Mail from the U.K.

[Jumbo1968]

My daughter sent me an A4 bubble envelope with bank cards in it over 3 months ago, it never arrived, my U.K. bank has sent replacement cards, never arrived. I double checked my address which was correct.

Has anyone else experienced similar problems, is it possible my mail is at the Post Office waiting for me too collect it ?

[ezzra]

Was it sent with tracking numbers? if not, ask the sender to contact the UK royal mail and start an investigations...you might have to wait and wait and no guarantee it will arrive as all postal services around the world are working at half capacity if at at all...

[johng]

4 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

Has anyone else experienced similar problems, is it possible my mail is at the Post Office waiting for me too collect it ?

Yes that is possible   I've had that happen before..did your daughter send the envelope 

"international signed for"   or just a "normal" method  "signed for" has a higher chance of arriving at the Thai post office  unmolested as it is (supposedly) electronically traceable.

[KhaoNiaw]

The time regular mail has taken to arrive from the UK has been a bit variable but I haven't had anything disappear. Earlier in the year I had a few things that took a couple of months to get here but I got a package a couple of days ago that took almost exactly a week. Though I read stories of disappearing mail, in over 30 years I've only had one piece of mail from the UK that has gone completely astray. If you're not getting anything at all, it could be a rogue postie or someone in the local post office. 

[Jumbo1968]

1 minute ago, johng said:

Yes that is possible   I've had that happen before..did your daughter send the envelope 

"international signed for"   or just a "normal" method  "signed for" has a higher chance of arriving at the Thai post office  unmolested as it is (supposedly) electronically traceable.

Neither required a signature, I have cancelled the cards in the original mail and ‘froze’ the cards in the one the bank sent me.

[Jumbo1968]

4 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Was it sent with tracking numbers? if not, ask the sender to contact the UK royal mail and start an investigations...you might have to wait and wait and no guarantee it will arrive as all postal services around the world are working at half capacity if at at all...

Neither were sent tracked, I have enquired at my daughters Post Office but my daughter didn’t keep the receipt. 

[johng]

1 minute ago, Jumbo1968 said:

Neither were sent tracked, I have enquired at my daughters Post Office but my daughter didn’t keep the receipt. 

Ohh dear  not looking hopeful then !  anyway if you cancelled the cards it won't matter if they turn up  in a few months  they'll only be useful for scraping ice off the windscreen ????

[CharlieH]

Had bank cards sent recently  via tracked service from UK by Royal Mail, arrived in 8 days.

 

Its around a tenner to send but worth it.

 

Most issues in Thailand is the" last mile" the local postie. Also the reason why many opt for a PO Box as it eliminates that issue.

(Depends entirely where you live as always, areas vary)

[phetphet]

13 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

Neither required a signature, I have cancelled the cards in the original mail and ‘froze’ the cards in the one the bank sent me.

I always send anything of value with Track and Trace. To be signed for. More expensive, but you can follow progresss of the package via the internet.

[Eff1n2ret]

First Direct sent me a new card in June because they're changing from Visa to Mastercard. That never arrived. Then in late July I noticed a couple of fraudulent transactions on my HSBC credit card so reported it and they said they were sending me a new card. FD said they would cancel the first card and send me another.  I asked them to send it DHL and I would pay for it, "no can do". I've been up to the Post Office a couple of times in the hope of finding the HSBC card but it's not there.

I think the only safe way is to get them sent to my son's UK address and ask him to send them via DHL or as others have suggested, Track and Trace.

1 hour ago, CharlieH said:

Most issues in Thailand is the" last mile" the local postie. Also the reason why many opt for a PO Box as it eliminates that issue.

I wondered about that, but does that mean that you have to notify all and sundry of your PO Box No, or do the local Post Office extract anything addressed to your house and stick it in the box?

[CharlieH]

1 minute ago, Eff1n2ret said:

First Direct sent me a new card in June because they're changing from Visa to Mastercard. That never arrived. Then in late July I noticed a couple of fraudulent transactions on my HSBC credit card so reported it and they said they were sending me a new card. FD said they would cancel the first card and send me another.  I asked them to send it DHL and I would pay for it, "no can do". I've been up to the Post Office a couple of times in the hope of finding the HSBC card but it's not there.

