Best Courier from UK to Thailand

[richiejom]

I've been waiting for a special debit card to arrive from the UK to Thailand but stupidly my mother send it standard international via Royal Mail and its been nearly 5 weeks now and I even received other mail she sent standard before she sent that so my hope has nearly faded of ever receiving that now (Its either been lost or stolen along the way)

 

I've been visiting my condo office everyday and I think they are getting annoyed at me but tough on them as I want my letter...its making me paranoid that my post has to change hands so many times along the way.

 

I am considering ordering a replacement but I want it to arrive as quickly as possible...I don't want to wait another month so anything Royal Mail (even registered is out of the question) 

 

Ive seen other threads but I wanted a bit more detail on couriers, I'm thinking DHL is probably the best..anyone have any experiences and can provide any costs?  (I heard DHL sometimes won't allow debit cards)

 

I'm thinking my mum can slip the debit card into a CD case or something and not tell DHL its a card... anyone know if DHL will deliver to the condo or do I go and pick it up at a checkpoint? I'd prefer pick it up at a checkpoint as well as I don't trust the condo staff either because they might sign for it and then lose it who knows!

[Crossy]

My parents in the UK send everything Royal Mail International Signed-For (it seems to change names occasionally). Tracking all the way (variable reliabilty within Thailand) and everything (including cards of various ilks) has arrived.

 

The issue with using couriers from the UK seems to be getting them to actually accept personal items, they just love their big corporate clients, easy-peasy money for old rope.

 

If your new card requires activation then leave it a bit longer, otherwise I think you're best killing it and ordering a new one.

 

EDIT It may be easier these days. FedEx do personal accounts http://www.fedex.com/gb/newcustomer/personal.html

 

And DHL will too if you can get to a service centre https://www.dhl.co.uk/en/express/shipping/new_to_dhl_express/open_account.html#no_account

 

Neither seem to expressly forbid sending cards, but (just like Thailand) that means little.

 

 

[richiejom]

10 minutes ago, Crossy said:

My parents in the UK send everything Royal Mail International Signed-For (it seems to change names occasionally). Tracking all the way (variable reliabilty within Thailand) and everything (including cards of various ilks) has arrived.

 

The issue with using couriers from the UK seems to be getting them to actually accept personal items, they just love their big corporate clients, easy-peasy money for old rope.

 

If your new card requires activation then leave it a bit longer, otherwise I think you're best killing it and ordering a new one.

 

If my mother had only dished out a few extra quid to have it tracked but she doesn't think my post is important.   I got another unimportant debit card she sent after she sent that so I don't know why the important card hasn't arrived yet...  but anything can happen when its not tracked

 

I had a small pocketsize book sent standard Royal mail 1st class from ebay located in the UK last year and that took 5-6 weeks but it got here just after Id given up hope thats why Im still clinging on...same with that I annoyed the condo staff by questioning them everyday.

 

I only ever had one thing never arrive in 6 years and it was a package my mother sent with gifts and a low value necklace she didnt add tracking...probably they found the necklace inside.

 

The card is activated I did it online but it has no money on it yet so I'm figuring that doesn't matter.... unless they have someway of detecting active cards by scanning post

[Crossy]

3 minutes ago, richiejom said:

If my mother had only dished out a few extra quid to have it tracked but she doesn't think my post is important. 

Yeah, my parents (both going strong in their 80s) are pretty switched on when it comes to sending me stuff (they've been doing it for 25+ years).

 

Obviously I'm moving whatever I can to direct sending here but UK banks can be funny (Barclays and Barclaycard both killed my accounts because it "appeared" I wasn't in the UK).

[richiejom]

4 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Yeah, my parents (both going strong in their 80s) are pretty switched on when it comes to sending me stuff (they've been doing it for 25+ years).

 

Obviously I'm moving whatever I can to direct sending here but UK banks can be funny (Barclays and Barclaycard both killed my accounts because it "appeared" I wasn't in the UK).

I had all sorts of hassle with RBS before even when I notified them constantly over 5 years, they even changed my address to Thailand which fixed it but then I kept getting letters from RBS about my tax residency.    With Lloyds bank not a single problem

 

I think I'll give it until March and then cancel it... thing is even with tracking Royal mail it can take 2 weeks to arrive...so I might still try DHL. Its not urgent but I still want it fast

[richiejom]

Nobody else experience with DHL or courier? do I pick it up at checkpoint or is it delivered to condo?

 

I might try Royal mail most expensive option but I really don't want to get screwed a second time or wait another month

[hello55060]

TNT, I've used them 3 times via parcel2go to send documents and received them all from within 2 days since they were dropped off at the local post office where my parents live in London and sent to Bangkok. 

 

Very impressed with them. 

 

 

[SteveK]

If you want to cancel that card, get a new one sent out to your UK address, I would be willing to bring it with me when I fly in a few weeks.

 

Activating a card whilst it is still in transit is not a great idea, especially with contactless nowadays meaning no pin required.

[sanemax]

6 hours ago, richiejom said:

Nobody else experience with DHL or courier? do I pick it up at checkpoint or is it delivered to condo?

 

I might try Royal mail most expensive option but I really don't want to get screwed a second time or wait another month

Just had a ATM card delivered from the UK by DHL, cost about 40 GBP and took a few days .

I got it delivered to the DHL main office and collected it from there . although they do deliver to private addresses 

[SteveK]

40 quid to get a card which charges 220 baht per ATM withdrawal? Do you not use a Thai bank?

