Thai Post Office Is Corrupt - My Experience

[farangnahrak]

The summary . . . I was shipping to myself an expensive item that I already owned from home to my address in Bangkok.

Where is my stuff?

The PAD blocking of the airport made my stuff disappear for 2 weeks.

US Post Office said Lak Si Post Office had my stuff.

Lak Si said Sam Sen Nai Post Office had my stuff.

Sam Sen Nai said customs had my stuff, but couldn't give me a phone number or address.

I finally found the address written in Thai hidden on the Customs Thai language only version website.

Customs in corrupt?

Finally found customs, but they said that they not only delivered to the wrong address but also 'lost' my customs forms.

Had to go to a police station to fill out forms to correct for the missing customs forms. 10 baht fee.

Then went through a half dozen officials and forms to get stuff corrected/approved. 10 baht fee, each.

Then they charged me 10% tax and 10% VAT, plus 800 baht 'consulting fee', about 21,000 baht.

<deleted> . . . I have to pay 21% for shipping myself personal stuff?!

Then here is where it got even better. After telling me about the fees, they started whispering and telling me that they'll only charge me 10% if I was willing to meet them outside of the post office and not get a receipt. They asked for a price of 11,000 baht and said they can forge some forms. Pretty much everyone there seemed to be in on it.

Like <deleted>, even the Thai Post Office is *that* corrupt?!?!?!?

I know I was very immoral for doing this, but I agreed to it. A lady handled the forms, and arrived on a motorcycle with this guy and my package. I spoke with her awhile about how to *legally* avoid these fees and apparently there isn't much you can do. Just make sure the sender and receiver name are the same and that the total reported value is under 40k baht, and you'll save yourself a good ~10%.

I asked around and this one Thai guy told me he imports food into Thailand. He said if he doesn't pay the customs officials 'special fees' once every two weeks, customs will hold the food until it expires . . .

It's obvious why the customs fees are 21% - because it fattens the wallets of Post Office officials . . . I'm not going through Thai Customs again if I have a choice. I refuse to financially support the corruption in this country . . .

[womble]

welcome to thailand......

I guess you've been here a short time and have only just started dealing with authorities, beaurocracy and have been initiated into how deep corruption permiates through society.

Get used to it and play the game like the thai's do.

Otherwise you will end up paying more waiting longer and getting frustrated.

Basic rule of thumb, you want anything done quickly, you pay.

By the way those fees in the police station, they too are forms of corruption. You are paying them for their time.

If you ever want something investigated, an accident, a theft etc, pay a little upfront and offer a further payment on completion of task.

play the game, play the game............

[ThaiEye]

And now we got a foreign claiming that the Thai Post Office is corrupt to the bone.

Can we have a little less of this story-telling lark?

[womble]

never seen corrupt post office, just customs. Customs tell post office how much for tax, they collect and pass on. If you want to pay lower tax eigher pick your stuff up from customs or declare lower value on goods and put in invoice with shipment.

[imaneggspurt]

last week i haggled from 4300 baht down to 275 !...... true story,. i had a friend with me we were gobsmacked, that was at lakse,.

[meadish_sweetball]

I have heard people who have a work permit are exempt from customs fee for the first shipment of personal affects from abroad.

I'd appreciate info from anybody who actually knows if this is correct or not.

[yogi]

thai lakh money(thai loves money)

try to show them 100 $ note and you can see a good plastic smile on their face,

toungs out like dog.shining eyes,

[PattayaParent]

I have heard people who have a work permit are exempt from customs fee for the first shipment of personal affects from abroad.

I'd appreciate info from anybody who actually knows if this is correct or not.

I beleive that is true as that is what I was told when I imported personal belongings into Thailand from overseas.

However they arrived before the work permit and I was faced with either paying the import duty, or paying denurrage for Customs to hold my stuff until the WP came.

It was cheaper to pay the Import Duty which as the company was paying was better for me as I got my stuff right away.

