Iphone 4 Shipping From Us

[shariq607]

Hi there

I have a friend Living in US I called him Up and asked him to Ship the iphone 4 for me to Bkk it costs 599 usd without contract and unlocking is now possible

However i am afraid i would end up paying high Customs

So what do you think Which Delivery company Should i use And is there a way to save myself from heavy taxes??

Would it be a good idea to import it from States ?

thanks

[mightyharriss]

hello Shariq

how are you. I probably would recommend against it, I had an unchipped xbox shipped here a couple of years ago(which i've now sold but want a new one). It cost 15,000 baht at the time and they charged me 5230 in Tax and import. Bit expensive if you ask me. However if you do... FEDEX is the best route to go and make sure it is by YOUR SIGNATURE ONLY

[shariq607]

hello Shariq

how are you. I probably would recommend against it, I had an unchipped xbox shipped here a couple of years ago(which i've now sold but want a new one). It cost 15,000 baht at the time and they charged me 5230 in Tax and import. Bit expensive if you ask me. However if you do... FEDEX is the best route to go and make sure it is by YOUR SIGNATURE ONLY

Hey how Are you My friend? someone told me that if you order using usps It would be better plus marking it as a gift and lowering The value what do you think??

I think its a good idea as in thailand it costs 30000 baht

[gotlost]

Your choice of courier makes no difference. Customs is going to put their on value on it and you will have to pay it.

[Theo007]

Yes, expect to pay a high import duty. I imported a second hand phone from Australia and had to pay 1,500 baht, about 30% of value.

[taninthai]

Yes, expect to pay a high import duty. I imported a second hand phone from Australia and had to pay 1,500 baht, about 30% of value.

if you could get an iphone sent for only 1,500it would be a good deal ,however if they hit you for 30% of iphone value say 30% 30,000 bht then no way.............there is your problem.

[nikster]

Your choice of courier makes no difference. Customs is going to put their on value on it and you will have to pay it.

You are misinformed.

USPS - or normal post "ground" shipping - is almost never checked. I have had many things sent to me from the USA (iPad, for example) and from the UK (2 iPhones), and it all passed through without paying a Baht.

On the other hand, on the few occasions when I have used FedEx or UPS, I got nailed for customs every time. Every single time.

I believe it has to do with the volume and value of packages. Courier services goods are usually higher value (and certainly have higher shipping cost, which is part of the customs fees). But more importantly, there isn't all that much coming into the country via courier services, so customs can check a large percentage of packages. Whereas the number of packages coming via post service is so high that there's no way customs could check them all, or even check a significant proportion.

As for the iPhone have your friend verify if it has 4.0.2 installed - in that case you can't unlock it, so don't do it. Also the price is way too high, why pay 599 USD when it's 550 in HK, factory unlocked? And since it's 550 in HK, we can assume that the price in Thailand won't be all that much higher when it's released here (also factory unlocked).

[Lost in LOS]

Your choice of courier makes no difference. Customs is going to put their on value on it and you will have to pay it.

You are misinformed.

USPS - or normal post "ground" shipping - is almost never checked. I have had many things sent to me from the USA (iPad, for example) and from the UK (2 iPhones), and it all passed through without paying a Baht.

On the other hand, on the few occasions when I have used FedEx or UPS, I got nailed for customs every time. Every single time.

I believe it has to do with the volume and value of packages. Courier services goods are usually higher value (and certainly have higher shipping cost, which is part of the customs fees). But more importantly, there isn't all that much coming into the country via courier services, so customs can check a large percentage of packages. Whereas the number of packages coming via post service is so high that there's no way customs could check them all, or even check a significant proportion.

As for the iPhone have your friend verify if it has 4.0.2 installed - in that case you can't unlock it, so don't do it. Also the price is way too high, why pay 599 USD when it's 550 in HK, factory unlocked? And since it's 550 in HK, we can assume that the price in Thailand won't be all that much higher when it's released here (also factory unlocked).

Can you tell me how I can get one from hongkong like yours?

[shariq607]

Your choice of courier makes no difference. Customs is going to put their on value on it and you will have to pay it.

You are misinformed.

USPS - or normal post "ground" shipping - is almost never checked. I have had many things sent to me from the USA (iPad, for example) and from the UK (2 iPhones), and it all passed through without paying a Baht.

On the other hand, on the few occasions when I have used FedEx or UPS, I got nailed for customs every time. Every single time.

I believe it has to do with the volume and value of packages. Courier services goods are usually higher value (and certainly have higher shipping cost, which is part of the customs fees). But more importantly, there isn't all that much coming into the country via courier services, so customs can check a large percentage of packages. Whereas the number of packages coming via post service is so high that there's no way customs could check them all, or even check a significant proportion.

