vacation as well. There's quite a few different ways that people can help. Could you explain what they are?
Sure. So we have the visitor program, and we do daily tours Monday to Friday at 10:00 AM and 1:30 PM. People can join them. Learn about Soi Dog, see the shelter. Spend some time with the puppies, the small dogs, and the cats. Because, this actually does help the dogs and cats learn to trust people. When they spend time with people and they know that they're safe, that is a benefit to them. And as you can imagine, we've got around 1400 dogs here and over 400 cats. So that's a lot of dogs and cats to keep entertained and socialized every day. So people are welcome to join the tour. They can buy a t-shirt if they want. They can make a donation if they want. We have a sponsor program for some of our dogs and cats who can't be adopted [00:09:00] for health reasons and they cost a little bit more. For medicine and things like that, people can sponsor a dog, make monthly donation and get updates about the dog or the cat. Then we have the volunteer program. That's a minimum of two days, but again, people sometimes like to do that during their holiday. It's 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM. On the first day you have an induction with one of my team just to learn about the way it works, the rules,the walking route, et cetera. And then you are paired up with another volunteer or someone you came with and you spend the day walking a run of dogs. So each run of dogs has about 25 dogs, plus a carer that's with them all day. And you'll take the dogs out with a partner that you are volunteering with, for a walk around the shelter. Dog walkers is something that Soi Dog cannot afford to pay for. And like I said, roughly 1400 dogs living [00:10:00] here. We always need help with the exercise and enrichment, because otherwise they spend all day, every day in the run. This not only provides the exercise, but also again, helps them to learn to trust people, learn to feel safe, learn to play because they're all rescue dogs from the streets. And,it's all quite new to them, going out for walks on a lead with people, playing with toys, playing with balls. And the more they learn to trust people, the more they learn to feel safe, the more chance they have of being adopted. Because we really like to rehome as many docs and cats as possible. The last few years, around five hundred dogs and cats per year were adopted. And if people don't adopt, if we don't get dogs and cats rehomed, then we can't continue to take more in because we're always full. We're always maxed out. If people adopt, they're not only helping that one dog they take home but the space they make for other vulnerable dogs or cats at the shelter as well. [00:11:00] Yeah. The volunteering is really fun. People tend to make a lot of new friends here. It's quite social. After volunteering in the evenings, people like to get together for dinners, drinks at the beach. We've got a couple of really nice beaches nearby. And yeah, we ask for a minimum two days, but many people stay longer or extend or come back.
I love it. Okay. So I actually had noticed just how much you've grown in size from 2023 to 2025. So is this something that you are hoping to be able to do, assuming that you have the funds, is to keep growing or maybe opening other shelters in different parts of the country.
Other shelters, I think not, they will just continue with the clinic in Bangkok where they sterilize and treat dogs and cats. And then of course, the mobile clinics to prevent overpopulation in other parts of Thailand. But shelter wise,I believe, this will remain the only shelter. It did expand in between your two visits [00:12:00] between 23 and 25 because there were some new runs built, so we had quite a few new runs built. But going forward, I don't know, whether that would be possible logistically because, you know, we already span over 12 acres,and already have well over 50 runs. In the near future, definitely not, but who knows what might happen . Yeah.
You are already doing so much. I don't want to stress you out saying that you should like increase anymore, but I justwant to illustrate just how big it's become. And I will say in the two visits that I've, three visits that I've had, it's such a beautiful space to be. It's got these lovely gardens. There's a little swimming pool for the dogs to go and be in the water. There's these lovely areas for them to be walked around. Everything's also well set up and organized, and this is the thing that just blows my mind. It doesn't smell. Your staff and everybody just must work so hard to keep [00:13:00] this space so beautiful and so fragrant. Yeah, we have an amazinggardening team and yeah, like you say, they make it very lush, beautiful green space, just flowers and plants and green everywhere. So a really nurturing, relaxing space for the dogs and cats because they are recovering here. They are the vulnerable dogs and cats who are recovering from traumatic experiences that led to them being here. So thankfully, yeah, the gardeners doing amazing job. There's a big lake. I remember when I was a volunteer,we didn't have all the off lead areas to take the dogs into for off lead time because it was smaller back then. So we were doing laps and laps around the Lake. But like you said, now we also have a swimming pool, so that was very kindly donated to Soi Dog. That was built just after I arrived in 21. And in the hospital we have a hydrotherapy pool because we have a dog hospital here, a cat [00:14:00] hospital on site. And the hospital swimming pool is for rehabilitation, but this swimming pool, that was donated, is for fun, cooling down, exercising with the volunteers. So we have a really nice, refreshing space for the dogs. But yeah, very kindly donated to Soi Dog. Amazing. Amazing. 
And how is it that you find new homes for the dogs that are adopted, the 500 or so dogs that are adopted each year?
