Thai Post wrong delivery - they don't cooperate to find my parcel

[teriyaki]

First time i had issues with the post service, but here's what happened.
International order from an online shop in Australia, they ship with regular post;
I already ordered from the shop in the past with no issue, and in fact, my order was split in two separate orders because one items required a few more days to become available, and the second smaller parcel arrived without issue.

Normally when there's a delivery i get a phone call, and if i'm not home the delivery man leaves the parcel at my condo's office.

I got no phone call for this one, and one day the parcel was marked as delivered, but it wasn't in the office, so i went to the post and asked about it.
They sent me all the way to the building where the postmans work to talk directly with the postman who made the delivery..they checked on their terminal where we could see where the item was delivered and who picked it up (they had a photo), and it was a staff person in an office, which is not my condo's office.
Basically, they delivered the parcel to the wrong place, but they couldn't tell me where.

The adress i wrote down was indeed correct, i write that same adress everytime, i received dozens of parcels both nationally and internationally without issues.

I even went to a couple condos near my place, but they did not have my parcel, nor their office was like the one in the photo.

I showed the street view on Gmaps satellite to the postman, which confirmed me that "yes i go inside here and go straight"...which is weird because if he went straight on the road i showed him there would have been a wall, and the road would end, with no office to deliver to.
Long story short, and 3 trips to the post office later, nothing is solved, i spoke with another staff who spoke better english, which told me, twice, that she would talk with the postman and contact me back, only to never contact me back at all.

I gave her another call some 30 mins ago, telling here that they don't need to call me, but they need to go recover that package and bring it back to the post office so that i can pick it up, and again she said she talk to the postman and contact me back "wait a moment na", and she disappears.
I tried to call again and she don't pick up the phone, as she did 3 days ago when she told me the same thing.

What am i supposed to do? The parcel is worth several hundreds $, i can't just let it go, and asking a refund from the shop is likely going to be problematic and time consuming, especially because the parcel is marked as delivered; also i need that stuff, i would rather avoid waiting weeks for a refund and order again.

Is there a place where i can go to make an official complaint? Shall i go to the police?
The post office in question is the Chaiyaphruek Post Office, in Pattaya.

[John Drake]

A couple of instances to relate, because you are not alone. Just this week, I had two packages delivered separately from the same store in Arizona. For some reason, one package went through Zurich, while the other one went through Tokyo. Tracking told me one arrived at Laksi on 28 July and was out for delivery to my PO Box. I picked it up from my PO Box on 2 August. I asked sorting clerks if my other package might be in the back, because tracking said it had arrived on 1 August and was out for delivery. No, they said, it would take another day because of the yet another holiday last week and this week. Today, I returned. Still no package in my PO Box. I ask the sorters again. It took them 30 minutes but they did find it. They had just not got around to putting it in the PO Box after four days. Lesson learned. Be persistent in a polite fashion--as you appear to be doing, too. I kept my thoughts to myself, said thank you, and left with the second package.

 

The second instance. Or instances. I also get other people's mail at my home address. In particular, if it is addressed in English, it's frequently left in my home mailbox, and not because I'm the only farang in the village. It's because the post office substation, which is different from the office I use for my PO Box, can't seem to read English. But they know I'm somewhere around. Why? Because a couple of years ago, after waiting on a letter from immigration for six weeks and two books for three months, I finally found the Taling Chan post office no longer delivered my mail, and it was going to this new substation. Apparently, mail addressed in English is a problem (this is why I got the PO Box in the first place). It took several calls and pleading, but once they looked, they found everything and delivered it within a couple of days. But as I say, now while I send all my mail to the reliable main post office, the substation frequently sends me packages and letters addressed in English to other foreigners. I dutifully return them  to the main/reliable post office the very next day and explain the mistake and where the mail needs to go. I still get English addressed mail nonetheless. To their credit, Thais in the village, when my packages used to be misdelivered to them, would telephone and bring it over to my house.

 

Long story, I know. But my recommendation is to get a PO Box. Mine only costs 500 baht per year. And as my first story indicates, you can at least get people in the post office to track things down more easily, if the packages don't go out on some route but remain on the office premises.

[teriyaki]

Never thought about getting a PO box, but it could indeed be of good use especially for important deliveries, i'll see to get myself one.

