Thai Postal Service

[Doug]

Recently I had something important to send to a friend in Pattaya. As a labourer, he lives in a typical one room apartment for 2800 bhat per month. The apartment supposedly has a valid postal address.

Before I sent the item, I sent a simple letter by regular post to test his address. It didn't arrive. Next I sent a letter by Canadian registered mail for $12 that required a signature when delivered. My friend was informed this letter could be picked up at the post office with appropriate identity papers.

I sent the item by registered mail and again he was informed that he could pick it up. During out Thai/English telephone conversations, I was unable to understand how he was informed...they didn't have his phone number.

Finally I send a birthday card by regular mail - only a card - but it never arrived.

Is this simply TIT or is there a reason why regular mail is not going through?

Also the Canadian register mail give me a tracking number and, using my computer, I was able to track the letter and got reports from the local postal station, the main distribution centre and a report that the letter had left Canada but there was no further reports.

Recently I had something important to send to a friend in Pattaya. As a labourer, he lives in a typical one room apartment for 2800 bhat per month. The apartment supposedly has a valid postal address.

Before I sent the item, I sent a simple letter by regular post to test his address. It didn't arrive. Next I sent a letter by Canadian registered mail for $12 that required a signature when delivered. My friend was informed this letter could be picked up at the post office with appropriate identity papers.

I sent the item by registered mail and again he was informed that he could pick it up. During out Thai/English telephone conversations, I was unable to understand how he was informed...they didn't have his phone number.

Finally I send a birthday card by regular mail - only a card - but it never arrived.

Is this simply TIT or is there a reason why regular mail is not going through?

Also the Canadian register mail give me a tracking number and, using my computer, I was able to track the letter and got reports from the local postal station, the main distribution centre and a report that the letter had left Canada but there was no further reports.

Much the same with mail from the UK. My sister in the UK sent my kids birthday cards and letters but they rarely arrived so now she send everything by Special Delivery.

Same as the Canadian postal service, she can track it until it leaves the UK but then is not able to track it to the delivery point. Thailand does not have a Registered Mail agreement with the UK so there is no way for a UK sender to check if it has been delivered.

Having said that everything she has sent Special Delivery has arrived, we know that as she always email the details of her special delivery number so we know to expect something.

How they informed your friend? If on the first attempt to deliver an item nobody is there to sign for it then a card is stuck through the door advising that the item can be collected from the post office.


Regular mail from overseas is very hit and miss, it an item looks as though it could contain something of value the chances of it being 'lost' are very high.

[Doug]

Further to the above post.

There was a series of telephone calls and emails between Noi and me. He is a very good friend but not a sex partner although we sleep together a lot тАУ if that makes sense.

I appreciate the effort an uneducated Thai must put forth to send an email. When I was in Thailand and set up the email account for him, I impressed on him to type freely and not to worry about spelling and grammer. Some of you may be interested in NoiтАЩs emails to me concerning the mailing of an ATM card for an account I set up for him here in Canada.

Email 1
well well my dear iam ist try to phone thits number+1416XXXXXXX butno body tek the phone please phone me acan later i miss your sow much love noi thailand

Email 2
hollow mydear tomorrow be friday meco to the bank ask for right address in my bank your know me miss your very much thank your for every thing from your be knihgt smen tome memiss your love its noi

Email 3
how are you today mydarling i m whant to say thang your very much for every thing your very sow good to me and i am never for get your for aver well i am thing monday iam getthe card i miss you love noi

Email 4
thits my address .XXX/XX-XX m7 pattayaklang soi buakoaw nongprue banglamung chonburi 20260 pattaya thailand pleasse if your get my emaill phone me later darling i whant thank with your so much and imiss your to love noi

Email 5
how are your today my dear i dont know how can i say wel iam thing to morrow i am have no work to day and i go to pos offich and i need your addres to show them please phone me later i am miss your

Email 6
hi doug my dear wel to day its iam go ing to pos offich and them tel me dont come ming yes them say to me iam have to go look again to morrow wel iam thing me and your have to be cool dow and slowly charcha your know iam hope to be like that take care darling lest me phone son day love noi

Email 7
hellow doug how are your to day i hope your will en joy with your holiday with your famerry doug iam go to posoffich them say to me not thing come no pos card not thing and them tel me wait for three day or some thing like that to morrow i will be go again the day china new year i miss your so much and me go out i have to beer look just only me and thats nigh tmake me feeling sowso happy nidnoi no tomuch take care i miss you love its noi

Email 8
hi doug thank your again wel to day morning iam go to posoffich and then iam gave them phone num ber but i will go agi to morrow morning and i will lest your know again to day them ask for my phone num ber if your get my email can your phone me back love noi ist your friend

Email 9
hellow doug yes iam get that to day morning thank your pleasse phone me layter iam waiting your phone me iam get your pos card thits morning but no have atm card please phone me love noi


Email 10
hello doug every day iam hope your be have fun and happy enjoy for me the 50-50 i will go back home for three weelk or sea atid or month whent do iam gest the atm card from your i will lest your know first me thing about your alost i hope your phone me againd i like to thalk with your vere much more than any thing well see your soon hehee haaaaaa miss your noiii


BTW - He got the ATM card and off on a holiday to his family home.

