I guess this can be chalked up to Progress.  So far I am 3/4 formail from the USA and 100% on mail I send to the USA.  I have no idea where the mail I never received went to?  

 

But in the immortal words of that great 1970’s wise man, Meatloaf, “Don’t be sad cause 2 out 3 ain’t bad”.  In my case I am 3 out of 4.  If I was in the Major Leagues I would be an All Star.  

21 hours ago, tifino said:

well, a Passport needed to be presented 4 years back, in downtown Pattaya

so really...what's new?

Thai's also have to show identity to send parcels, etc., using Thai Post, primarily their Thai national ID card. 

So my packages are now assured of being held up forever?  

5 hours ago, Fred31 said:

If you pay courier rates there are no delays cheap charlie

"Cheap Charlie" 'eh?

The Elitist Expat club has spoken.  <glap, glap, glap>

Just because there are flights going to your destinations countries every day, it doesn't mean that your precious letter is going to make the very next flight.
 
Mail is 'bulked up' at the mail centre until a full container is ready to depart and it's then flown out on the next available flight. And as passenger luggage always takes priority, there could be a delay there as well whilst waiting for a flight with space.
 
Have a bit of patience.

Very correct. Mail is moved by contact with certain carriers bidding on mail routes within their networks. So, while there maybe an airline who flies from A to B daily and on a non-stop basis, unless that carrier also has the mail contract, it won’t move on that carrier.

For example, I know that for much of the US bound mail, EVA of Taiwan has the USPS contract for that volume... they move mail out of SFO, LAX and JFK.... with connection in TPE, onwards to Bangkok.

Also, as noted above, mail doesn’t always move daily... the contract will commonly specify a frequency - which has effectively been pre-booked by the postal authority and arranged internally with the carriers load planning department - by which mail will move... so.. it’s possible that mail received at SMC (Suvarnabhumi Mail Center) on Monday, might not actually fly out until Tuesday, Wednesday or even Thursday... it all depends on the postal contract language about dispatch frequency, exact cut-off times for tendering to the carrier and exactly time of arrival at SMC.

Lastly, when mail does arrive at SMC, it has to be sorted— the most common sort done is the separation of letters/flats/documents - which usually are non-dutiable at entry and non-documents like parcels which may be subject to exit customs checks, airline security inspections and the like.

Then it’s packed - mail usually moves in plastic flats which are then secured by some type of plastic wrap or a cardboard sleeve .. small parcels usually move in a special bag that meets UPU (Universal Postal Union) marking, size and sealing requirements - which usually is different from transport bags used for wholly internal movements.




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so funny that people here cannot even read and understand a post correctly, but dare to comment...

 

 

Whats all the fuss about? 

10 hours ago, myjawe said:

so funny that people here cannot even read and understand a post correctly, but dare to comment...

 

 

There is also that cynical bunch of characters (yes, you know who you are) who will grab any and every opportunity to dumb down anything that Thailand introduces, simply on the grounds that they do not consider the country and its people capable of it.

 

So, for what it's worth, I've always found the postal service here to be excellent. 

On 5/31/2019 at 3:56 PM, davehowden said:

"There are also postal security measures such as recording senders at every post office nationwide. Another measure involves mail inspection using a two-dimensional x-ray machine three times to detect hazardous substances."

 

Will "aliens" need to produce a passport, TM30, copy of current visa/ extension etc. to send something out of Thailand by airmail ?

They already do!

On 5/31/2019 at 10:26 PM, peterpaintpot said:

I have lived in Muak Lek, Saraburi for 12.5 years and have used the local post office for all my overseas postal needs and have never been asked for I.D. or proof of address.

Expect to get a new postmaster soon!

1 hour ago, Moonlover said:

There is also that cynical bunch of characters (yes, you know who you are) who will grab any and every opportunity to dumb down anything that Thailand introduces, simply on the grounds that they do not consider the country and its people capable of it.

 

So, for what it's worth, I've always found the postal service here to be excellent. 

I'm glad you have, and I agree that most of the time it's fine.

However, here I'm talking about previous bitter experience.

 

In this case it was my wife who employed a lawyer to take someone to court.

The lawyer sent a document from Udon Thani Amphur Muang to another address in Udon Thani Amphur Muang, also pre-paying at the post office for proof of delivery and signature of the signee (in the form of a standard card).

 

As the lawyer would (naturally) charge his client (my wife) for all extras, she undertook to chase the post office when the proof of delivery wasn't received by the lawyer. He provided her with the tracking number for delivery and the tracking number for proof of delivery.

My wife had to chase Udon main post office as to why the proof of delivery didn't arrive, and wasn't even on their tracking system.

On visiting the main post office, after a wait. someone came out from the sorting office and gave her the proof of delivery card. They didn't even ask for any ID, even though it wasn't in her name, but the laywer's name.

 

A few months later after another court session, the lawyer repeated the same process, but the same person had moved their address from Udon to Nong Khai.

My wife had exactly the same issue for a second time - no proof of delivery.

The post office in Nong Khai would often put down the phone when she was chasing them about it. Eventually they said the paperwork was with 'the boss' but he wasn't around, and no one returned her call.

My wife kept calling. They said it was in hand and would be mailed the next day. More lies.

 

In the end I went with her to the errant post office for her to 'confront' the staff.

After waiting half an hour someone came out with the proof of delivery card and handed it to her without any apology.