A Scooter, a Basket and a Pomeranian Who Thinks He Is King

People in our part of Nonthaburi know us before they know my name. I am the lady with the pink helmet, and in the front basket of my scooter sits a cream Pomeranian with his chest puffed out. Mamuang is three and a half kilos of pure confidence. He barks at every cat on the way to the market, at every motorbike taxi and, once, at a very large monitor lizard that did not care at all.

I want to be honest, because I have seen the videos and I know some people worry. We started slowly. For the first month the basket was a place for treats in the garage, with the scooter not even running. Then I bought a basket with a proper harness clip, a small cushion and a wire mesh on top so he cannot jump. We rode to the corner shop and back at walking speed, then a little further. Now we only go short trips, never on the main road, never in the midday heat and never without the clip. When the pavement is too hot or it is too rainy, he stays home. There is no market trip worth his safety.

At the market he is a celebrity. The fruit auntie keeps a slice of ripe mango for him every morning, which is how he got his name, and the only trick he is truly committed to is the sit. One slice of mango, one perfect sit, and a small sneeze of joy. I try to remember he should only have a little, because fruit is sugar, and our vet said a few small pieces a week is plenty for a dog his size.

The thunderstorm was our big lesson. We were on our way home when the sky turned black in two minutes and the first crack of thunder rolled across the rice fields behind the village. Mamuang went completely silent, which was scarier than any barking. I parked under a shop roof, took him out of the basket and held him inside my raincoat until the worst had passed. At home he went straight under the bed and stayed there for two hours, only coming out for a piece of dried sweet potato.

Now I check the weather app before every ride, and I keep a small towel in the basket. He rides, he barks, he waits for his mango, and the king of the soi is happy.