 

By the way, i finally managed to get my parcel, the postman finally got it back and delivered to my place. Took only 4 visits to the post office and half a dozen phone calls ????

 

On a positive note tho, no custom duty, as opposed to last time i ordered from this shop.

[The Fugitive]

2 hours ago, John Drake said:

A couple of instances to relate, because you are not alone. Just this week, I had two packages delivered separately from the same store in Arizona. For some reason, one package went through Zurich, while the other one went through Tokyo. Tracking told me one arrived at Laksi on 28 July and was out for delivery to my PO Box. I picked it up from my PO Box on 2 August. I asked sorting clerks if my other package might be in the back, because tracking said it had arrived on 1 August and was out for delivery. No, they said, it would take another day because of the yet another holiday last week and this week. Today, I returned. Still no package in my PO Box. I ask the sorters again. It took them 30 minutes but they did find it. They had just not got around to putting it in the PO Box after four days. Lesson learned. Be persistent in a polite fashion--as you appear to be doing, too. I kept my thoughts to myself, said thank you, and left with the second package.

 

The second instance. Or instances. I also get other people's mail at my home address. In particular, if it is addressed in English, it's frequently left in my home mailbox, and not because I'm the only farang in the village. It's because the post office substation, which is different from the office I use for my PO Box, can't seem to read English. But they know I'm somewhere around. Why? Because a couple of years ago, after waiting on a letter from immigration for six weeks and two books for three months, I finally found the Taling Chan post office no longer delivered my mail, and it was going to this new substation. Apparently, mail addressed in English is a problem (this is why I got the PO Box in the first place). It took several calls and pleading, but once they looked, they found everything and delivered it within a couple of days. But as I say, now while I send all my mail to the reliable main post office, the substation frequently sends me packages and letters addressed in English to other foreigners. I dutifully return them  to the main/reliable post office the very next day and explain the mistake and where the mail needs to go. I still get English addressed mail nonetheless. To their credit, Thais in the village, when my packages used to be misdelivered to them, would telephone and bring it over to my house.

 

Long story, I know. But my recommendation is to get a PO Box. Mine only costs 500 baht per year. And as my first story indicates, you can at least get people in the post office to track things down more easily, if the packages don't go out on some route but remain on the office premises.

Very helpful, many thanks! Can only imagine why one item would go via Zurich and another via Tokyo with both coming from Arizona? The Thai people in your village sound most decent! Definitely a good idea about the Post Office Box, 500 baht per annum is peanuts if it makes life easier and gives you peace of mind. Only need the mail sorting staff to be more 'on the ball' and it's then perfect!

[The Fugitive]

30 minutes ago, teriyaki said:

Never thought about getting a PO box, but it could indeed be of good use especially for important deliveries, i'll see to get myself one.

 

By the way, i finally managed to get my parcel, the postman finally got it back and delivered to my place. Took only 4 visits to the post office and half a dozen phone calls ????

 

On a positive note tho, no custom duty, as opposed to last time i ordered from this shop.

Glad it worked out in the end. PO box is definitely the way to go to avoid what you went through. Will see about one for myself too!

[scottiejohn]

42 minutes ago, teriyaki said:

Never thought about getting a PO box, but it could indeed be of good use especially for important deliveries, i'll see to get myself one.

Not advisable for financial stuff from overseas!

[steven100]

1 hour ago, teriyaki said:

Never thought about getting a PO box, but it could indeed be of good use especially for important deliveries, i'll see to get myself one.

 

By the way, i finally managed to get my parcel, the postman finally got it back and delivered to my place. Took only 4 visits to the post office and half a dozen phone calls ????

 

On a positive note tho, no custom duty, as opposed to last time i ordered from this shop.

Well it's good you got your parcel eventually,   so you don't have to swear about the postman anymore.

May I suggest a more secure delivery process?    DHL?  registered EMS?  

 

If your package was worth $hundreds of dollars,  surely a few extra $'s  for EMS or similar would be piece of mind.    What if you have the same happen with your next package?  

It's not worth the stress ...

 

[In the jungle]

40 minutes ago, steven100 said:

Well it's good you got your parcel eventually,   so you don't have to swear about the postman anymore.

May I suggest a more secure delivery process?    DHL?  registered EMS?  

 

If your package was worth $hundreds of dollars,  surely a few extra $'s  for EMS or similar would be piece of mind.    What if you have the same happen with your next package?  

