Thai Post Office

[sappersrest]

I required some documents for signature to be sent urgently to the UK, posted Tuesday afternoon at a Chiang Mai post office arrived in the UK Thursday and on my doorstep Friday tracked all the way .

Great service for 900 Bhat. To send them back the same way, express delivery will cost £52 (2500 Bhat) Royal Mail, or £58 DHL.

I hope this information will be useful for others.

[Rancid]

I have noticed a few people say they have had probems with things missing in the post or high import taxes. Every experience I have had has been good, everything sent arrived and everything ordered in likewise. Occasionally on a larger item some minimal tax but usually not. My local post office is fine and their service is quite good.

[TongueThaied]

I have nothing but prasie for Thai Post. Fast, reliable and inexpensive. The US Postal Service should send some people over hear to learn how to run a postal system. Domestically, I shipped an aluminum trailer frame that I had fabricated in Chiangmai by post back home to Phitsanlok and it cost only 250 baht! You can ship motorcycles, refrigerators and bicycles at similar rates!

I have heard some people mention losing things, but all of them were in Phuket, Bangkok or Chiangmai, where corruption is more rampant. I have shipped and received(international) tens of thousands of dollars (US) worth of stuff and have never lost anything, Only a couple of times have I had to pay a small amount of duty, but it was because the sender failed to label the package as I requested (hand write label and use no commercial names as sender). If you receive a package by UPS, FedEx or DHL, you better bend over cause their gonna nail you hard every time. Post is best.

[chiang mai]

I have nothing but prasie for Thai Post. Fast, reliable and inexpensive. The US Postal Service should send some people over hear to learn how to run a postal system. Domestically, I shipped an aluminum trailer frame that I had fabricated in Chiangmai by post back home to Phitsanlok and it cost only 250 baht! You can ship motorcycles, refrigerators and bicycles at similar rates!

I have heard some people mention losing things, but all of them were in Phuket, Bangkok or Chiangmai, where corruption is more rampant. I have shipped and received(international) tens of thousands of dollars (US) worth of stuff and have never lost anything, Only a couple of times have I had to pay a small amount of duty, but it was because the sender failed to label the package as I requested (hand write label and use no commercial names as sender). If you receive a package by UPS, FedEx or DHL, you better bend over cause their gonna nail you hard every time. Post is best.

+1 and registered mail costs only a few baht extra, gets there every time and quickly too.

Edited April 16, 2012 by chiang mai

[haybilly]

I have nothing but prasie for Thai Post. Fast, reliable and inexpensive. The US Postal Service should send some people over hear to learn how to run a postal system. Domestically, I shipped an aluminum trailer frame that I had fabricated in Chiangmai by post back home to Phitsanlok and it cost only 250 baht! You can ship motorcycles, refrigerators and bicycles at similar rates!

I have heard some people mention losing things, but all of them were in Phuket, Bangkok or Chiangmai, where corruption is more rampant. I have shipped and received(international) tens of thousands of dollars (US) worth of stuff and have never lost anything, Only a couple of times have I had to pay a small amount of duty, but it was because the sender failed to label the package as I requested (hand write label and use no commercial names as sender). If you receive a package by UPS, FedEx or DHL, you better bend over cause their gonna nail you hard every time. Post is best.

I can completely agree with this--back in January, when we were returning from a longer than usual stay in UK, I made the mistake of using DHL, or a subsidiary which used DHL, to send about 50Kg. in 3 boxes of totally second hand personal effects--my daughter's books, toys, clothes, shoes etc..that she claimed she had to have--1 parcel arrived within the stated 4-5 days with no duty--the 2 other boxes were delayed by Bangkok Customs anfd eventually I was hit with a Duty bill for 2800 baht--which included storage for the time that they delayed my shipment. I even got a further letter about a month later for another 250 baht which I ignored. I will not be making that mistake again--how can one be charged for importing back your own stuff, some of which actually travelled both ways??? I later heard that, had I said it was all my daughter's stuff, who is Thai/Brit--we may have been treated differently--even though she is only 10 years old.

Guess I should be glad that 1 parcel managed to evade their greedy paws.

[glenmohr]

does any one know the per kilo rate to send by post domestically ,small parcel maybe only 2/3 kilos

[chiang mai]

does any one know the per kilo rate to send by post domestically ,small parcel maybe only 2/3 kilos

No but it's as cheap as chips. We sent a dozen crates from Phuket to Chiang Mai, large plastic storage boxes stufed with all manner of things. Each box weighed somewhere between twenty and thirty five kilo's based on what was inside, the average box cost was somewehere around 400 Baht. And, everything arrived!

