Mail Delivery in Bangkok--Stopped Since July

[John Drake]

I have lived at the same address for over 10 years. I never had a problem with mail. I received my 90 day reports from Immigration within a couple of days, books from the US and UK arrived without a miss, letters from my US retirement account and US Social Security arrived securely, including Form 7162. Now, suddenly, since July, mail service has all but stopped. It started at the beginning of July when a book I paid $75 to have delivered from the US went to somebody else in the village. This was US Priority Mail, so it had my phone number on the package. A person in the village I didn't know telephoned me to tell me they would bring it over. Since then, I have received nothing until last week. This included two books sent regular mail from the US, US Social Security letters, and my 90 Day receipt from Chaengwattana.

 

I live in Thawi Watthana, so I went to the Taling Chan Post Office to ask what was going on. They told me they no longer processed mail for Thawi Watthana and gave the number of a new office somewhere between Putthamonthon 2 and 3. My wife called them and the two books were sitting there, where they had been for five weeks (it was noted in pen ink on the package when they arrived). Next day, they sent over the books. Address was correct. No problems. Clearly readable and like every other address label I have received over the years. That left the 90 Day report missing, which they said they would look for. It took five days, but they finally sent that round too. Immigration told me they mailed the letter on 3 August. (Because I had never received it I had to go to the secret hard to discover new 90 Day office in Nonthaburi to get a duplicate.) I got the letter on 24 August after the call to complain.

 

I have still not received my US Social Security letters. Now, what will happen if Social Security cuts off my payment because I never received the proper forms to return to them? And God knows what else I haven't received. Just last Friday, 21 August, I mailed a letter to myself from the post office in Central Pinklao to test things. It was exactly the same type envelope and address on it as the stamped, self addressed envelope Immigration used to return my 90 Day receipt. As of today, 8 days later, it has not arrived. 

 

Have called the Postal Center, called the local office again. Nothing. Service has fallen off a cliff. What do you do when retirement funds and Immigration documents rely on the postal service and the postal service suddenly becomes completely undependable? How can this be solved? Should I just go down to the office and pound on tables? How about filing a police report? Does Thailand have postal inspectors or a Post Office Inspector General Office? 

[lopburi3]

You obviously should make yourselves known to your current post office and carrier.  We have made it a point to provide New Years envelope to such people and they do seem to respond positively.  As for letters from USA they may well still be in transit as US mail sucks in the best of times and currently little is getting out unless shipped courier for onward mailing from overseas.  One letter may get here in 2 week but another will take 2 months or more.  

[John Drake]

4 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

You obviously should make yourselves known to your current post office and carrier.  We have made it a point to provide New Years envelope to such people and they do seem to respond positively.  As for letters from USA they may well still be in transit as US mail sucks in the best of times and currently little is getting out unless shipped courier for onward mailing from overseas.  One letter may get here in 2 week but another will take 2 months or more.  

The two books I finally received came from Frederick MD. They were shipped "economy" and I remember paying around $10 in postage. But the thing is they arrived. And apparently arrived quickly enough. There is a blue ink note on the packages saying they were there on 16 July. So why did I need to telephone them to request delivery? Aren't Thai Post Offices supposed to be able to read and process mail in English? Otherwise, nothing will ever get to this country, unless it's Chinese.

[uncleP]

Time to go to head office.

[KhunKenAP]

Same in Pattaya with mail from the USA. Over the normal 2 week time period it took to deliver. Now 1 month or more, after being mailed in the US. 

 

Some delay can be blamed on COVID, but mostly its is the Thai Post Office. I had my May and June pension checks arrive the same day late in June.

[2 is 1]

15 minutes ago, KhunKenAP said:

Same in Pattaya with mail from the USA. Over the normal 2 week time period it took to deliver. Now 1 month or more, after being mailed in the US. 

 

Some delay can be blamed on COVID, but mostly its is the Thai Post Office. I had my May and June pension checks arrive the same day late in June.

So Us cant put all mail in net! My all mail from Finland come internet post! Come e-mail to me that i have mail, then only go to watch in service! Crazy old system there! In Finland they now start  delivery "snail" mail only 3 times /week coz nobody want that! Only old people want paper mail!

[jackdd]

Maybe the mail man at the new post office just doesn't know that your address is now his responsibility? Just go there, get his phone number, and have a talk with him, this could already solve the problem.

If this doesn't solve the problem:

For tracked mail you can use the name of the post office and "poste restante" instead of your regular address, then it will be kept at the post office, and when you see that it has arrived you go to pick it up yourself.

For untracked mail that's of course not so easy, because you don't know when it arrives, renting a post box might be an option.

 

[lopburi3]

Do you have a new address (mail code)?  If still using original post office address will be going there first and spend time in limbo before being corrected.  We had that issue years ago when Latphao Post Office (which is not actually even in Latphao) delivery area changed.  True would not use the correct 5 digit code for post office serving use for years - they insisted on using what was called Latphao Post Office.  

[John Drake]

2 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Do you have a new address (mail code)?  If still using original post office address will be going there first and spend time in limbo before being corrected.  We had that issue years ago when Latphao Post Office (which is not actually even in Latphao) delivery area changed.  True would not use the correct 5 digit code for post office serving use for years - they insisted on using what was called Latphao Post Office.  

Haven't thought about that. Thanks for the idea.