It's not worth the stress ...

 

On outgoing post of consequence I no longer use Thai Post.

 

This year I sent a letter to a UK government department.

 

Letter 1: Thai registered post.  Lost by them in transit.

 

Letter 2: Thai registered post.  Lost by them in transit.

 

Letter 3.  Sent by DHL on 3 August.  Currently at Suvarnabhumi airport.

[cnx1204]

Terriyaki

 

Try going to the post office with someone that speaks Thai and ask the mailman that supposedly delivered your package to go with you in a car and show the two of you exactly where he delivered it.

[BritManToo]

On 8/5/2023 at 2:13 PM, teriyaki said:

What am i supposed to do? The parcel is worth several hundreds $, i can't just let it go, and asking a refund from the shop is likely going to be problematic and time consuming, especially because the parcel is marked as delivered; also i need that stuff, i would rather avoid waiting weeks for a refund and order again.

You report the postman to the police for theft.

He has clearly stolen your parcel.

 

I see from your later post, he decide to hand it over, rather than have you persist.

Edited August 6, 2023 by BritManToo

[Liverpool Lou]

On 8/5/2023 at 2:13 PM, teriyaki said:

from an online shop in Australia, they ship with regular post ...Y
The parcel is worth several hundreds $

Perhaps accepting shipping by regular post is not the best decision for a valuable item?  

Edited August 7, 2023 by Liverpool Lou

[Liverpool Lou]

On 8/5/2023 at 2:13 PM, teriyaki said:

Normally when there's a delivery i get a phone call, and if i'm not home the delivery man leaves the parcel at my condo's office.

I got no phone call for this one

Never heard of the Thailand Post's postmen calling recipients of standard post on delivery, they'd be on the 'kin phone all day!   Registered/signed for/EMS etc., sure, but not normal post.

[Liverpool Lou]

On 8/5/2023 at 7:15 PM, cnx1204 said:

Terriyaki

 

Try going to the post office with someone that speaks Thai and ask the mailman that supposedly delivered your package to go with you in a car and show the two of you exactly where he delivered it.

Ridiculous.  Since when has Thailand Post offered a Personal Postman Service?

[cnx1204]

3 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Ridiculous.  Since when has Thailand Post offered a Personal Postman Service?

Well, they provide such service to me when a registered package goes missing but shows delivered on the log.  Maybe it is our personalities and our approach to post office workers that makes the difference?"

[The Fugitive]

1 hour ago, cnx1204 said:

Well, they provide such service to me when a registered package goes missing but shows delivered on the log.  Maybe it is our personalities and our approach to post office workers that makes the difference?"

That has happened recently to me. Postman was unable to deliver and parcel returned to depot. He incorrectly logged the item as delivered. It was quickly resolved with a smile!

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, cnx1204 said:

6 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Ridiculous.  Since when has Thailand Post offered a Personal Postman Service?

Well, they provide such service to me when a registered package goes missing but shows delivered on the log.  Maybe it is our personalities and our approach to post office workers that makes the difference?"

'Course they do.

[seajae]

this happened to me last year, the package was marked as delivered but the postman said he could not remember who he delivered it too or where and when we kicked up a storm the head person at the post office made the postman refund the total cost of the item to us. Unfortunately thai postal workerds have a habit of keeping things for themselves or to sell, demand that it be replaced as they are at fault, do not allow them to BS you, I had a friend that had packages sent from Australia to him and the first 3 went missing yet all were signed for, the postman was stealing them, doing the signatures and selling the contents, you have to push them and demand that the postman pays for what they more than likely have stolen, if you are lucky they will suddenly find it. I have also had my replacement visa cards stolen by the postman in the past as well at our other house then the new pin code post was also opened to get the numbers and stuck back down but I had cancelled the cards before they could be used, you have to make sure that they do not get away with it

Edited August 8, 2023 by seajae

[brianthainess]

On 8/5/2023 at 4:30 PM, teriyaki said:

Never thought about getting a PO box, but it could indeed be of good use especially for important deliveries, i'll see to get myself one.

I had a PO box, there was a slip inside, ''parcel to collect inside'' went in, where is my parcel please,

''oh your wife came in we gave it to her''

me ''but my wife has gone to visit her Mum 300k away, plus not only does she not have a key, she doesn't even know my POB number"

oh um ah

''I'll have to make a police report''

Oh Um Ah come back at 6pm and we'll have it.