[glenmohr]

Thanks for the info

[justcruisin]

I am quite surprised by the above posts praising a basic service that should be available in any country.

I had a parcel sent by UPS registered mail to my home address in CM. It arrived in BKK and cleared customs at 10:55 am on the 29th of last month, which is now 2 weeks and 5 days ago.

I still haven't received the parcel here in CM.

The last time a used Thai post, it took 6 weeks to get 2 motorcycle sprockets to CM from Singapore.

This box had been opened a number of times despite the fact that the billing/order was stated correctly on the outside of the box.

I have heard of many reports of pilfering within the post system here too.

[chiang mai]

UPS is not Thai Post so I can understand that; Singapore to CM, by definition, is also not Thai Post plus it involves the dreaded Customs Dept so I can understand that also.

[justcruisin]

I am quite surprised by the above posts praising a basic service that should be available in any country.

I had a parcel sent by UPS registered mail to my home address in CM. It arrived in BKK and cleared customs at 10:55 am on the 29th of last month, which is now 2 weeks and 5 days ago.

I still haven't received the parcel here in CM.

The last time a used Thai post, it took 6 weeks to get 2 motorcycle sprockets to CM from Singapore.

This box had been opened a number of times despite the fact that the billing/order was stated correctly on the outside of the box.

I have heard of many reports of pilfering within the post system here too.

UPS is not Thai Post so I can understand that; Singapore to CM, by definition, is also not Thai Post plus it involves the dreaded Customs Dept so I can understand that also.

Just to reiterate what I stated previously , I have no complaint with UPS or Singapore Post.

I need to correct myself and should have stated that the Singapore parcel took 6 weeks to arrive after it cleared customs BKK as it also was sent by registered mail.

Now I am waiting 20 days for a parcel to arrive after clearing customs in BKK to CM Mai, a mere one hour 10 minutes by air.

This item is neither heavy or large packaging.

Do all of you above posters work for Thai Post ? I could easily be convinced that you do

Reason for edit: incorrect paragraph spacing.

Edited April 17, 2012 by justcruisin

[sappersrest]

I do not work for the Thai postal service just impressed with the way they do business,at a reasonable price.

[elektrified]

I too, have had numerous packages, letters, ATM cards, etc. go missing in the post in Thailand. At this point it is something like 15 lost or missing items. Just recently 3 separate shipments of Maestro Cards sent from Europe never made it.

But to be fair, I do an extremely high volume of post and I also lost or never got items when I lived in Germany, Spain, and the Czech Republic. So there are problems in all postal systems around the globe.

[chiang mai]

I am quite surprised by the above posts praising a basic service that should be available in any country.

I had a parcel sent by UPS registered mail to my home address in CM. It arrived in BKK and cleared customs at 10:55 am on the 29th of last month, which is now 2 weeks and 5 days ago.

I still haven't received the parcel here in CM.

The last time a used Thai post, it took 6 weeks to get 2 motorcycle sprockets to CM from Singapore.

This box had been opened a number of times despite the fact that the billing/order was stated correctly on the outside of the box.

I have heard of many reports of pilfering within the post system here too.

UPS is not Thai Post so I can understand that; Singapore to CM, by definition, is also not Thai Post plus it involves the dreaded Customs Dept so I can understand that also.

Just to reiterate what I stated previously , I have no complaint with UPS or Singapore Post.

I need to correct myself and should have stated that the Singapore parcel took 6 weeks to arrive after it cleared customs BKK as it also was sent by registered mail.

Now I am waiting 20 days for a parcel to arrive after clearing customs in BKK to CM Mai, a mere one hour 10 minutes by air.

This item is neither heavy or large packaging.

Do all of you above posters work for Thai Post ? I could easily be convinced that you do

Reason for edit: incorrect paragraph spacing.

It sounds like the problem you are experiencing is Thai Customs, not the postal service, both of your deliveries were late after clearing Customs, why does that not surprise me.

Postman Pat Somchai

[haybilly]

I certainly do not work for the Thai Post Office--chance would be a fine thing--but I also believe that, considering the usual practices in semi-Third World countries, that it is remarkably efficient and 'relatively' theft free--we have all had stuff go 'missing' but, generally, I find that when an item is registered or 'to be signed for' it does arrive; I have had similar experiences with postal service in UK.

[isanbirder]

The Thai postal service is pretty good on the whole, though occasional things get lost.