[thaihome]

I have heard people who have a work permit are exempt from customs fee for the first shipment of personal affects from abroad.

I'd appreciate info from anybody who actually knows if this is correct or not.

Yes , you get one container for free within the first 6 months (I think) of getting a work permit, also a Thai that has been living overseas for a year gets one free as well.

Thai Customs is generally acknowledged as the most corrupt government organization. No one seems to be able to do anything about it. It is just considered the price of doing business here. Not that unusual in the developing world. Still better then any country in Western Africa.

TH

[LooseCannon]

Nothing too surprising here - at least you got your stuff.

You should try using the Indian Post Office - stamps routinely removed & resold, item consigned to nearest rubbish bin after being looted for anything remotely valuable.

Welcome to the real world, where things we consider to be of little value & not worth the effort, are highly prized & provide a meal for someone (but then again it's probably plain greed).

[feens]

I recall when I first arrived 4 yrs ago and shipped in my two cats and went to the airport to collect them, I was confronted by an "agent" wanting an exorbitant fee (I think circa 20K Baht) to release the cats as the documentation said pedigree cats. New here and not knowing Jai yen yen I ranted and raved, found someone else who realised that even this was a bit over the top and for a few hundred baht ( a reasonable paperwork procesing fee) arranged to get me my cats. Lessons learned - (1) don't accept what is offered first - there is always the option of lot dai mai, (2) sometimes jai rorn works (but use sparingly), (3) not all officials are corrupt buggers as is true of all countries.

Edited December 17, 2008 by feens

[RakJungTorlae]

Just write in Thai. or get a sticker printed if they cant write Thai, to a Thai address, customs let is pass with out a second glance, see English think $$$$$$$

Or beet them at there own game!! pay a police man friend some pocket money For a simple phone call. Problem solved.

[So1DoG]

Everything in thailand is corrupt. Even the police? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO dam_n it.

[girlx]

last week i haggled from 4300 baht down to 275 !...... true story,. i had a friend with me we were gobsmacked, that was at lakse,.

hmm didn't know you could haggle... i just paid 750 baht on a package that was not worth much more than that. bastards.

[imaneggspurt]

last week i haggled from 4300 baht down to 275 !...... true story,. i had a friend with me we were gobsmacked, that was at lakse,.

hmm didn't know you could haggle... i just paid 750 baht on a package that was not worth much more than that. bastards.

You cant haggle at the post office, but if you have to go to laen chabang ( i think its called ) you can, they said to my wife on the phone " come and make an offer " . they try it on thinking you have had the declared value lowered by the sender ( as most do ), so they charge a stupid amount, some pay,.i laughed and got up to walk out,.there was guy that had a copy iphone sent from china, he didnt know whether to tell them it was a copy and have it taken off him or say it was real and pay top dollar customs charges, poor sod,.

[mahtin]

Just write in Thai. or get a sticker printed if they cant write Thai, to a Thai address, customs let is pass with out a second glance, see English think $$$$

Or beet them at there own game!! pay a police man friend some pocket money For a simple phone call. Problem solved.

Nice one

[mommysboy]

The summary . . . I was shipping to myself an expensive item that I already owned from home to my address in Bangkok.

Where is my stuff?

The PAD blocking of the airport made my stuff disappear for 2 weeks.

US Post Office said Lak Si Post Office had my stuff.

Lak Si said Sam Sen Nai Post Office had my stuff.

Sam Sen Nai said customs had my stuff, but couldn't give me a phone number or address.

I finally found the address written in Thai hidden on the Customs Thai language only version website.

Customs in corrupt?

Finally found customs, but they said that they not only delivered to the wrong address but also 'lost' my customs forms.

Had to go to a police station to fill out forms to correct for the missing customs forms. 10 baht fee.

Then went through a half dozen officials and forms to get stuff corrected/approved. 10 baht fee, each.

Then they charged me 10% tax and 10% VAT, plus 800 baht 'consulting fee', about 21,000 baht.

<deleted> . . . I have to pay 21% for shipping myself personal stuff?!

