I gave my secretary a letter yesterday and asked her to put a stamp on it and post it. (its going to Canada)

She gave me a receipt today and it cost 721baht (by EMS). I explained to her that I didnt want to send it by EMS, just the normal post and she looked at me like I had 2 heads and told me it had to go by EMS.

Is this true or did she just make a mistake?

The letter weighed 0.011kg

Of course it doesn't have to go EMS, it could have been sent normal airmail for 45 baht. If you wanted it sent by registered mail it's expensive, around 500 baht from memory.

Surely a misunderstanding or miscommunication. Pretty much everyone in Thailand knows what a Post Office is and how to mail letters overseas.

I tend to agree with Berkshire, miscommunication.

I am not sure many Thais do send letters overseas.

Probably she thought the letter was important and EMS was the most reliable way to send it

Surely a misunderstanding or miscommunication. Pretty much everyone in Thailand knows what a Post Office is and how to mail letters overseas.

I'm sure this post is tongue in cheek, but just in case;

Two quite possibly wrong assumptions.

It always amazes me how ineptitude by Thais, even so far as flat out refusal to communicate or ask if they don't know something, is always explained by certain Westerners as a "misunderstanding"

Why did you give her so much money if you wanted it to go normal airmail.Blame yourself.

Surely a misunderstanding or miscommunication. Pretty much everyone in Thailand knows what a Post Office is and how to mail letters overseas.

I'm sure this post is tongue in cheek, but just in case;

Two quite possibly wrong assumptions.

It always amazes me how ineptitude by Thais, even so far as flat out refusal to communicate or ask if they don't know something, is always explained by certain Westerners as a "misunderstanding"

Actually I gave it to my secretary and told her 'normal post' not EMS, she in turn gave it to the accountant to post when she went out. What she told her I dont know. But I agree with your statement . Still lesson learnt!

Why did you give her so much money if you wanted it to go normal airmail.Blame yourself.

Where in my post does it say I gave her money?? I said she gave me a receipt!

She posted it and then gave me a receipt for what she paid. Why are so many Thai Visa posters so adamant that a Thai can never do a thing wrong, EVER??

They probably know that with normal mail, always a chance it will never get there.

Why did you give her so much money if you wanted it to go normal airmail.Blame yourself.

Where in my post does it say I gave her money?? I said she gave me a receipt!

She posted it and then gave me a receipt for what she paid. Why are so many Thai Visa posters so adamant that a Thai can never do a thing wrong, EVER??

dont see what the problem is....you have a receipt so write if off as a business expense against the company/Tax

Why did you give her so much money if you wanted it to go normal airmail.Blame yourself.

Where in my post does it say I gave her money?? I said she gave me a receipt!

She posted it and then gave me a receipt for what she paid. Why are so many Thai Visa posters so adamant that a Thai can never do a thing wrong, EVER??

dont see what the problem is....you have a receipt so write if off as a business expense against the company/Tax

So just write it off and an inept member of staff learns nothing?

Why did you give her so much money if you wanted it to go normal airmail.Blame yourself.

Where in my post does it say I gave her money?? I said she gave me a receipt!

She posted it and then gave me a receipt for what she paid. Why are so many Thai Visa posters so adamant that a Thai can never do a thing wrong, EVER??

dont see what the problem is....you have a receipt so write if off as a business expense against the company/Tax

So just write it off and an inept member of staff learns nothing?

Well the letter is presumably already posted if she has a receipt for stamps. What could the OP possibly teach the erring member(s) of staff that would necessarily preclude writing the cost of the stamps off against companies tax as a business expense?

Edited September 18, 201213 yr by Trembly

They probably know that with normal mail, always a chance it will never get there.

And if the "misunderstanding" bit doesn't work, just project your own thoughts into their head assuming again that they can do no wrong

Why did you give her so much money if you wanted it to go normal airmail.Blame yourself.

Where in my post does it say I gave her money?? I said she gave me a receipt!

She posted it and then gave me a receipt for what she paid. Why are so many Thai Visa posters so adamant that a Thai can never do a thing wrong, EVER??

dont see what the problem is....you have a receipt so write if off as a business expense against the company/Tax

So just write it off and an inept member of staff learns nothing?

Why do you employ an inept member of staff to whom you can teach nothing? Sounds more like a management issue to me.

I've always been given to understand that express mail is only sometimes honoured as express mail outside of the country of origin, but maybe I'm just a bit too cynical.

According to this link http://en.wikipedia....al_Postal_Union signatories are supposed to treat mail that originates overseas with equal priority to domestic mail.

Edited September 18, 201213 yr by Trembly

Err make them pay for it so they listen next time? Teach them to be responsible? Get them to ask if they dont understand? Check if not sure??

Thai huggers out in force already, school must have finished

Surely a misunderstanding or miscommunication. Pretty much everyone in Thailand knows what a Post Office is and how to mail letters overseas.

I'm sure this post is tongue in cheek, but just in case;

Two quite possibly wrong assumptions.