"but you'll be closed''

the sorting office will still be open. Went back at  6pm was handed my parcel.

This was not the first problem with them by far. I stopped having a box, mail went missing often.

You can send an email to head office BKK as i did once and said that i'd give them 7 days to deliver my mail (none for 2yrs), or I would make a police report.  They replied an internal investigation would happen. a few days later 6 months of mail turned up, but that was it. now I get mail about twice a year if I'm lucky.

[Bangkok Barry]

On 8/6/2023 at 3:29 PM, BritManToo said:

You report the postman to the police for theft.

He has clearly stolen your parcel.

 

I see from your later post, he decide to hand it over, rather than have you persist.

Very funny. We received almost no mail for 18 months, and it eventually transpired that the postman thought that actually delivering the mail was too much work so he burned it. Not just mine, but that of those in several villages in the area. Was he arrested? No. He was close to retirement so he just left, no doubt on full pension. He was replaced by a member of our family so now we are certain to receive our mail. I read of another postman who simply took all the mail home with him and kept it in a cupboard.

[nahkit]

A few years back I had a registered parcel go missing, the tracker said it had been delivered. I went down to the post office where they had the sorting office and showed them the tracking number. 

 

Asked me to wait and after a few minutes they handed me a phone and said to speak to our local delivery woman. Her English was about as good as my Thai but the gist of the matter was that she had left my parcel at the village pharmacy and I should go and pick it up from there.

 

I drove back to the village and across the road from the building that serves as a post office (never seen it actually open) was a pharmacy. Went into the pharmacy and asked them for my parcel, blank looks all round so I called my wife and got her to explain why I was there. Off they went into the back of the shop came back after a few minutes and said no parcel. I'm insisting there must be, they keep saying no and I can see that the women is getting agitated so I leave.

 

I call the post lady and she insists it's at the pharmacy and says its the one across from the police station, except there is no pharmacy across from the main police station. I think about it for a while and then the penny drops, there is a police box at the start of the village and there is a small soi across from it. I drive there and sure enough, there's a pharmacy in that street and they have my parcel. Turns out that the man in the pharmacy is the husband of the post lady. Doesn't really explain why they didn't deliver it to the house but I was just happy to get the parcel. Were they going to wait until I got sick to give it to me?

 

I also went back to the other pharmacy and showed them the parcel, tried to explain the mix-up but by that point I think the owner was convinced that I was a random nutter.

 

Moral of the (longish) story? The Thai post moves in mysterious ways.

Edited August 9, 2023 by nahkit
spelling

[The Fugitive]

8 hours ago, brianthainess said:

I had a PO box, there was a slip inside, ''parcel to collect inside'' went in, where is my parcel please,

''oh your wife came in we gave it to her''

me ''but my wife has gone to visit her Mum 300k away, plus not only does she not have a key, she doesn't even know my POB number"

oh um ah

''I'll have to make a police report''

Oh Um Ah come back at 6pm and we'll have it.

"but you'll be closed''

the sorting office will still be open. Went back at  6pm was handed my parcel.

This was not the first problem with them by far. I stopped having a box, mail went missing often.

You can send an email to head office BKK as i did once and said that i'd give them 7 days to deliver my mail (none for 2yrs), or I would make a police report.  They replied an internal investigation would happen. a few days later 6 months of mail turned up, but that was it. now I get mail about twice a year if I'm lucky.

Terrible. Thieving and hoarding Royal Thai Mail staff at local level. And not resolved even yet as it continues.

[The Fugitive]

5 hours ago, nahkit said:

A few years back I had a registered parcel go missing, the tracker said it had been delivered. I went down to the post office where they had the sorting office and showed them the tracking number. 

 

Asked me to wait and after a few minutes they handed me a phone and said to speak to our local delivery woman. Her English was about as good as my Thai but the gist of the matter was that she had left my parcel at the village pharmacy and I should go and pick it up from there.

 

I drove back to the village and across the road from the building that serves as a post office (never seen it actually open) was a pharmacy. Went into the pharmacy and asked them for my parcel, blank looks all round so I called my wife and got her to explain why I was there. Off they went into the back of the shop came back after a few minutes and said no parcel. I'm insisting there must be, they keep saying no and I can see that the women is getting agitated so I leave.