Not quite up to Hong Kong standards.... where, by law, proof of posting is accepted as proof of delivery.

[ataloss]

For Thai postal rates check:

http://www.thailandpost.com/ , klik English or Thai, klik the image of parcels 5th from left at bottom enter weight and destination...wohlaa

or alternative to the main link fol this link which may or may not open: http://www.thailandpost.com/rate.php

Ship your m/c or personal effects throughout Thailand, or boxes of souvenirs to the world.

Twenty years using them and no problems.

[justcruisin]

I am quite surprised by the above posts praising a basic service that should be available in any country.

I had a parcel sent by UPS registered mail to my home address in CM. It arrived in BKK and cleared customs at 10:55 am on the 29th of last month, which is now 2 weeks and 5 days ago.

I still haven't received the parcel here in CM.

The last time a used Thai post, it took 6 weeks to get 2 motorcycle sprockets to CM from Singapore.

This box had been opened a number of times despite the fact that the billing/order was stated correctly on the outside of the box.

I have heard of many reports of pilfering within the post system here too.

UPS is not Thai Post so I can understand that; Singapore to CM, by definition, is also not Thai Post plus it involves the dreaded Customs Dept so I can understand that also.

Just to reiterate what I stated previously , I have no complaint with UPS or Singapore Post.

I need to correct myself and should have stated that the Singapore parcel took 6 weeks to arrive after it cleared customs BKK as it also was sent by registered mail.

Now I am waiting 20 days for a parcel to arrive after clearing customs in BKK to CM Mai, a mere one hour 10 minutes by air.

This item is neither heavy or large packaging.

Do all of you above posters work for Thai Post ? I could easily be convinced that you do

Reason for edit: incorrect paragraph spacing.

It sounds like the problem you are experiencing is Thai Customs, not the postal service, both of your deliveries were late after clearing Customs, why does that not surprise me.

Postman Pat Somchai

The parcel is still undelivered, not late !

Now it is 24 days since the parcel cleared BKK customs, which in my interpretation it would then be passed to the Thai Postal system for delivery.

I wonder how people with a factory whatever, can keep their machinery operating in a business environment where it takes a month or so to receive an urgent part.

[hellodolly]

I am confused

Just to reiterate what I stated previously , I have no complaint with UPS or Singapore Post.

I need to correct myself and should have stated that the Singapore parcel took 6 weeks to arrive after it cleared customs BKK as it also was sent by registered mail.

What has UPS got to do with Singapore Post or Thai mail

If it was sent by registered mail would it not be up to Singapore to find it,

If it was sent with UPS, Fed X or some other carrier I am not really surprised I have heard friends complaining about the lack of delivery.

[CPT]

I agree that the Thai postal system is great.

Thai customs is one of the more corrupt and inept organizations in an already corrupt country.

Fedex in Thailand sucks, doesn't even try to deliver and keeps the door to their office locked. I suppose too many (justifiably) angry customers have forced them to lock the door and implement a buzz in system.

[lexilis]

Regarding Thai PO for 17 years in LOS I never once had a problem with the post system until about 9 months ago. I was then living in Hua Hin and the mail delivery became erratic. It happened numerous times that letters and cards that friends told me were posted were just never delivered (but I got all the electric bills etc just fine). Possibly just a rogue postal guy that liked to annoy farangs. Oh well, I am now living in CM and hopefully no more problems.

While I am on the subject, I now live north of the superhighway near where the ring road crosses the river. My address is in Mae Rim and has a 50300 code. Question: where is that post office? Is it all the way up in Mae Rim? Is there a closer office of the PO? Thanks.

[orang37]

I agree that the Thai postal system is great.

Thai customs is one of the more corrupt and inept organizations in an already corrupt country.

Fedex in Thailand sucks, doesn't even try to deliver and keeps the door to their office locked. I suppose too many (justifiably) angry customers have forced them to lock the door and implement a buzz in system.

I disagree. I have had FedEx deliver to my door; it required only a phone call to arrange (yes, I speak Thai fluently enough, and their English is good enough, to have communicated the exact location, and I waited on the main street for them to avoid them getting lost looking for my strangely numbered obscure little soi); also, all my account details are in their computer.

The reason they lock their door is to protect unauthorized access to their customers' valuables. I doubt you will get carpal tunnel syndrome from pressing a door-buzzer occasionally !