I think the only safe way is to get them sent to my son's UK address and ask him to send them via DHL or as others have suggested, Track and Trace.

I wondered about that, but does that mean that you have to notify all and sundry of your PO Box No, or do the local Post Office extract anything addressed to your house and stick it in the box?

That would depend on your local PO go ask them if they will divert for you.(There is nothing consistent in this land)

[JAS21]

This year both my wife and I have had replaced our out of date Royal Bank of Scotland Debit cards.

 

RBS will not post to Thailand.

 

So I change our registered address to my sons UK address and ask for the cards to be posted to him. 

I also asked the bank to put a ‘stop’ on the account which is associated with the card.

 

My son, on receipt of the envelope containing the card, sticks it inside a slightly larger envelope and bit of thin bubble wrap.

 

Addresses the package to my wife… £2.50 postage and we received it five days later including a weekend.

 

Then I take the stop off the account after checking with RBS that there are no amounts awaiting approval.

 

Yes an absolute pain to have to do. Before when the cards weren’t sent out Pre Authorised things were much more simple… RBS would post them here.

 

[Jumbo1968]

33 minutes ago, Eff1n2ret said:

First Direct sent me a new card in June because they're changing from Visa to Mastercard. That never arrived. Then in late July I noticed a couple of fraudulent transactions on my HSBC credit card so reported it and they said they were sending me a new card. FD said they would cancel the first card and send me another.  I asked them to send it DHL and I would pay for it, "no can do". I've been up to the Post Office a couple of times in the hope of finding the HSBC card but it's not there.

I think the only safe way is to get them sent to my son's UK address and ask him to send them via DHL or as others have suggested, Track and Trace.

I wondered about that, but does that mean that you have to notify all and sundry of your PO Box No, or do the local Post Office extract anything addressed to your house and stick it in the box?

It’s First Direct who are sending the cards to me as well, over 4 weeks and they have still not arrived, they use Royal Mail. I check my bank statements daily to ensure there are no fraudulent transactions.

[huangnon]

4 hours ago, CharlieH said:

Had bank cards sent recently  via tracked service from UK by Royal Mail, arrived in 8 days.

 

Its around a tenner to send but worth it.

 

Most issues in Thailand is the" last mile" the local postie. Also the reason why many opt for a PO Box as it eliminates that issue.

(Depends entirely where you live as always, areas vary)

I have found that out also.

Untracked mail has tended to go 'missing' lately (Banchang), whereas traceable mail gets here without a problem.

[canopus1969]

Just received a packet by RM trackerd - 6 days

[Cake Monster]

Last week I had a letter delivered to me here in Thailand from the UK .

Date sent 06 April 2021

I always send out Mail with Registered Delivery

[mokwit]

4 hours ago, KhaoNiaw said:

30 years I've only had one piece of mail from the UK that has gone completely astray.

My experience in 25+ years here. Just one thing.

[Rampant Rabbit]

I  get a friend to send me stuff   with both a  Thai script and English script  address  on, she always  puts  biscuits in it and lists  it as  biscuits for customs, she sent me some gingerbread  last week and also a  remote control for my electric  garage  door as 4k baht in Thailand 700 baht uk. all  taped together with the biscuits Took 6  days to arrive, not tracked normal UK post and I always get them sent to my BANGKOK address  not my rural  addresss.

[Rampant Rabbit]

3 hours ago, JAS21 said:

This year both my wife and I have had replaced our out of date Royal Bank of Scotland Debit cards.

 

RBS will not post to Thailand.

 

So I change our registered address to my sons UK address and ask for the cards to be posted to him. 

I also asked the bank to put a ‘stop’ on the account which is associated with the card.

 

My son, on receipt of the envelope containing the card, sticks it inside a slightly larger envelope and bit of thin bubble wrap.

 

Addresses the package to my wife… £2.50 postage and we received it five days later including a weekend.

 

Then I take the stop off the account after checking with RBS that there are no amounts awaiting approval.

 

Yes an absolute pain to have to do. Before when the cards weren’t sent out Pre Authorised things were much more simple… RBS would post them here.