As for the iPhone have your friend verify if it has 4.0.2 installed - in that case you can't unlock it, so don't do it. Also the price is way too high, why pay 599 USD when it's 550 in HK, factory unlocked? And since it's 550 in HK, we can assume that the price in Thailand won't be all that much higher when it's released here (also factory unlocked).

So Usps does really make A difference Do you Think Should i tell my friend to Mark down the value Plus the mark it as Gift?? would that help more??

Also In hong kong isnt the iphone 4 650 usd ??

Do you think the iphone 4 is back in stocks in the us ??

[Lost in LOS]

This is why I am going to get it hand delivered or buy it here. I am waiting for 4 weeks for some cookies from the US that should be here in 6-8 days. USPS. they are probally having a party at the post office

You had mail

Story By Onsiri Pravattiyagul

The Bangkok Post 16. April 2001

Where has all the mail gone? Some of it is lost, some stolen and most

remain a mystery.

That cheque still in the post? Waiting for something that never

arrives? As complaints about Thailand's postal service arrive thick

and fast, what options do the public have for a better, safer way to

get their mail?

The Thai postal system is slow and parcels often go astray. This can

lead to all sorts of trouble, from a favourite magazine taking far too

long to arrive, to problems with creditors who fail to receive

payments you sent weeks before.

Lost and delayed mail might have been grudgingly accepted in the past,

but in today's world of instant electronic communication, having to

rely on the postal service-so-called "snail mail"-can be most

frustrating.

Kanitha Kungsawanich should know-her June issue of National Geographic

arrived in September. To make matters worse, only three more issues

arrived at her door-all delivered in December-before they stopped

coming altogether.

"I am angry and frustrated. I paid good money for the magazine

subscription and I want to read the magazines. I emailed National

Geographic and they said they had already sent them," Kanitha said.

"So where are they?"

Then there's the case of Arthur Dawkins, a long-time resident of

Thailand. His friends and family feared he was dead since they did not

receive any word from him since he left England for Thailand five

years ago.

Dawkins was amazed. "At Christmas, two friends arrived unexpectedly.

They said, 'What a relief! We and a lot of people in England thought

you were dead! Not heard from you in ages!"'

In a letter of complaint to Outlook Consumer, Dawkins said he, too,

was surprised: He had sent mail to his family and friends but none of

it had been received.

"What a disgrace for the Thai postal service. Who is the big boss of

this lot? He should be ashamed. He and the rest of his cronies are not

doing their jobs," he said.

Dawkins believes his mail was stolen.

In another letter of complaint received by Outlook Consumer, David

Richardson, a 10-year Pattaya resident, concurred. He is certain that

some postal workers are thieves.

"Ten weeks ago, the two magazines I subscribe to-Aviation Week & Space

Technology and Airways-ceased being delivered," Richardson said. "It

has come to my attention that somebody in the postal system is selling

my magazines."

When such incidents arise and investigations follow, all fingers point

to the Communications Authority of Thailand (CAT) which oversees the

Thailand Post.

Woodtipong Moleechad, CAT vice-president for Postal System and

Development, admitted quite frankly to Outlook Consumer there was an

ongoing problem.

Last year alone, the CAT received 13,776 complaints on lost or delayed

domestic mail items; similar complaints on international mail packages

stood at 14,730. These included all types of mail from regular,

insured, certified and registered, to parcels and EMS.

The CAT handled approximately 1.5 billion pieces of mail last year.

The CAT reported there were 2,215 lost or delayed pieces, costing the

CAT about two million baht in compensation. (See graphic.)

The CAT staff and their procedures are themselves root causes for the

disappearance of mail, Woodtipong said.

Such theft usually occurs in the sorting rooms, he said.

"Our staff do steal. We normally have to sack about six to seven staff

members every month. We consider theft a serious offence, but you have

to understand that the 10,000-something staff can't all be as decent

as good monks."

He blames greed and extravagant living as major factors in staff

dishonesty.

"They often spend more than they earn. They don't grasp the concept of

'sufficient living', so they steal."

For security measures, the CAT has installed closed-circuit cameras to

prevent mail theft in the sorting rooms-to no avail.

"They [mail thieves] are well aware of where the cameras are, so they

know how to avoid them," Woodtipong said with a sigh.

"We also have supervisors who monitor the performance of the staff."

To assume that they work as a team to steal mail is an unproven

allegation, he adds, although many believe that such teamwork is quite

common at the Thailand Post.