So we have an adoptions team and a marketing team. So they promote dogs and cats for adoption, not only in Thailand, but other parts of the world. Most of the adoptions are in Thailand, but we do also have many that go to Europe, UK,US .We did used to have a lot go to Canada, but currently there's a ban on dogs and cats going to Canada. Due to them being on a list, Thailand being on a list of [00:15:00] places that dogs and cats cannot be adopted from. But there is a petition that people can sign if they want to help us out with that one. You can go onto the website and there's a petition you can sign because we're hoping that will eventually be overturned because we do have a lot of supporters and volunteers from Canada, so it would be really good to be able to get dogs adopted there as well, and cats as well.
Most of them are within Thailand because it's a lot easier logistically for them to be adopted within Thailand. But many of them do go overseas as well. So sometimes the volunteers will fall in love. Visitors will fall in love, and our adoptions team do a really good job at making sure all the paperwork is taken care of. So it's very easy for people to do. All they have to do is, if it's overseas, is pay for the flight for the dog or the cat to go home. So the hardest part is choosing which dog or cat you want to adopt.
There are so many, oh my goodness, that puppy run and the cats, when we go there, it's just so adorable. I [00:16:00] remember our group this year in the puppy run. They were just beside themselves. It was just the cutest thing. Yeah. And I believe that's another way that people can help as well, isn't it? By becoming a flight volunteer. Is that something that Soi Dog is still looking for volunteers for?
Yes. Quite often if the dogs or cats are going to Europe or the US, we do need assistance getting them there because they cannot fly alone. Someone has to be assigned to be their flight buddy. Soi Dog do all of the paperwork and the logistics, this end, in Thailand, whether that be Phuket or Bangkok. And then the other end,the flight buddy would just need to collect the dog or the cat, usually from oversized luggage and then assist with some paperwork, getting some paperwork filled in before taking them through and meeting the adopters. There are only certain airlines that can be used, only certain routes that can be used. [00:17:00] So what we say to people is just book your travel as normal, and if you think that it's an airline or a route that we might be in need of getting dogs or cats to go to, then let us know. You can go onto our website and there's a form you can fill in. And if the logistics team think that a dog or a cat needs to go to that destination, and we can use your flight, someone will be in contact. It's very easy. There's not really too much involved.
I haven't been a flight volunteer myself, but I know several people that have. Some of my ex-colleagues when I was working in Thailand, they did it, and they said it was an absolute breeze. I guess a few moons need to align in terms of the flight and an animal needing to be transported. But If you can do it and everything aligns. I think it's a really lovely thing to be able to do and help take this dog or cat to their forever home. So Nice.
Exactly. I've done it a couple of times. I did it quite recently actually, to the UK. And just the best moment when you see the [00:18:00] dogs come out of the crate and they meet their adopters. One of them was a recent volunteer. She fell in love with one of the disabled dogs from the small dog run. And it was just such a lovely moment seeing them reunite again in the UK.
 How lovely. I'm sure we have convinced listeners about how awesome it would be to support and volunteer at Soi Dog.
But let's talk a little bit about Phuket, because I feel like it's a destination that maybe people don't completely understand. They probably know it from various TV shows and films that they've seen in the past. But it is a little bit confusing. Like where it is and the best times to go, and maybe, what there is to do there, apart from just lying on the beach. Where is it and when are the best times to go?
So it is an island in the south of Thailand. It's really easy to get to because we have an international airport. Flights can easily get to the UK and back [00:19:00] from here. I think many other destinations can fly directly to Phuket. If not, you can fly to Bangkok and then get another internal flight down. Or if you are in the south of Thailand already, you can easily, there's a bridge that can be driven over. Or if you're on one of the smaller islands, you can get a boat. So really accessible. So we have high-season and low-season. It's either hot and wet or hot and dry, basically. We're currently in low-season, which is May to October, but right now I'm looking outside. It's a little bit gray, but no rain at the moment, so it's not too humid and it's not as hot. It's in the high twenties, maybe, low thirties, but it never really gets below about 25. It is just this time of year you are more likely to get rain, but it doesn't rain every day. We haven't had rain for a few days now. The perk of this time of year, is everything's a lot cheaper. So accommodation is cheaper. [00:20:00] Going out is cheaper. Massages are even cheaper. You've got like high-season and low-season prices. High-season then starts from November the first until the end of April. Less rain but it is a little bit hotter,and bit busier, if you like more stuff going on, I guess that's good, and a bit more expensive. But there's more to do in terms of like boat trips and things, because in low-season a lot of the boat trips don't go ahead because the sea can be quite choppy. So it depends on what people like. Some people prefer to come in low-season because it's quieter and cheaper, a little bit cooler. Some people prefer the high-season.
Because there is so much more to do in Phuket other than sitting by the beach and the pool. I think a lot of people don't really realize that. So could you talk about all the kinds of activities that there are available to do in Phuket?
