What is the most practical gift that one can buy their friends & family when they are on vacation? If you answered T-Shirts, you have answered this proverbial question the same way I have. In fact, on my most recent trip to Thailand and Malaysia, this is exactly what I planned to do. Needless to say, it took awhile to find the right T-shirts - I wanted to buy something that was both tasteful in design and of fairly high quality. See T-Shirt story

Then I got to thinking, while I am it, wouldn’t it be nice to buy Alfie, my sister’s precocious toy poodle, a T-Shirt too? After all, I’ve seen small dogs in the United States outfitted with T-shirts during the hot summer months and sweaters in the cold of the winter. What initially started as somewhat as a lark in my mind, the idea of buying Alfie - who I affectionately refer to as my dog nephew - a T-shirt, became a serious quest.

So here I was in Bangkok, Thailand on the final day of my 30-day odyssey trying to fulfill my mission - finding a T-shirt for my dog nephew, Alfie. While working out early morning in the hotel’s fitness center, I asked one of the trainers “Where is the nearest store that I can but a T-shirt for my sister’s toy poodle?” According to him, there was a dedicated pet boutique just around the corner from the hotel, President Park, on Sukhumvit Soi 24. Sounded ideal, as I didn’t relish the idea of running all over town trying to find Alfie’s gift.

After finishing all my other errands, towards the end of the day I stumbled into Boo Blossom, the dedicated pet boutique. Shaking my head in disbelief, I couldn’t believe how close it was to my hotel. After consulting with the young sales clerk, she suggested that I buy a little Thai style outfit for Alfie. I was quickly sold on the idea and let her choose the proper outfit – one with an appropriate Thai motif. Total damage 350 baht (10USD). Mission accomplished as I quickly handed her money, giving her a small tip to boot.

The rest in history – judging by the way Alfie was seen dancing with joy in his new Thai outfit, it was a worthwhile investment, not to mention how this gift made my sister very happy as well. See pictures.

Boo Blossom Pet Boutique - Sukhumvit Soi 24, Bangkok, Thailand
e-mail: blossom_boo@yahoo.com