Postal time to the UK?

[SteveK]

Does anyone know how long it takes to get post to the UK, given the current situation?

[Crossy]

Surface only at present, 3 months or so.

 

Urgent? DHL, FedEx etc. are operating reasonably normally.

 

Up to date info in the pinned topic:-

 

 

[SteveK]

I need to send some documents, 3 months is not acceptable. There's a DHL office in Ubon but they have lots of reviews saying they lose mail etc, I am not sure what to do.

[hotandsticky]

Just now, SteveK said:

I need to send some documents, 3 months is not acceptable. There's a DHL office in Ubon but they have lots of reviews saying they lose mail etc, I am not sure what to do.

 

 

Find someone going to the UK and ask them to take it for you....... otherwise put your faith in DHL.  (scan them first....)

[Crossy]

It is worth discussing with the document recipient if they will accept scanned copies pending delivery of the physical documents.

 

[bert bloggs]

what about post from the UK? some say its been arriving .

[SteveK]

46 minutes ago, Crossy said:

It is worth discussing with the document recipient if they will accept scanned copies pending delivery of the physical documents.

 

Thanks for the input. Going to send both electronically and via post, but it's the kind of thing where they need the original. It seems in Ubon DHL is the only option so will have to go with them.

[Crossy]

12 hours ago, bert bloggs said:

what about post from the UK? some say its been arriving .

 

Coming this way is SLOW but it does seem to be getting through.

[SteveK]

Also, would anyone happen to know what the going rate is for a Thai solicitor to verify an ID document and witness a signature? Just so that I know I am not being totally gipped.

[topt]

3 hours ago, SteveK said:

Also, would anyone happen to know what the going rate is for a Thai solicitor to verify an ID document and witness a signature? Just so that I know I am not being totally gipped.

In Pattaya starts from 500 baht for at least one lawyer I am aware of but have heard of others at 1000 baht. You would probably need to ask in your local forum.

[cheshiremusicman]

19 hours ago, SteveK said:

Thanks for the input. Going to send both electronically and via post, but it's the kind of thing where they need the original. It seems in Ubon DHL is the only option so will have to go with them.

As far as I am aware, a 'Faxed document' is still accepted as a legal document in the UK. There are some free fax services online if this is any help. I find it odd that a 'faxed document' is acceptable but not a 'scanned document', unless someone knows better?

I had to send a legal document some months ago and used one of the online fax services and of course the very odd thing is that you scan the document and send it to them to fax on your behalf - how odd is that?

[Surasak]

I tried to send a very small package via post to the UK last week. They wouldn't take it as there were no flights according to them. Used DHL and they charged the earth for the half Kg package but it only took 4 days. Posted Monday am in KK received in UK mid day Thursday. Charge ฿2610.00. Is it worth it? Was to me as it was urgent. 

[StevieAus]

5 hours ago, SteveK said:

Also, would anyone happen to know what the going rate is for a Thai solicitor to verify an ID document and witness a signature? Just so that I know I am not being totally gipped.

Normally 1000 baht if they are a Notary Public some charge for each document they certify

[StevieAus]

21 hours ago, Crossy said:

It is worth discussing with the document recipient if they will accept scanned copies pending delivery of the physical documents.

 

I think that’s a good suggestion my pension fund in Australia used to only accept originals now they accept scanned copies as long as “ certified as a true copy of the original document” and signed by a Notary Public

[generealty]

Anything considered important send via DHL. My pension documents were sent via DHL last Thursday and was received Tuesday and dealt with. The only problem I had was could not find a DHL on Dark Side so had to get someone local to take to Second Road Pattaya for me. However, things sorted very quickly. Never trust post.

[ScottBooth]

Is it possible to still send parcel surface mail to the UK?

[Jaxxper]

Saw something on a Pattaya expat club website that said mail to US and UK is surface only. Could take up to 3 months apparently.

[KhaoYai]

On 4/30/2020 at 12:17 PM, bert bloggs said:

what about post from the UK? some say its been arriving .

From The Royal Mail website today:

 

Start date: 16 March 2020
Latest update: 23 April 2020
End date: Ongoing
Incident:Coronavirus

Update: 23 April 2020
We're currently not sending items to Thailand as there are no available transport links. Items sent will be held and you'll experience significant delays.

Original Incident: 16 March 2020
Thailand has put special measures in place from Monday 16 March, to limit the spread of Coronavirus. Thailand Post need to comply with these measures and may have reduced staff numbers so not able to deliver all mail to specifications. Signature on delivery is suspended and delays to mail services can be expected.

https://personal.help.royalmail.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5317/~/international-incident-bulletin

 

Courier services may be operating but normal post is not.

 

[Road Warrior]

any body know when postal service resumes via air mail???????

[CharlieH]

2 minutes ago, Road Warrior said:

any body know when postal service resumes via air mail???????