 

Yeah Ive done the same twice,  not  lost one  yet. Lloyds  card

[Jumbo1968]

I spoke with my neighbour he has had the same problem, mail was sent from the U.K. but it never arrived.

Yet today I received a package from Lazada delivered from Bangkok, the address was in English to my house by the company who delivers the mail ?

 

[Eff1n2ret]

Yet another visit to Banchang Post Office yesterday, nothing awaiting delivery. So I've had to cancel a credit card I've never seen and get HSBC to send another one to a bank branch for collection by my son, and he can DHL it to me. Now I don't trust the Post Office at all.

If there really is no accumulated unsorted mail at Banchang there must be a sorting centre somewhere (Lakhsi?) with mounds of the stuff. So if it gets too much do they just throw it away? Or is anything which looks like it might contain useful items such as bank cards being sifted out for potential misuse? Five or more years ago I used to think the postal service was quite efficient, but not any more.

[Jumbo1968]

10 minutes ago, Eff1n2ret said:

Yet another visit to Banchang Post Office yesterday, nothing awaiting delivery. So I've had to cancel a credit card I've never seen and get HSBC to send another one to a bank branch for collection by my son, and he can DHL it to me. Now I don't trust the Post Office at all.

If there really is no accumulated unsorted mail at Banchang there must be a sorting centre somewhere (Lakhsi?) with mounds of the stuff. So if it gets too much do they just throw it away? Or is anything which looks like it might contain useful items such as bank cards being sifted out for potential misuse? Five or more years ago I used to think the postal service was quite efficient, but not any more.

I emailed Thai Post, they have no idea where my mail is as it was not tracked, I replied saying saying irrespective of that I can understand 1 letter going astray but not 2. I went too Pattaya Post Office who advised me too go to Nakula which tbh would be a waste of time, if it’s there why has it not been delivered, do Thai Post only bother too deliver tracked mail ?

 As you say there must be an office somewhere there is loads of undelivered mail, I just want too find out why my mail was not delivered.

[Eff1n2ret]

2 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

As you say there must be an office somewhere there is loads of undelivered mail, I just want too find out why my mail was not delivered.

I wonder if it's possible to find out the route by which mail arrives in Thailand from the UK, and how many sorting locations there are between the arrival point and Banchang. If stuff just keeps coming in and is dumped on top of what is already there, our missing mail must be at the bottom of a huge pile.

[Chris.B]

Always have your Thai telephone number printed on the envelope under your address. So, the postman can contact you if you are out or they cannot find your address,

 

 

[Jumbo1968]

6 minutes ago, Chris.B said:

Always have your Thai telephone number printed on the envelope under your address. So, the postman can contact you if you are out or they cannot find your address,

 

 

Thanks for the info, we live in a Soi in Pattaya, Lazada deliver and as I said Thai post delivered a package the other day so it’s not a problem with the address. Is it Thai Post don’t bother or short staffed ?

[Chris.B]

3 hours ago, Eff1n2ret said:

I wonder if it's possible to find out the route by which mail arrives in Thailand from the UK, and how many sorting locations there are between the arrival point and Banchang. 

If you have it sent by Royal Mail's International Tracked & Signed service you will see the route and sorting stations.

 

[Chris.B]

3 hours ago, Jumbo1968 said:

Thanks for the info, we live in a Soi in Pattaya, Lazada deliver and as I said Thai post delivered a package the other day so it’s not a problem with the address. Is it Thai Post don’t bother or short staffed ?

Ohh, in that case you don't have a problem then. ????

 

Edited October 20, 2021 by Chris.B

[Jumbo1968]

51 minutes ago, Chris.B said:

Ohh, in that case you don't have a problem then. ????

 

The package wasn’t my mail it was from Lazada 

[NE1]

With us out in the sticks , it is usually the local postman who delays the  mail. 

As the pay is not good , he has another job , so he does not go to the sorting office on a regular basis.

When he does he is inundated with mail. ( why his boss lets him do this is beyond me ).

So he hauls it all back to his house , then when he has time he sorts it.

I have had Bkk Bank and TOT letters delivered to our house 3 months old.

Despite complaints to his boss , nothing changes.

 

 

[The Hammer2021]

Why not use a courier?