BAAN KLANG, Thailand — The dog-eating community here, a small minority of rice farmers and day laborers, has long understood that its culinary habits do not sit well with people from other parts of Thailand, especially the pet-loving urban middle and upper classes.
But these days, they feel under siege.
Thailand’s military government, which seized power from an elected government in May, is considering a law that would ban the dog meat trade, a move that animal rights activists backing the bill are portraying as a way the junta can enhance its image internationally.
The national police, pressured by some of the same activists, began a crackdown two years ago on the dog trade, arresting those involved in the business on the grounds that they did not have licenses required for the slaughter or transportation of animals.