It always amazes me how ineptitude by Thais, even so far as flat out refusal to communicate or ask if they don't know something, is always explained by certain Westerners as a "misunderstanding"

Actually I gave it to my secretary and told her 'normal post' not EMS, she in turn gave it to the accountant to post when she went out. What she told her I dont know. But I agree with your statement . Still lesson learnt!

For what it's worth, I have a Thai secretary as well and she certainly knows the difference between post and express air shipment (e.g., DHL, Fed Ex, etc.). If it cost you 721 bt, it most certainly was the latter. Has she never mailed/ship stuff for you in the past?

Surely a misunderstanding or miscommunication. Pretty much everyone in Thailand knows what a Post Office is and how to mail letters overseas.

I'm sure this post is tongue in cheek, but just in case;

Two quite possibly wrong assumptions.

It always amazes me how ineptitude by Thais, even so far as flat out refusal to communicate or ask if they don't know something, is always explained by certain Westerners as a "misunderstanding"

I see. From my experience working with Thais, I'd tend to believe this was a misunderstanding. From your experience, you'd prefer to think Thais are stupid, lazy, dishonest, etc. Clearly, our experiences have been different.

Yes she has but this was passed on to the accountant. Im not so worried about the money part, its just that after being told they have made a mistake they seem to find it funny.

Surely a misunderstanding or miscommunication. Pretty much everyone in Thailand knows what a Post Office is and how to mail letters overseas.

I'm sure this post is tongue in cheek, but just in case;

Two quite possibly wrong assumptions.

It always amazes me how ineptitude by Thais, even so far as flat out refusal to communicate or ask if they don't know something, is always explained by certain Westerners as a "misunderstanding"

I see. From my experience working with Thais, I'd tend to believe this was a misunderstanding. From your experience, you'd prefer to think Thais are stupid, lazy, dishonest, etc. Clearly, our experiences have been different.

Explain how it was a misunderstanding; the op gave clear instructions on what to do; she did nothing except pass it off to someone else who did NOT do what the op had instructed.

So please explain how this could be a misunderstanding.

It seems from your experience that you would treat people differently because of their ethnicity of background; i.e. being Thai. I highly doubt you would take the same tone if it were a Westerner who did the same thing.

Err make them pay for it so they listen next time? Teach them to be responsible? Get them to ask if they dont understand? Check if not sure??

Thai huggers out in force already, school must have finished

Can't he do any, all or none of the above and write it off against taxes at the same time?

Explain how it was a misunderstanding; the op gave clear instructions on what to do; she did nothing except pass it off to someone else who did NOT do what the op had instructed.

Just because an instruction is clear in one persons mind, it doesnt mean it's fully understood by the another person, this sort of thing is very common working in a multi-cultural/muti-language work enviroments.

I have seen things like this all over the world, so not just restricted to Thailand

Lets face TV is a predominantly first languge English speaking forum and a lot of time English/English speakers misunderstand/misinterpret what is written even in the simplist comments on TV

If the OP is manager in Thailand and is getting bent out of shape about this, would suspect he is not going to last very long in that postion, very apparant he dosent think very highly of any of his employees based on this post and the other one about trying to get rid of a pregnant employee...

Edited September 18, 201213 yr by Soutpeel

She must be pleasing on the eye or she would have been dismissed already;-)

Always write....... AIR MAIL............ top left hand corner.

Explain how it was a misunderstanding; the op gave clear instructions on what to do; she did nothing except pass it off to someone else who did NOT do what the op had instructed.

Just because an instruction is clear in one persons mind, it doesnt mean it's fully understood by the another person, this sort of thing is very common working in a multi-cultural/muti-language work enviroments.

I have seen things like this all over the world, so not just restricted to Thailand

Lets face TV is a predominantly first languge English speaking forum and a lot of time English/English speakers misunderstand/misinterpret what is written even in the simplist comments on TV

If the OP is manager in Thailand and is getting bent out of shape about this, would suspect he is not going to last very long in that postion, very apparant he dosent think very highly of any of his employees based on this post and the other one about trying to get rid of a pregnant employee...

who said I was getting bent out of shape? and for your info i have lasted more than 14 years here. also my positition is quite a bit higher than manager! The pregnant employee has had more chances than she deserves, i was told twice to fire her and as she is with child have given her chance after chance. Possibly unlike you (note the possibly) I believe in a fair days pay for a fair days work. when people take the piss and think they can get one over on you is where my patience ends

i would hate for you , sh*t imagine if someone was a minute late ., especially if they were thai.!!! Would you treat your countrymen or women the same ...I think not

Yes she has but this was passed on to the accountant. Im not so worried about the money part, its just that after being told they have made a mistake they seem to find it funny.

Is this the first time that the humour has been mentioned? I would have expected Thais to giggle in mortified embarrassment at such an expensive mistake. I sent my brother's birthday card by EMS once, because I thought it was important that it arrived on time (it did; the family were appalled at the cost).

Out of interest, was it an important letter? What would have been the cost to your business in case of non-delivery?

SC

I just sent two packages to America from Chiang Mai. Total cost 660 Baht....you've been had.

Removed a troll post and the replies to it.