Man’s best friend, the dog is a prevalent and unavoidable character to Thai life. Found roaming stray on any street, or left out to guard an owner’s territory, pooches serve as both devoted companions and beasts of burden. Trained to perform on cue, boutique attired, and displayed in photo albums, in contemporary society where child rearing has become optional rather than compulsive, dogs have supplanted as our surrogate offspring. Defined by breeding and distinctive behavioural traits, particular canine characteristics provide convenient metaphors to human personalities. The feral street dog could be analogical to the poor and down trodden, while pampered imported toy dogs are characteristic of Bangkok’s indulged urbanites. Against the current political and social backdrop, where class distinctions and disparities of wealth have been pushed to the fore, Chatchawan’s bestial parodies are extremely pertinent to the heightened societal discord.