~o:37;

[wolf5370]

Regarding Thai PO for 17 years in LOS I never once had a problem with the post system until about 9 months ago. I was then living in Hua Hin and the mail delivery became erratic. It happened numerous times that letters and cards that friends told me were posted were just never delivered (but I got all the electric bills etc just fine). Possibly just a rogue postal guy that liked to annoy farangs. Oh well, I am now living in CM and hopefully no more problems.

While I am on the subject, I now live north of the superhighway near where the ring road crosses the river. My address is in Mae Rim and has a 50300 code. Question: where is that post office? Is it all the way up in Mae Rim? Is there a closer office of the PO? Thanks.

Cards are a popular "go missing" item as they may contain money - once opened safer to dump them than deliver them. Never had problems with theft nmyself, although I found my last TrueSat bill in a flower pot outside my house opened (its a tear to open pre-printed packet type envelope that unfolds into the bill itself). My wife sent some post cards from the PO at CM airport last year to the UK - they took over 6 weeks to arrive. My mum sent me a birthday card from the UK last month and it got here in less than a week. Of course the postage from UK to here is about ten times the cost of nthe other way around. (both sent regular int. mail). I have sent my family my address in Thai for them to print of as address labels or hand copied (usually the former for the non-Thais). They stick this on a plain vanilla envelope and they get here unmolested. I get stuff sent to them from companies if I buy abroad/online and have them ship it to me via regular recorded delivery using the same, brown paper, sticker/hand written Thai address pklus the work THAILAND at the bottom. Usually just the 7b tax if anything.

If you do get documents sent via DHL/UPS ask for the card tear-open envelopes rather than boxes as these seem to get through without the usual rip-off taxes (I had my passport sent this way).

[wolf5370]

I agree that the Thai postal system is great.

Thai customs is one of the more corrupt and inept organizations in an already corrupt country.

Fedex in Thailand sucks, doesn't even try to deliver and keeps the door to their office locked. I suppose too many (justifiably) angry customers have forced them to lock the door and implement a buzz in system.

I disagree. I have had FedEx deliver to my door; it required only a phone call to arrange (yes, I speak Thai fluently enough, and their English is good enough, to have communicated the exact location, and I waited on the main street for them to avoid them getting lost looking for my strangely numbered obscure little soi); also, all my account details are in their computer.

The reason they lock their door is to protect unauthorized access to their customers' valuables. I doubt you will get carpal tunnel syndrome from pressing a door-buzzer occasionally !

~o:37;

Yeah never had a problem with them getting it to my houses (not that I have more than one - I mean the 5 I have lived in here in Thailand). I have found that sometimes it can be a pain to find out where the postal delivery went back to if they miss you (I mean regular PO, not courier). They usually have a number on the card, but tieing that to an office can be a pain - some offices are not on their website which is curious! I had a real run around once, I went to 3 POs as they sent me from one to another as no one seemed to know which office (and they don't seem to have worked out how to use a telephone for business use). In the end it was a letter a school friend of my daughter had written to say "Hi" as she wanted to practise English instead of using Facebook (yes, I know FB can also be in English, but that didn't seem to compute). Wate of a day - i thought for something important. Even stumped my daughter, who promptly replied by email!

// Edit: Typo - 'School fiend' to 'School friend' (not sure if it was Fraudian)

Edited April 24, 2012 by wolf5370

[hellodolly]

I agree that the Thai postal system is great.

Thai customs is one of the more corrupt and inept organizations in an already corrupt country.

Fedex in Thailand sucks, doesn't even try to deliver and keeps the door to their office locked. I suppose too many (justifiably) angry customers have forced them to lock the door and implement a buzz in system.

I disagree. I have had FedEx deliver to my door; it required only a phone call to arrange (yes, I speak Thai fluently enough, and their English is good enough, to have communicated the exact location, and I waited on the main street for them to avoid them getting lost looking for my strangely numbered obscure little soi); also, all my account details are in their computer.

The reason they lock their door is to protect unauthorized access to their customers' valuables. I doubt you will get carpal tunnel syndrome from pressing a door-buzzer occasionally !

~o:37;

Yeah never had a problem with them getting it to my houses (not that I have more than one - I mean the 5 I have lived in here in Thailand). I have found that sometimes it can be a pain to find out where the postal delivery went back to if they miss you (I mean regular PO, not courier). They usually have a number on the card, but tieing that to an office can be a pain - some offices are not on their website which is curious! I had a real run around once, I went to 3 POs as they sent me from one to another as no one seemed to know which office (and they don't seem to have worked out how to use a telephone for business use). In the end it was a letter a school friend of my daughter had written to say "Hi" as she wanted to practise English instead of using Facebook (yes, I know FB can also be in English, but that didn't seem to compute). Wate of a day - i thought for something important. Even stumped my daughter, who promptly replied by email!