 

I call the post lady and she insists it's at the pharmacy and says its the one across from the police station, except there is no pharmacy across from the main police station. I think about it for a while and then the penny drops, there is a police box at the start of the village and there is a small soi across from it. I drive there and sure enough, there's a pharmacy in that street and they have my parcel. Turns out that the man in the pharmacy is the husband of the post lady. Doesn't really explain why they didn't deliver it to the house but I was just happy to get the parcel. Were they going to wait until I got sick to give it to me?

 

I also went back to the other pharmacy and showed them the parcel, tried to explain the mix-up but by that point I think the owner was convinced that I was a random nutter.

 

Moral of the (longish) story? The Thai post moves in mysterious ways.

That was difficult! Many of us would never have got there.

[schultzlivgthai]

I just had a parcel sent from the states, priority mail, I had to sign for the delivery. 

[Skipalongcassidy]

21 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Very funny. We received almost no mail for 18 months, and it eventually transpired that the postman thought that actually delivering the mail was too much work so he burned it. Not just mine, but that of those in several villages in the area. Was he arrested? No. He was close to retirement so he just left, no doubt on full pension. He was replaced by a member of our family so now we are certain to receive our mail. I read of another postman who simply took all the mail home with him and kept it in a cupboard.

You must live in the USA... happens all the time everywhere... not only post office but UPS as well... especially around Christmas time

[In the jungle]

On 8/5/2023 at 6:31 PM, In the jungle said:

On outgoing post of consequence I no longer use Thai Post.

 

This year I sent a letter to a UK government department.

 

Letter 1: Thai registered post.  Lost by them in transit.

 

Letter 2: Thai registered post.  Lost by them in transit.

 

Letter 3.  Sent by DHL on 3 August.  Currently at Suvarnabhumi airport.

A follow up on this.

 

The letter sent by DHL arrived at its destination on 7 August.  Cost was less than 1200 Baht.

[The Fugitive]

8 hours ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

You must live in the USA... happens all the time everywhere... not only post office but UPS as well... especially around Christmas time

If it's any consolation, I knew a couple of long-serving posties in the UK. They absolutely hated this!

[The Fugitive]

4 hours ago, In the jungle said:

A follow up on this.

 

The letter sent by DHL arrived at its destination on 7 August.  Cost was less than 1200 Baht.

Can confirm how good DHL are. I sent a letter one Friday afternoon from UK. It was delivered and signed for early Monday morning.

[NanLaew]

On 8/6/2023 at 4:29 PM, BritManToo said:

You report the postman to the police for theft.

He has clearly stolen your parcel.

 

I see from your later post, he decide to hand it over, rather than have you persist.

What evidence do you have to suggest he stole it or planned on keeping it for himself? He obviously did deliver it to the wrong address and ultimately did what he was prodded to do; find it and redeliver.

 

Maybe you subscribe to the notion that all Thai's are dishonest and untrustworthy or they don't like us here? Yes, they are lazy and indolent and some are thieving opportunists but maybe having a farang who can't commincate properly goes a long way towards poor customer service (and online ranting) here?

 

Anyway, looking at the time stamps on the OP's posts, his parcel went missing on Saturday afternoon but turned up a couple of hours later? Or maybe it was a few days later but he only decided to tell us all about it last Saturday?

[patman30]

On 8/5/2023 at 2:13 PM, teriyaki said:

worth several hundreds $

sent by regular post, was there no import tax?

[NanLaew]

On 8/9/2023 at 10:06 AM, Bangkok Barry said:

Very funny. We received almost no mail for 18 months, and it eventually transpired that the postman thought that actually delivering the mail was too much work so he burned it. Not just mine, but that of those in several villages in the area. Was he arrested? No. He was close to retirement so he just left, no doubt on full pension. He was replaced by a member of our family so now we are certain to receive our mail. I read of another postman who simply took all the mail home with him and kept it in a cupboard.

The hiring practises of provincial and rural post offices has been the stuff of legend for at least as long as I have darkened these shores.

 

Not sure if a PO Box is a solution for anything else but letter or small parcel mail. Plenty of shippers refuse to ship to a PO Box but once again, non-standard 'arrangements' have been made out in Bahn Nawk as the chance is the postman (if reliable) knows the address of the PO Box holder and will go the extra mile. You hatrdly ever hear of those feel good stories on this forum though.