The last few times I went to the post office to send a parcel back home, I was told my parcel was not packed properly and asked to use one of the official white cardboard boxes provided by the post office, for a few Bahts... I don't necessarily mind the price, but I like to re-use the boxes lying around my house (reduce-reuse-recycle and all).

So, is the white box really compulsory, or is there a way around it?

Better use that white string also !

Second the string

As originally said, it is only a few baht, and it gets there. And pay the registered and airmail priority fee. I really can't answer as to why, but the only time I didnt do it their way, it never arrived..

So, is the white box really compulsory, or is there a way around it?

IME, compulsory and no way round it.

And if you send a parcel as a 'small packet', my local post office insists it is not sealed (with the string and sticky tape) before the weigh it. I have no idea why.

It’s not entirely compulsory.

In a big shopping area out towards swampy, the post office directed me to a parcel packing service in the stationary shop across from the post office whenever I wanted to send large or unusual shaped parcels.

I use the white boxes whenever I can as I find them convenient.

Second the string

As originally said, it is only a few baht, and it gets there. And pay the registered and airmail priority fee. I really can't answer as to why, but the only time I didnt do it their way, it never arrived..

I've sent packages by registered air mail that haven't arrived, I've tried to trace them thru the registration but the PO is unwilling/unable to do so. So even though it's only a small amount, the registration seems useless.

Overall the post system in Thailand seems reliable, whether or not an item arrives seems to have more to do with the destination than anything else. Austrlia, UK, Canada and most of Europe are very reliable.

Italy and France are unreliable, never send there unless it's EMS!

The USA is OK, but not great.

I use the white boxes, they make it easier for customs to check contents, which I figure increases the chances of items arriving in one piece.

Thanks all for taking the time to answer a rather mundane question. Quite clearly the white box policy is pretty consistent across the board... I'll start thinking of other uses for my old boxes.

If you bind up the old boxes after flattening them, you can sell them by weight to the many recycle shops around and take those funds to buy the white boxes.

I even re-sent a received white box with no difficulty, just pasted a label over the writing of the original which is on the box itself

I've sent packages by registered air mail that haven't arrived, I've tried to trace them thru the registration but the PO is unwilling/unable to do so. So even though it's only a small amount, the registration seems useless.

This is how you trace a package online:

1.) With the registration number you check for the time it was sent on Thai Postal website.

(http://track.thailandpost.co.th/trackinternet/Default.aspx?lang=en)

2.) If you sent it to US, then you would look for the package on US post website, same registration number. They will have all the details from the time it arrived in US. You start looking after 10 days or more.

(http://www.usps.com/shipping/trackandconfirm.htm?from=home&page=0035trackandconfirm)

I've sent stuff home and emailed people the day it was ready for pickup at their local post office. There is always the possibility tracking will fail to be entered in a database, that must be pretty rare, everything is automated and barcoded.

Use the official boxes.

The bin pickers will handle the re-cycling thinngy on your behalf

Naka.

If you're sending something to Sweden (and probably many other countries these days), don't forget to declare on the outside of the parcel what it contains, as well as the price.

Last time my parcel got stuck in Swedish customs because I had not added any such declaration, and I as well as the recipient had to write to them and explain before they would send it on. The white boxes in Thailand have no space to write this on, and the people at the Chiang Mai Post Office did not tell us it would be necessary.

I've been able to use boxes I'd already packed my parcel into by going next door to have the box wrapped with the red and white string.

I've also sent packages to the US, white box or not, no declaration. In some cases there was evidence that the package was opened along the way by somebody - for inspection of one kind or another.

UC

I've been able to use boxes I'd already packed my parcel into by going next door to have the box wrapped with the red and white string.

I've also sent packages to the US, white box or not, no declaration. In some cases there was evidence that the package was opened along the way by somebody - for inspection of one kind or another.

UC

Upcountry, thanks for your input. Were you allowed to close the box with adhesive tape, or only with the string?

So, is the white box really compulsory, or is there a way around it?

IME, compulsory and no way round it.

And if you send a parcel as a 'small packet', my local post office insists it is not sealed (with the string and sticky tape) before the weigh it. I have no idea why.

I posted a parcel back to the UK a few weeks ago and used tape to stick it closed.

Post Office said that if I had used string instead it would have been cheaper to send because it would have been easy for customs to open if they had to!