// Edit: Typo - 'School fiend' to 'School friend' (not sure if it was Fraudian)

Are you saying you had a problem with Fed X?

[msg362]

I have nothing but prasie for Thai Post. Fast, reliable and inexpensive. The US Postal Service should send some people over hear to learn how to run a postal system. Domestically, I shipped an aluminum trailer frame that I had fabricated in Chiangmai by post back home to Phitsanlok and it cost only 250 baht! You can ship motorcycles, refrigerators and bicycles at similar rates!

I have heard some people mention losing things, but all of them were in Phuket, Bangkok or Chiangmai, where corruption is more rampant. I have shipped and received(international) tens of thousands of dollars (US) worth of stuff and have never lost anything, Only a couple of times have I had to pay a small amount of duty, but it was because the sender failed to label the package as I requested (hand write label and use no commercial names as sender). If you receive a package by UPS, FedEx or DHL, you better bend over cause their gonna nail you hard every time. Post is best.

+1 and registered mail costs only a few baht extra, gets there every time and quickly too.

+2

[elektrified]

I have nothing but prasie for Thai Post. Fast, reliable and inexpensive. The US Postal Service should send some people over hear to learn how to run a postal system. Domestically, I shipped an aluminum trailer frame that I had fabricated in Chiangmai by post back home to Phitsanlok and it cost only 250 baht! You can ship motorcycles, refrigerators and bicycles at similar rates!

I have heard some people mention losing things, but all of them were in Phuket, Bangkok or Chiangmai, where corruption is more rampant. I have shipped and received(international) tens of thousands of dollars (US) worth of stuff and have never lost anything, Only a couple of times have I had to pay a small amount of duty, but it was because the sender failed to label the package as I requested (hand write label and use no commercial names as sender). If you receive a package by UPS, FedEx or DHL, you better bend over cause their gonna nail you hard every time. Post is best.

+1 and registered mail costs only a few baht extra, gets there every time and quickly too.

+2

Nice, but it does not get there every time!

[wolf5370]

Are you saying you had a problem with Fed X?

No the opposite - they found my houses each time I received a parcel (some people said they did not like to deliver to the door). I was talking mostly about regular national post (GPO) here, as far as undelivered parcels being taken back to dispatch office - sometimes it can be hard to locate the offices when they just stamp with a number and the number does not appear on their web site. Had that twice hwere - and once was a pain as I relayed.

FED EX has always been OK for me - but not used much as most stuff I get comes from the UK (so UPS/DHL/Parcel Force).

UPS once ripped me off for forty Euros on import tax on a box xontaining a packet of under pants (X3), a couple of pairs of socks and a box of dog flea drops (wife sent them for the dog - as they are cheaper at home - were not with the tax though!!!) - never used them since. DHL I always use the card envelopes (only use them for documents) and have not get hit for tax at all then - heard many stories of the same deal as DHL with regard to tax, but not happened to me (so suggest trying the envelopes where possible).

[chiang mai]

I have nothing but prasie for Thai Post. Fast, reliable and inexpensive. The US Postal Service should send some people over hear to learn how to run a postal system. Domestically, I shipped an aluminum trailer frame that I had fabricated in Chiangmai by post back home to Phitsanlok and it cost only 250 baht! You can ship motorcycles, refrigerators and bicycles at similar rates!

I have heard some people mention losing things, but all of them were in Phuket, Bangkok or Chiangmai, where corruption is more rampant. I have shipped and received(international) tens of thousands of dollars (US) worth of stuff and have never lost anything, Only a couple of times have I had to pay a small amount of duty, but it was because the sender failed to label the package as I requested (hand write label and use no commercial names as sender). If you receive a package by UPS, FedEx or DHL, you better bend over cause their gonna nail you hard every time. Post is best.

+1 and registered mail costs only a few baht extra, gets there every time and quickly too.

+2

Nice, but it does not get there every time!

All the items I have registered, which is everything, have got there everytime, the extra cost is negligible.

[elektrified]

I always register everything too, but still many have gone missing. I did get 2,000 THB on each of 2 packages from the Thai P.O. after submitting claims, another I got 1000 THB, and still another is under review now. But one of the packages missing was worth a heck of a lot more than 2000 THB. I think the Thai P.O. has dropped the amount you can recover from 2000 to 1000 on registered post. 2000 on EMS.