[sanemax]

Just now, pr9spk said:

40 quid to get a card which charges 220 baht per ATM withdrawal? Do you not use a Thai bank?

Cannot use a Thai ATM card to withdraw money from a UK account .

Not using an ATM and dont pay the ATM charge

[bojo]

I have recent experience with DHL from UK...it's really slow, about 14 days when quioting 5, and certainly not worth the money in my opinion. I was watching it online (tracking) and you wouldn't believe how long it was taking from different hubs etc...seriously frustrating experience having paid about £30 for the experience.

Royal mail signed for is really good value and takes 5 days. (Think it's a fiver)

I learnt quickly through losses years ago (living in Samui) to never have anything sent (even a simple letter) without it being signed for. Funny cos sending out of Thailand unsigned was never a problem.....

[scubascuba3]

With a new UK card do you have to set up a new pin once it arrives? and can that be done easy enough in Thailand?

it maybe depend whether its simply a replacement for a lost card or a brand new card because the other one is expiring.

[Henryford]

I recently had my credit card delivered to Thailand via DHL. Good service in about 4 days. Expensive though 39 GBP as it was delivered to my condo, maybe cheaper if it goes to their office here. A friend sent it but didn't declare it as a credit card, to avoid any issues. Just placed it between cardboard sheets so it wasn't obviously a CC.

[hello55060]

TNT can be done at less than £20 last time I did it early 2018if you book through parcel2go for a A4 size envelope weighing less than 1kg iirc. 2 days London to Bangkok, delivered at my condo. 32x32x2

 

Edit: I just did a quote and it seemed they've upped their prices from £20 to £29.40 in the last year since I used them last because they don't offer the option to drop it off at your post office now (courier will collect from your UK address) and maybe just a general price hike.

 

Sorry, but still cheaper than DHL and faster TNT express

 

[richiejom]

On 2/16/2019 at 1:33 AM, Henryford said:

I recently had my credit card delivered to Thailand via DHL. Good service in about 4 days. Expensive though 39 GBP as it was delivered to my condo, maybe cheaper if it goes to their office here. A friend sent it but didn't declare it as a credit card, to avoid any issues. Just placed it between cardboard sheets so it wasn't obviously a CC.

Did it go to your condo office?  do the condo staff have to phone you to come and sign for it coz I don't even trust the condo staff these days..the staff could sign for it and then DHL wash their hands of it

 

People saying to put the address in Thai but I'd imagine for 40 quid DHL the English version will be fine..I just want to make sure the office staff contact me to come and sign for it or that they don't lose it when its arrived

[baggies666]

I always use royal mail international tracked never had a problem, just had 4 replacement cards sent  today £10, they should be here by monday next week.

[Henryford]

14 hours ago, richiejom said:

Did it go to your condo office?  do the condo staff have to phone you to come and sign for it coz I don't even trust the condo staff these days..the staff could sign for it and then DHL wash their hands of it

 

People saying to put the address in Thai but I'd imagine for 40 quid DHL the English version will be fine..I just want to make sure the office staff contact me to come and sign for it or that they don't lose it when its arrived

No DHL delivered direct to my condo.

[richiejom]

4 minutes ago, Henryford said:

No DHL delivered direct to my condo.

Thing is our condo you need a keyfob to get through the bottom doors, the security would probably open the door but don't know if they let them go upstairs. I definitely want to use DHL though... 6 weeks now I think the unregistered one was knicked somewhere along the line

[richiejom]

12 hours ago, baggies666 said:

I always use royal mail international tracked never had a problem, just had 4 replacement cards sent  today £10, they should be here by monday next week.

Yeah Royal Mail tracked is good... untracked they know they can knick it if they so wish which is what seems to have happened in this instance. Had another package untracked with a necklace knicked a few years ago as well.  Can't wait after the length Ive waited already so going for DHL just on speed

[richiejom]

12 minutes ago, Essex Reject said:

Blimey, what a drama queen. Sounds like you are in tears over it all. Corrie has nothing on you mate.

Yes because it was a special Debit Card which I had to wait since December 16th to parents address from Transferwise, now I have to wait for them to issue another one.  I don't watch junk on TV so I don't know what you're referring to

[Henryford]

47 minutes ago, richiejom said:

Thing is our condo you need a keyfob to get through the bottom doors, the security would probably open the door but don't know if they let them go upstairs. I definitely want to use DHL though... 6 weeks now I think the unregistered one was knicked somewhere along the line 

DHL rang me when they arrived to i just went downstairs and signed for the parcel.

[baggies666]

6 hours ago, richiejom said:

Yes because it was a special Debit Card which I had to wait since December 16th to parents address from Transferwise, now I have to wait for them to issue another one.  I don't watch junk on TV so I don't know what you're referring to

I got one of those cards from transferwise attached to my border accounts, I have never used it do you think it will any good for over here as atm charges hit you hard here?

[richiejom]

On 2/26/2019 at 7:34 AM, baggies666 said:

I got one of those cards from transferwise attached to my border accounts, I have never used it do you think it will any good for over here as atm charges hit you hard here?

Yes mate its an excellent thing to have...its another tool in your Arsenal. Me and my wife buy things on my UK debit card all the time at 7 Eleven, Tesco, Tops and Familymart.  Even though we have a Thai bank it means we don't have to transfer money all the time.

 

You can buy things at 7 Eleven normally without the 2.9% + 1.50/50p charges..

 

Now you know why I was drama about it being knicked in the mail