Lost Mail

[bankruatsteve]

Hi. I did some searching but didn't find any constructive suggestions to find lost mail. So, here's my situation:

Both my daughters (from USA) sent me xmas mail about mid-Dec. This is to an Udon Thani province village. My ding-dong daughter sent a package containing food items (trail mix, beef jerky) but the other one just sent a letter (as in Christmas card). As of this date neither has arrived.

Now then, I have lived in Thailand for 17 years and have ALWAYS got my mail - including packages (but that's when I lived in Bangkok and Buriram). So, the Udon address is the only thing new.

So, the question is... does anybody have experience or know how to track down packages/mail that should have come but didn't? I don't need to hear how the stuff should have been sent. I'm just interested if anybody knows how to find it when it didn't arrive. And, NO - there was not any tracking on either of them. (in the past, that was never needed. )

Edited February 1, 2010 by bankruatsteve

[britmaveric]

Check with Somchai the mailman - I'm sure he has smth to do with its disappearance.

[londonthai]

yes, looks like the village postman is to blame - the next time send to some address in a town. If you don't have a friend there, even making an arragement with a hotel/guesthouse owner/manager might be a solution

[bunta71]

I recieve only about 20% of the mail and packages sent to my address. The expensive Blood Pressure monitor with the x-large cuff that is not available for sale in Thailand was mailed from America about six months ago. The latest was my wifes Philippine police clearance mailed from the Philippines over three months ago...

[chickenslegs]

My local post office has a cupboard full of mail that can't be delivered for various reasons.

Main reasons seem to be:

1. address not legible or incorrect

2. some excise duty is payable and the customer was not home when the postie tried to deliver

A good starting point would be to speak to the local postmaster.

[Atmos]

is a PO box available where you live?

I have given up - silly people persisted in sending me Xmas gifts from Scotland and NZ - not one arrived, but some ordinary mail/cards etc gets here. It's only when someone emails saying 'did you get my card' that I'm aware something has gone astray. I don't know who to blame - could be at customs, any of the stages of mail I guess Chalong mail has gone via sorting centres in Bangkok, Phuket then the local one.

Same problem for friends here, our solution we've rented a PO Box and had a key cut each. Hopefully this will improve the average, but only if the problem is with the local postman or we're back to square one.

[thaimiller]

I got a P.O box 5 years ago and everything gets delivered there. From what i am aware off nothing has gone missing. The only things I get delivered to the house are utility bills.

[senshusband]

Last year, November, my wife and I were together in the U.S. and her mother was in need of some money. As my wife and I were stretching our money and had little coming back in at the time, we decided to send Mom about 2 baht gold bracelets. We sent some candy for the nieces and nephews, shirts, and other things and put the gold inside a teddy bear. I figured it wouldn't be too noticeable if it were x-rayed. However, we insured it for $1,600. I mean, hel_l, if it does get stolen, at least I could get some back. Well, it got to Udon Thani and Mom and Nuch (sister) went to pick it up. "That will be B9,000 please". Needless to say, while Mom was at the post office talking to my wife, we politely told them to not touch it and make them send it back to us. Since then, we called a person in Bangkok and the U.S. trying to find out the exact location of the package, to no avail. We were told by the man in Bangkok that it would be put on a boat and that it could be 2-3 months getting it. Also, he seems awfully shady in that he wanted to help us a little too much. He wanted us to more or less allow him the package so that he could send it a different way, out of the kindness of his heart, of course. I declined and reminded him that tampering with mail in the U.S. is a federal offense, which probably doesn't hold up in shady post offices in Thailand. We are still waiting. I hope that it isn't lost. Oh well, live and learn, right.

[h90]

Last year, November, my wife and I were together in the U.S. and her mother was in need of some money. As my wife and I were stretching our money and had little coming back in at the time, we decided to send Mom about 2 baht gold bracelets. We sent some candy for the nieces and nephews, shirts, and other things and put the gold inside a teddy bear. I figured it wouldn't be too noticeable if it were x-rayed. However, we insured it for $1,600. I mean, hel_l, if it does get stolen, at least I could get some back. Well, it got to Udon Thani and Mom and Nuch (sister) went to pick it up. "That will be B9,000 please". Needless to say, while Mom was at the post office talking to my wife, we politely told them to not touch it and make them send it back to us. Since then, we called a person in Bangkok and the U.S. trying to find out the exact location of the package, to no avail. We were told by the man in Bangkok that it would be put on a boat and that it could be 2-3 months getting it. Also, he seems awfully shady in that he wanted to help us a little too much. He wanted us to more or less allow him the package so that he could send it a different way, out of the kindness of his heart, of course. I declined and reminded him that tampering with mail in the U.S. is a federal offense, which probably doesn't hold up in shady post offices in Thailand. We are still waiting. I hope that it isn't lost. Oh well, live and learn, right.

smuggling gold in a teddy bear, but telling that the postman is shady :D

[neuf]

Last year, November, my wife and I were together in the U.S. and her mother was in need of some money. As my wife and I were stretching our money and had little coming back in at the time, we decided to send Mom about 2 baht gold bracelets. We sent some candy for the nieces and nephews, shirts, and other things and put the gold inside a teddy bear. I figured it wouldn't be too noticeable if it were x-rayed. However, we insured it for $1,600. I mean, hel_l, if it does get stolen, at least I could get some back. Well, it got to Udon Thani and Mom and Nuch (sister) went to pick it up. "That will be B9,000 please". Needless to say, while Mom was at the post office talking to my wife, we politely told them to not touch it and make them send it back to us. Since then, we called a person in Bangkok and the U.S. trying to find out the exact location of the package, to no avail. We were told by the man in Bangkok that it would be put on a boat and that it could be 2-3 months getting it. Also, he seems awfully shady in that he wanted to help us a little too much. He wanted us to more or less allow him the package so that he could send it a different way, out of the kindness of his heart, of course. I declined and reminded him that tampering with mail in the U.S. is a federal offense, which probably doesn't hold up in shady post offices in Thailand. We are still waiting. I hope that it isn't lost. Oh well, live and learn, right.

Just FYI, mailing jewlery to Thailand is prohibited, according to the USPS IMM Thailand (why can't I post a link? Google "USPS IMM Thailand") so I'm impressed it even got that far:

Prohibitions

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Coins; banknotes; currency notes (paper money); traveler's checks; securities payable to bearer; platinum, gold or silver (manufactured or not); precious stones; jewelry; and other valuable articles.

Firing caps and charged metal cartridges for small arms and non-explosive parts of artillery fuses.

Restrictions

Firearms, air guns, and their accessories, require special authorization from the Government; however, toy air guns for children as well as firearms and air guns kept exclusively as curios may be imported without permit.

[senshusband]

Well, it was gold that was bought in Thailand. That is why we sent it. I figured that we could get a better return for it seeing as it was obviously Thai jewelry. Was it dumb? Definately. But Mom and Dad are quite old (upper 70's) failing health and lazy f'n kids that won't take care of them. I was doing what I could and hopefully karma will shine a little light on me and I get it back. So yeah, I was trying to smuggle it per se, just returning it to where it came from.

[Travel2003]

Whatever is sent from back home, my family always make sure it is sent by one of the courier companies (DHL, etc).

Always reach me here in Thailand.

But regular post (cards and letters) never reach me.

have a feeling it is the same here as in Phillipines. The open to see if there is money inside.

[lungbing]

And now the UK government are asking us to send our passports for renewal through the post to Hong Kong!

How many are going to go missing before that idea is rescinded?