I ask that question every week at the local office and get no result. Just "have to wait".????

[samtab]

Very slow to EU because no airmail available, only surface (by boat maybe ?)

[Andycoops]

On 4/30/2020 at 6:17 PM, bert bloggs said:

what about post from the UK? some say its been arriving .

I have had none, not even my P60 and that's been a April regular for 10 years.

[topt]

On 4/30/2020 at 6:17 PM, bert bloggs said:

what about post from the UK? some say its been arriving .

 

20 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

From The Royal Mail website today:

 

Start date: 16 March 2020
Latest update: 23 April 2020
End date: Ongoing
Incident:Coronavirus

Update: 23 April 2020
We're currently not sending items to Thailand as there are no available transport links. Items sent will be held and you'll experience significant delays.

Original Incident: 16 March 2020
Thailand has put special measures in place from Monday 16 March, to limit the spread of Coronavirus. Thailand Post need to comply with these measures and may have reduced staff numbers so not able to deliver all mail to specifications. Signature on delivery is suspended and delays to mail services can be expected.

https://personal.help.royalmail.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5317/~/international-incident-bulletin

 

Courier services may be operating but normal post is not.

 

I must have been lucky as I received an airmail letter today, dated 17th April, from my local council regarding renewing overseas voting.

[bert bloggs]

I had a package sent from Ireland on 27th april ,just tracked it last date 28th april at holding depot awaiting  flight. a message said that there were holdups due to covid.

[Percy P]

On 4/30/2020 at 5:59 PM, SteveK said:

I need to send some documents, 3 months is not acceptable. There's a DHL office in Ubon but they have lots of reviews saying they lose mail etc, I am not sure what to do.

Thai Post is ok and they will track the post sent. How long l do not know. I think I would photograph them and send them e-mail. I've recently sent similar no problem.

[OJAS]

On 5/1/2020 at 6:36 PM, KhaoYai said:

From The Royal Mail website today:

 

Start date: 16 March 2020
Latest update: 23 April 2020
End date: Ongoing
Incident:Coronavirus

Update: 23 April 2020
We're currently not sending items to Thailand as there are no available transport links. Items sent will be held and you'll experience significant delays.

Original Incident: 16 March 2020
Thailand has put special measures in place from Monday 16 March, to limit the spread of Coronavirus. Thailand Post need to comply with these measures and may have reduced staff numbers so not able to deliver all mail to specifications. Signature on delivery is suspended and delays to mail services can be expected.

https://personal.help.royalmail.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5317/~/international-incident-bulletin

 

Courier services may be operating but normal post is not.

 

So it looks like Royal Mail's transport links to Thailand which had presumably been available up until 23 April magically ceased to be from that date. Yet their transport links to Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam are presumably still in place since their services to those 3 particular countries have not similarly been suspended since 23 April! IMHO Royal Mail really do need to do much better in coming up with more plausible excuses to justify their bungling, incompetent ineptitude than their pathetic BS offering on this particular occasion.

Edited May 4, 2020 by OJAS

[Monomial]

On 4/30/2020 at 5:48 PM, Crossy said:

Surface only at present, 3 months or so.

 

It's not really 3 months. The post office is being overly pessimistic so you don't complain.

 

It *could* be 3 months in rare situations. In practice it is about 6-7 weeks.  This problem is actually not unprecedented. During the holiday season when there are not enough planes flying to handle the volume of mail, overflow from normal SAL services sometimes gets sent by ship. We have to handle angry customer complaints all the time during October/November when customers start worrying their packages got lost, so have a lot of experience in this regard. Never actually seen something shipped by boat take more than 8 weeks to arrive in the UK. The 6-7 week time frame by surface to the UK is well established. Like reading an electronics data sheet. Assume 3 months worst case, but 7 weeks as a typical value.

 

But if there is no volume going to the UK and they have to wait to fill a container, then you could be in for a delay.

 

 

 

[KC 71]

Still waiting for U.K post from almost 8 wks ago

[Monomial]

On 5/1/2020 at 8:50 PM, samtab said:

Very slow to EU because no airmail available, only surface (by boat maybe ?)

 

Not all EU countries. Mail is only available to:

 

Belgium
Denmark
Germany
Ireland
Italy
Netherlands
Norway
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland

 

Plus, of course, the not yet fully Brexited, UK.

 

Try mailing to any other EU country and you'll be told to go pound sand.

 

Also, signature on delivery is not available to Germany at the moment.

 

[Monomial]

On 5/1/2020 at 7:41 PM, Road Warrior said:

any body know when postal service resumes via air mail???????

 

I spoke with the Thailand Post head office. It is not going to resume until there is sufficient international passenger air travel between the countries so that they can be reliably certain of regular and dependable availability on passenger flights in sufficient volume. I would guess the earliest that could happen is sometime in Q4. I will be shocked (but ecstatic) if SAL/airmail resumes before October.