Visually impaired Kirin Techawongtham has travelled independently these past years with her white cane as her only companion. But while studying in the United States, the 22-year-old suddenly felt like having a living travelling mate. She decided to apply for a guide dog -- a male black Labrador named Luther.
In Conway, Arkansas, where Kirin is studying psychology at Hendrix College, she took Luther everywhere, with the guide dog always welcomed. But things turned completely different when Kirin returned to her hometown of Bangkok during a school break. Here Luther isn't welcomed at all.
"In the states, you can take a guide dog everywhere, even in hotels," said Kirin. "Staff won't approach you to question the dog because they see the [special] harness, which pet dogs don't have. And with US law, staff isn't even allowed to ask us to show a disability ID card. They can only ask about the function of the service dog."
"But here [in Thailand], we have to make a call in advance before going somewhere. My mum, for instance, has to explain a lot of things, such as we are going with a guide dog, what a guide dog is and even that there is a law in the country that allows guide dogs. Some places were OK with us. But some said a guide dog wasn't allowed there. It's very frustrating."
Facilities to aid people with disabilities in Thailand are a huge public issue that appears hard to solve. Accessibility standards on public transportation for the disabled -- such as elevators at some BTS stations -- have proven to be not very convenient for those in wheelchairs. Such an aggravating conundrum apparently doesn't respond well to the rising number of people with disabilities. Statistics from Lancet Global Health revealed there were 36 million people with visual impairment worldwide in 2017, while predicting that the number could rise to 115 million by 2050 due to a steady increase in ageing people and mistreatment of eye diseases.
Now back to Thailand, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security reported last year that Thailand's disabled population has grown recently by about 100,000-130,000. In total, there were 1.9 million people with disabilities in Thailand in 2018, of which nearly 200,000, or about 10%, are visually impaired. With such rising numbers, people with disabilities could face not just physical but emotional threats if the issue is left unattended and if public facilities are still not able to cater to them.
For the blind, guide dogs are essential, as they are trained to lead the visually impaired around obstacles. In Thailand, guide dogs are extremely rare. Peerapong Jarusarn, secretary at the Thailand Association of the Blind (TAB), said that from his experience the only person he knows to have used a guide dog was a former instructor at Thammasat University, Prof Wiriya Namsiripongphan. Because most have never seen them, Thais can't differentiate between guide dogs and pet dogs. And it is one of the major reasons Luther wasn't allowed in some places -- people thought he was just a pet.
Kirin Techawongtham and Luther. Photo courtesy of Kirin Techawongtham
"[Shopping malls] said other customers don't know he is a guide dog. If they see a dog there, they will question why Luther is allowed, but not their own dogs. They were worried about the reactions of other customers," Kirin said.
Though the TAB secretary doesn't have a guide dog, he said they are not widely accepted because most Thais do not understand what they are. But the reality is that Thai law actually supports these dogs, according to the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Act (2007), which indicates that the disabled have the right to bring guide animals or any equipment for their own benefit.
"Visually impaired people from Singapore brought their guide dogs to the general assembly at the Ambassador Hotel," Peerapong said in recalling a regional general assembly for people with disabilities organised by the TAB in 2017. "When hotel staff learned of the dog, they showed signs saying dogs were not allowed. We then showed them the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Act. We also explained that it was a regional assembly that represented our country. They then accepted the dogs at the hotel."
Other obstacles facing Kirin as she takes Luther around are that some Thais are scared of dogs while others try to draw attention from the animals. This, according to her, is solid proof that Thais still fall short in their knowledge of guide dogs.
"When we are in public, people are wary and ask if he is fierce or bites because in Thailand, we aren't required to train our dogs. They don't know that guide dogs are well-trained and disciplined. He wasn't allowed in some places because people worried that Luther would cause harm or damage things," Kirin said.
"Some people like to get Luther's attention by making noises. Some try to pet him. When he is wearing his harness, he is working. We aren't supposed to interact with him. He needs to be focused. Some Americans don't know about this either, but at least they asked me first if they can touch him, but Thais don't."
One of the reasons guide dogs still aren't available in Thailand is that getting one requires quite a budget -- from dog training to canine care. However, in the US, there are non-profit organisations that provide full services for the blind. In the case of Kirin, she obtained Luther through the NGO Guiding Eyes for the Blind. Aside from giving her the dog, the organisation supported her for equipment such as leashes and harnesses. And to keep the Labrador healthy, there is a yearly medical fund for him.
In Thailand, this kind of full service may not happen easily. But there will possibly be opportunities for the visually impaired to have guide dogs in the future. In September 2017, the social-development ministry signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Royal Thai Army, a private-sector organisation, and the TAB to provide guide dogs for the blind. The agreement aims to enhance the disabled's quality of life and careers.
"According to the MOU, we have to do three things. First, a school will be established for training guide dogs. Next, we have to amend other laws in support of this agreement. For example, the current Land Traffic Act doesn't allow guide dogs on public transportation," the TAB secretary said.
"People who work in public places such as malls and schools should also be educated to know what guide dogs are. If they don't want to allow guide dogs inside, they must provide special spaces for guide dogs."
With the MOU in place, the future remains to be seen when it comes to guide dogs for the visually impaired.
"I represented the TAB in signing an MOU with the Royal Society for the Blind, an Australian non-profit organisation. The TAB will be responsible for finding a piece of land to set up a training school. Nonetheless, last October, the director of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities was transferred. We have to wait and hope a new director will support the guide-dogs policy," Peerapong said.
Thailand Association of the Blind's secretary, Peerapong Jarusarn tried to walk with a guide dog in Australia. Photo courtesy of Peerapong Jarusarn