Asked if there was any truth in reports of mafia involvement, with

members working internally to steal magazines, especially those that

are imported, or cutting out rare stamps and selling them, Woodtipong

simply nodded.

"Yes, there are organised gangs. We boot them out in bulk when we

catch them. Some cooperate with overseas criminals to steal credit

cards from envelopes. Our staff are naive. They sell the cards for

5,000 baht each while the foreign crooks fraudulently ring up five

million baht on them. It's our staff that suffers the consequences,"

Woodtipong said.

"There was also an incident with one of our mail carriers who got

drunk and failed to deliver all the mail under his responsibility on a

certain day. The next day, he felt overloaded with all the extra mail,

thinking he would be unable to distribute it all, so he sought an easy

way out-he burned all the letters."

He was fired.

It is crystal clear that more efficient and stringent recruitment is

crucial in bettering the overall service. But Woodtipong still doesn't

predict substantial improvement in mail handling even should the CAT

offer higher pay or extensive training, because greed persists.

To cope with these problems, the CAT has introduced the elaborate

technology of optical character recognition (OCR) which reads area

codes and separates mail accordingly. However, the technology is not

fool-proof as it requires standardised envelopes with addresses

printed clearly.

"Only 50 percent of mail can be processed with the OCR, the rest is

done manually."

"A sorting error will cause a delay. Delivery errors are also

responsible for missing mail since unintended recipients rarely inform

us that we've sent mail to the wrong address," Woodtipong explained.

He added that it was human nature to "snoop" in other people's mail,

even to tamper with it.

"Can you believe that people who live in a 20-million baht condominium

steal their neighbour's mail? ... Sometimes they do."

Against this corruption and mismanagement, and bizarre human

behaviour, stand various monitoring procedures.

A "monitor check", for example, is carried out a couple of days each

week to inspect post office work flow. Two persons are appointed to

pick apart every process, said Chanya Wacharapibul, CAT's senior

director for the Postal Quality Control Department.

Another procedure is the quality check, which determines how many

sorting errors have been made by double-checking every mail bag.

Post offices, both local and district, carry out these quality checks

on a routine basis, Chanya said.

There are similar problems on the international front, and the airport

is precisely where international mail problems either take off or

land.

Woodtipong says the "country of origin"-in this case, Thailand-isn't

always solely to blame.

"The customs departments of other countries are just as fussy as ever.

In one country in particular, mail from Thailand is singled out and

'neatly' piled up in a corner where it waits for a sniffer dog to

check it. By doing that, they are putting such mail at risk. Legally

speaking, our mail handling responsibility stops at Don Muang airport.

Once the mail hits the plane, it's out of our control."

Woodtipong and Chanya agree that the CAT is not solely to blame.

"We have traced some of the problems back to customers. Sometimes they

put the wrong address on the package or pack their stuff in

badly-sealed, breakable packages. We have issued a rule not to enclose

items such as bank notes or pornography, but customers do it anyway,"

said Woodtipong.

"For example, illegal Thai workers in foreign countries always sneak

money in their letters back home. Because of their illegal status,

they can't send money through the proper channels. Thus, their risk of

losing that money is high."

He insists that not all lost mail is actually stolen. Some gets lost

simply because the postman cannot determine the right destination. A

fundamental factor contributing to this problem is the increased

complexity of various communities across the country.

"The house-numbering system in Thailand is a big mess. New roads

appear here and there in an unorganised manner. Communities everywhere

keep on changing geographically and the mail senders have no clue as

to these changes," Woodtipong said.

To help postmen navigate the labyrinth that is Bangkok, Woodtipong

said the CAT has tried to work with other government agencies to allow

postmen to keep themselves updated on physical changes in the

metropolis.

As Bangkok expands, mail carriers find it even harder to deliver mail

to the recipient's door because of security measures.

"Our postmen often have to leave mail under the care of building

superintendents. Sometimes, these superintendents fail to pass the

mail on to the building's residents and thus, the real receivers never

see their mail," Chanya said.

Is there any hope for anxious consumers?

"EMS always helps since they have a tracking system and sorting is

done in a special room. Also, try not to sent valuable or illegal

items through the mail," Woodtipong said.

"Put the correct address and area code on all correspondence. Always

wrap your mail up nice and tight," Chanya added.

And if that's not enough?

"Then I think we will have to boot all the staff and put robots to

work!" Woodtipong said.

- The CAT has provided channels for public complaints about lost mail.

Investigations will follow. In the case of Arthur Dawkins, the CAT

confirmed, after an investigation, that there was no undelivered mail

in the post office at Nakhon Ratchasima where Mr Dawkins lives. As for

David Richardson's case, the CAT said his mail is regularly delivered

to his ...