[Smiles]

Doug, I've had a mixed bag of success with mail delivery.

A number of parcels got through no problem ... then one was "lost" completely to the ether (unfortunately with a number of relatively expensive items inside). I sent this last one because of the arrival success of the previous few.
Now I send absolutely nothing except ordinary letters ... never anything enclosed.

Even then, a few letters have not arrived, including one with a couple of New Years cards inside for Suphot's brothers.
Suphot has made some vague remarks about "some people" opening letters, so from now on I'm going with that rather disconcerting information. I bring everything in the way of 'gifts' with me in luggage from now on, and I've been sending small amounts of money now by way of ATM card for years now.

For myself, I've had it up to here with the mail system now ... but it's easily by-passed, and I do.


Totally relate to the email message thing (and thanks by the way, for sharing yours). My guy is a very good english speaker, but he says an email takes him an hour or more to write, and he sweats blood with it anyway. Thank god for mobile phones!

Cheers ...

Doug, I have to report that everything I have ever mailed, letters and packages, have always gotten through except once.

On one occassion, the package never arrived at the address in Thailand. Four months later it showed up in my mail as undelivered. Package looked like it had been used as a football, but everything inside was fine. Repackage and resent with no problem.

Now I don't know if this helps, but I always write the address in Thai and English. I have successfully mailed to Bangkok, Pattaya and Issan.

[ikarus]

I was told on more than one occasion that DHL is a reliable way to send items of value from and to Thailand. I personally sent some valuables from Phuket to US and everything was received. On another occasion I did some paperwork in HSBC Bkk and they have sent it to Australia by DHL. Once again, everything arrived and very quickly. I noticed that there is a DHL office right in Jomtien complex. Would be nice if expats could confirm or deny the reliability of DHL. Once in while everybody needs a reliable delivery in Thailand.

Before I sent the item, I sent a simple letter by regular post to test his address. It didn't arrive. Next I sent a letter by Canadian registered mail for $12 that required a signature when delivered. My friend was informed this letter could be picked up at the post office with appropriate identity papers. how did they notify him, he doesn't have a phone

they drop off a note as his address telling him

I had problems with my boyfriend getting my letters until I persuaded him to set up a PO Box. It's at a Post Office local to him and since he set it up I've had no problems with letters and parcels.

Jon

[2lz2p]

Ikarus,

To answer your request for expat experience with DHL - I have used them with no problem (important papers sent to USA for sale of my house - I used the pick up point in Jomtien Comples). Subsequently, additional papers were sent to me by Fed Ex and I used Fed Ex (both here and in Bangkok) to send papers back - DHL service to Texas was about 3 days, whereas Fed Ex did it in two days - price was around $25 US. One good feature is with the tracking number, you can use DHL or Fed Ex websites to track the location of the package - this was good as I could see when it arrived int Bangkok (early morning) and was informed it would be delivered in Pattaya by 5pm on that day (first time, it arrive about 4:30pm, 2nd time, it arrived around 2:30pm) - but, at least I knew to be home that day to take delivery.

[ikarus]

Thanks 2lz2p,
It is good to know that both services work reliably in Pattaya.

Just south of Royal Gardens on the north side of second street, is a postal service with a UPS sign just outside. On advice from a friend to avoid the Thai postal service when sending anything abroad, I went there to send two exquisite paintings I had purchased to my home in California. They were not particularly large but they cost me 1700 Bt to ship, 400Bt of which was to guarantee they would arrive in three weeks. Five weeks later I contacted UPS only to learn that the paintings were not shipped UPS but I. (International) P.S. I had a friend in Pattaya contact them and he got nowhere, except an acknowledgment that they would look into it. Seven weeks later, I received my parcel. Next time I will take a chance on the Thai postal service. I have sent four parcels to Pattaya without incident. At the same time, I have had a few disappointments with mail service in the U.S.

In fairness, we should consider whether anyone would initiate a complimentary notice of any Thai service. As consumers, we tend to accentuate the negative.