So yeah, there's a lot of water sports, not only in Phuket, but [00:21:00] also in Khao Lak, which is just an hour's drive away on the mainland. That's known for being really good for surfing. There's other ethical animal places. There's a given rehabilitation place. there's a couple of really good elephant sanctuaries that I've been to and would recommend ethical ones. Unfortunately, there are a few unethical places here that we would recommend people avoid, but I think people can usually work out for themselves, which are the ethical, trustworthy ones. There's a lot of hiking here. Beautiful mountains and hiking routes here. The old town is a really cool little area with lots of boutiques, cafes, coffee shops, galleries. There's night markets. So Sunday, Old Town has the night market there. There's pretty much every day of the week, there's a different night market in a different part of the island. So yeah, a lot going on. If people like shopping, there's a huge shopping center called Central. We have a big cinema as well.
It [00:22:00] really has excellent infrastructure . There really is a lot to see and do, and it's fairly easy to get around. It can be quite expensive to get around comparatively speaking. Is that fair to say?
Yeah. There is not really good public transport here. It would be good to have something like the sky rail, like they have in Bangkok or something to get from North to south. If you are just based in one area, it's quite easy and cheap to get around because you can use tuk-tuks or you can use the motorbike taxis, which are really cheap. But if you need to go from north of the island, which is where we are, down to the South, in a taxi, it will cost you, maybe, six to 800 Baht, which is, in pounds, about 15 to 18 pounds, which I know in the West is actually not that expensive, but here that's quite a lot of money. And also the traffic, sometimes that can take a while, but what people tend to do when they're on holiday is just base themselves in one [00:23:00] area If it's a beach that's got the kind of activities that they're drawn to, and then just do occasional trips out and about. And a lot of our volunteers stay in Naiyang, which is just a few minutes from here. Beautiful beach, beautiful sunsets, and we provide a bus service for volunteers. And then Mai Khao, which is where the shelter is located, is a very quiet beach, just a little village here. Some people prefer to stay here, then they can walk and cycle into the shelter.
Yeah. Love it. Love it. It's such a beautiful part of Phuket and that's one of the reasons why we stay in Mai Khao beach, is because we wanna be able to come and visit you guys,
for sure. Okay. 
And I would love to know your perspective on whether you think Phuket is a good destination for vegans. I think it's pretty amazing. What do you think as a vegan.
I have no trouble here. So even up in this village where I live, which is more local, there are a few really good, [00:24:00] local restaurants that really understand vegan food.It's nice because a lot of places,if it is not already on the menu, then it can be quite bland, and not much love is put into it. But I find here in Naiyang, absolutely no problem. And then at the weekend when I go out and about a bit more on my scooter, I have many different locations where I have lots of different favorite vegan restaurants to eat. So yeah, easy for me. Don't have a problem. There is a vegan festival every October. It falls on slightly different days every year, but it runs for about 10 days, I think. And all the locals eat vegan. So as a result, all the restaurants, all the street food, all the shops have vegan food. So it's vegan heaven for that. Almost two weeks.
It's really specific, isn't it? Like mainly Bangkok and Phuket celebrate the vegan festival and it's not like a veg fest at all. It's like [00:25:00] a religious, what would you say, ritual? A religious event.
Yeah, it's like a cleansing event. As well as eating vegan for those days, they do certain rituals and ceremonies. There's a big parade in different areas on different days. They do interesting things like, put spikes in their bodies,or walk on hot coals or firecrackers. And everyone's wearing white. It's all part of this cleansing ritual.
Yes. I've not been to the one in Phuket before, but I have been to the vegetarian or vegan festival in Chinatown, in Bangkok. And it's really something. It's pretty amazing.
Yeah, I can imagine. I haven't seen that one. Maybe next year.
Yes. The only thing that has made me a little bit sad ,is thatthere's very much this idea of making merit, and one of the ways that it's done, is by releasing animals [00:26:00] into a pond or a river or something like that. So you can often go into the vegetarian festivals in Phuket. Well, certainly, it was this case like about 10 years ago, and you could go and buy turtles to release. But unfortunately, that can be a little bit problematic because sometimes someone's collected them from their homes in order to release them, and thensometimes they're not released back into the right environment. That's not so nice. But otherwise, there's a lot of other aspects to it that of course, are fabulous. 
Chrissie, I want to thank you so much for taking the time early on a Monday morning, of coming and telling us about Soi Dog, the amazing work that you do, and all about Phuket. Phuket really is such a fantastic destination. People should definitely consider it when they're going to Thailand, and of course, also volunteer at Soi Dog as well. Before we say goodbye, Chrissie would you mind telling our listeners, [00:27:00] how they can get in contact and maybe learn more about what Soi Dog is doing, find out about volunteering opportunities, sign up and of course, support.
Yeah, thank you so much for having me. It is been lovely to catch up. So yeah, if people want to know more, feel free to follow us on Facebook, Instagram. I do believe we have a TikTok as well now. And you'll get regular updates about what's happening here. And if you have general inquiries about volunteering, you can email volunteering @ soi dog . org. And that will come through to me and I can answer any general questions. But if you want to just book straight away to volunteer, you can go onto our website, and click, 'How I can help', and go to the volunteering page. And there's a form you can fill in, and submit. And then again, that will come through to me and I'll confirm, but if you have any questions, feel free to email me.
I love it. Thank you so much, Chrissie. Thank you again for taking the time to be on the show.
Thanks for having me.