Then here is where it got even better. After telling me about the fees, they started whispering and telling me that they'll only charge me 10% if I was willing to meet them outside of the post office and not get a receipt. They asked for a price of 11,000 baht and said they can forge some forms. Pretty much everyone there seemed to be in on it.

Like <deleted>, even the Thai Post Office is *that* corrupt?!?!?!?

I know I was very immoral for doing this, but I agreed to it. A lady handled the forms, and arrived on a motorcycle with this guy and my package. I spoke with her awhile about how to *legally* avoid these fees and apparently there isn't much you can do. Just make sure the sender and receiver name are the same and that the total reported value is under 40k baht, and you'll save yourself a good ~10%.

I asked around and this one Thai guy told me he imports food into Thailand. He said if he doesn't pay the customs officials 'special fees' once every two weeks, customs will hold the food until it expires . . .

It's obvious why the customs fees are 21% - because it fattens the wallets of Post Office officials . . . I'm not going through Thai Customs again if I have a choice. I refuse to financially support the corruption in this country . . .

It's a bit much being part of it and then coming on here and spilling the beans- want to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds eh?

I send out quite a few and then some parcels and amazingly most make it, unless going to France, Italy and Nigeria.

But last year I did have a whole batch go missing which was quite upsetting, and then another, the manner suggested a problem very close to the Post Office IMHO.

[farangnahrak]

I guess I haven't been in BKK that long . . . I knew the police/gov't was entirely corrupt, but didn't think something as innocent as a mail man would try to rip me off for 21k baht! Usually when I get ripped off its no more than 100 baht - too small to care about it.

I have heard people who have a work permit are exempt from customs fee for the first shipment of personal affects from abroad.

I'd appreciate info from anybody who actually knows if this is correct or not.

Yes , you get one container for free within the first 6 months (I think) of getting a work permit, also a Thai that has been living overseas for a year gets one free as well.

Thai Customs is generally acknowledged as the most corrupt government organization. No one seems to be able to do anything about it. It is just considered the price of doing business here. Not that unusual in the developing world. Still better then any country in Western Africa.

I think the lady said you had to be in Thailand for at least 6 months before you can take advantage of this . . . but I probably remember wrong.

A simple way to eliminate the corruption is to greatly reduce the VAT and taxes. Criminals go where the money is

Its not like the gov't will actually see that money! But alas, they wouldn't care about a random rant in this forum anyway. . . In the mean time, this country will continue to remain poor until they get their act straight . . .

Nothing too surprising here - at least you got your stuff.

You should try using the Indian Post Office - stamps routinely removed & resold, item consigned to nearest rubbish bin after being looted for anything remotely valuable.

But last year I did have a whole batch go missing which was quite upsetting, and then another, the manner suggested a problem very close to the Post Office IMHO.

Given my faith/experience in Thailand, to be honest, I was 20% sure my items would just disappear completely. As such, I only mailed 20% of my stuff to 'test' the Thai mail system.

Now that I've wizened up a bit I can now ship my other stuff. I might just look into UPS or FedEx again . . . much higher shipping prices, but might be worth it considering the hassle, delays, corruption, and potential losses . . .

I recall when I first arrived 4 yrs ago and shipped in my two cats and went to the airport to collect them, I was confronted by an "agent" wanting an exorbitant fee (I think circa 20K Baht)

I suspect he set that price that high simply because he kept getting away with it. Farang aren't suckers, they trust other people to be honest with them, and they simple can't memorize the laws of every country they travel too. Especially when everyone makes up the laws as they go . . .

Just write in Thai. or get a sticker printed if they cant write Thai, to a Thai address, customs let is pass with out a second glance, see English think $$

Or beet them at there own game!! pay a police man friend some pocket money For a simple phone call. Problem solved.

I actually asked a Thai friend to use her name to avoid the typical 'farang tax'. Didn't work. You're right, I need to make friends with an officer . . . or jeep up a girl at customs

[terrier123]

I don't have enough time to read ALL the replies but the sheer volume shows just how many foreigners are disgusted with the Thai Post Office -- In order to qualify that statement from my own experiences, having lived in PATTAYA for almost 2 years from December 2000 I guess 75% of my mail from UK (mainly from the British Government) disappeared. The problem became so huge that I requested an investigation. The sub-postmaster from Banglamung called in for an interview and expressed great regret and would look into the problem. A large quantity of old mail suddenly appeared and things improved for a while -- then back to normal. I moved to Isaan almost 7 years ago and I don't know of 1 letter that has not arrived during that time. Congrats to Udon Thani and Nakhon Phanom Post Offices for their efficiency, honesty and integrity -- as for the rest -- up to you

[mommysboy]

I don't have enough time to read ALL the replies but the sheer volume shows just how many foreigners are disgusted with the Thai Post Office -- In order to qualify that statement from my own experiences, having lived in PATTAYA for almost 2 years from December 2000 I guess 75% of my mail from UK (mainly from the British Government) disappeared. The problem became so huge that I requested an investigation. The sub-postmaster from Banglamung called in for an interview and expressed great regret and would look into the problem. A large quantity of old mail suddenly appeared and things improved for a while -- then back to normal. I moved to Isaan almost 7 years ago and I don't know of 1 letter that has not arrived during that time. Congrats to Udon Thani and Nakhon Phanom Post Offices for their efficiency, honesty and integrity -- as for the rest -- up to you

You need to make time then- sheer volume?? there's only 20 or so postings and some contradict OP. Also Thai Post Office? you express satisfaction with Udon Thani and Nakhon Phanom, are these Laos post then?

[mahtin]

You need to make time then- sheer volume?? there's only 20 or so postings and some contradict OP. Also Thai Post Office? you express satisfaction with Udon Thani and Nakhon Phanom, are these Laos post then?

Similar: letter to Sri Racha never delivered. All to Khon Kaen province arrived safely.

Not Lao Post, just poot lao

[dumball]

Just write in Thai. or get a sticker printed if they cant write Thai, to a Thai address, customs let is pass with out a second glance, see English think $$$$

Or beet them at there own game!! pay a police man friend some pocket money For a simple phone call. Problem solved.

Nice one

Corrupt also , my , my , you impress me , ask me why i left a long time ago ? Almost ready to leave the whole of Asia behind as a bad experience , most of you just do not get the message , s_it only is acceptable as long as the toilet roll lasts , mine is pretty thin at this time .

[JoeThePoster]

pay a police man friend some pocket money For a simple phone call. Problem solved.

Fight fire with fire....

[farangnahrak]

Here is a question . . . ok so customs is corrupt for packages coming into Thailand. But what about packages leaving Thailand?

Will customs hit me with another large tax or VAT? I looked into rates at the Thai Post Office for a 10lb package. If I remember right, it was ~3000 baht for 2+ week delivery, or ~4000 baht for 1 week delivery. But if I had to make a bet, the system is set up to where they won't ask for tea money until they are holding my package in customs as hostage . . .

Keep in mind this is a very expensive collection of items I'm shipping, a nice xmas gift for any corrupt official . . .

Then I looked into UPS, which is ~4500 baht for 2 day delivery. Probably the best way to go for outbound packages. Does Thai customs have their claws on UPS outgoing mail?

And does anyone know US policy on stuff being imported from Thailand? Would the US hit me for fees if the sender/receiver are the same name? What is the maximum dollar amount before US customs takes interest in what I'm shipping?

[imaneggspurt]

Here is a question . . . ok so customs is corrupt for packages coming into Thailand. But what about packages leaving Thailand?

Will customs hit me with another large tax or VAT? I looked into rates at the Thai Post Office for a 10lb package. If I remember right, it was ~3000 baht for 2+ week delivery, or ~4000 baht for 1 week delivery. But if I had to make a bet, the system is set up to where they won't ask for tea money until they are holding my package in customs as hostage . . .

Keep in mind this is a very expensive collection of items I'm shipping, a nice xmas gift for any corrupt official . . .

Then I looked into UPS, which is ~4500 baht for 2 day delivery. Probably the best way to go for outbound packages. Does Thai customs have their claws on UPS outgoing mail?

And does anyone know US policy on stuff being imported from Thailand? Would the US hit me for fees if the sender/receiver are the same name? What is the maximum dollar amount before US customs takes interest in what I'm shipping?

Never had a problem with an export,use EMS id say, lower the content value to $50 and say "gift, not for resale ",. .in 1000s of sent items we never had a problem with this,.

[sassienie]

The summary . . . I was shipping to myself an expensive item that I already owned from home to my address in Bangkok.

Where is my stuff?

The PAD blocking of the airport made my stuff disappear for 2 weeks.

US Post Office said Lak Si Post Office had my stuff.

Lak Si said Sam Sen Nai Post Office had my stuff.

Sam Sen Nai said customs had my stuff, but couldn't give me a phone number or address.

I finally found the address written in Thai hidden on the Customs Thai language only version website.

Customs in corrupt?

Finally found customs, but they said that they not only delivered to the wrong address but also 'lost' my customs forms.

Had to go to a police station to fill out forms to correct for the missing customs forms. 10 baht fee.

Then went through a half dozen officials and forms to get stuff corrected/approved. 10 baht fee, each.

Then they charged me 10% tax and 10% VAT, plus 800 baht 'consulting fee', about 21,000 baht.

<deleted> . . . I have to pay 21% for shipping myself personal stuff?!

Then here is where it got even better. After telling me about the fees, they started whispering and telling me that they'll only charge me 10% if I was willing to meet them outside of the post office and not get a receipt. They asked for a price of 11,000 baht and said they can forge some forms. Pretty much everyone there seemed to be in on it.

Like <deleted>, even the Thai Post Office is *that* corrupt?!?!?!?

I know I was very immoral for doing this, but I agreed to it. A lady handled the forms, and arrived on a motorcycle with this guy and my package. I spoke with her awhile about how to *legally* avoid these fees and apparently there isn't much you can do. Just make sure the sender and receiver name are the same and that the total reported value is under 40k baht, and you'll save yourself a good ~10%.

I asked around and this one Thai guy told me he imports food into Thailand. He said if he doesn't pay the customs officials 'special fees' once every two weeks, customs will hold the food until it expires . . .

It's obvious why the customs fees are 21% - because it fattens the wallets of Post Office officials . . . I'm not going through Thai Customs again if I have a choice. I refuse to financially support the corruption in this country . . .

I do not understand your complaint.

If you are so very anti corruption, why did you not pay the official 21% rather than participate with the corrupt scheme?

Surely this makes you as bad as the others who are involved in these shady deals, plus you are also fueling corruption with your money.

[ajarnmark]

thai lakh money(thai loves money)

try to show them 100 $ note and you can see a good plastic smile on their face,

toungs out like dog.shining eyes,

I have seen this attitudes in all nationalities and races. Whether Indians, Chinese, Americans, Eurpoeans or Africans.

What do you like, if you dont like money?

So bad you think everyone is same.

[farangnahrak]

In an ironic twist . . . apparently my friends sisters husband is friends with the chief customs official in Isaan . . . who knew?

Anyway, due to this connection, I got to stay in his luxury cabin house up on a mountain for several days . . . a really relaxing experience. The official wasn't there though, so never met the guy. He owns quite a lot of land there too, with full time people to take care of it all.

[phetpeter]

My daughter is now 4 yrs old. and thanks to the Thai postal sevice, she has not recieved one of her 4 yrs worth of brithday cards or christmas cards, Why? because the postmen are nearly 100 per cent certain they are of value. (cash inside)

The sheer greed on anything that could represent some value. They could at least open it find nothing and still send it on!

[astral]

I have found that if there likely to by customs duty you are much better off using

a courier, rather than the PO.