Slow Mail

[PETERTHEEATER]

This year I have had problems with slow mail (postal service) deliveries and had several letters and documents lost in transit. I am referring in particular to mail sent from Europe, including the UK, to Thailand. Usually an incoming envelope has no date of mailing from the source and often, the enclosed letter has 'refer to postmark' as the date!

Incoming International mail goes to the Thailand Post Office sorting centre at Lak Si in Bangkok where it is sorted for provincial forwarding. Usually, but not always, there is a Lak Si post mark with date on the back of the envelope. I have had many instances where the time laspe between the Lak Si date and dropping into my mailbox is two to three weeks.

Yesterday I received a letter clearly postmarked (UK) 28 September 2012, postmarked Lak Si 07 October 2012, so, theoretically, it has taken 27 days to get from Bangkok. Of course, I don't believe that and, more likely, it has been delayed between the Hua Hin PO and me.

Mail theft in Thailand is common which is why some credit card companies refuse to send replacement cards here from Europe. Obviously the thieves are clever at recognising the format of 'bank' type letters that hold promise and if they do not dispose of them. I leave it to your imagination to decide where this might best be done and by whom.

I have had mail UK to my door in as little as a week but now accept that four to five weeks is the norm for mail with proper value postage. I accept that if inadequate postage is stamped or franked on the atricle that it could be relegated to Surface Mail.

The purpose of this post is to ask if if other people living in Hua Hin are experiencing long transit times or non-deliveries of mail from Europe.

[PattayaPhom]

Never a problem either way.From UK is anything between 5-10 days and to the UK 7-10..thats normal post, not special/recorded or registered. That suggests to me it isnt the sorting office but your actual postmen.

[hhfarang]

I only receive about half of my mail each month, even local mail is lost like 3bb, TOT, and Truevisions bills and magazines. I received a letter from the Social Security Administration yesterday that was the second notice sent to me and it was dated October 5th saying that if I didn't fill out the form it contained and return it within 45 days, my pension benefits would be suspended. I never received the first notice. If I mail it back on Monday when the Post Office opens 31 of those 45 days will have already passed!

Until this time last year our mail had always been extremely reliable and items sent to/from the U.S. usually took between 7 and 10 days and nothing was ever lost to my knowledge in over seven years. This slow delivery and lost mail started around last October and I thought it was because of the Bangkok flooding, but it continues to this day. The problem now is our Post Office. I went there to complain recently and was told to look through a huge (Volkswagon sized) pile of mail on the floor to see if any of it was mine!

I have changed everything I can to electronic mail and payments, but things like the letter from SSA I mentioned above (requiring a signature) and the credit card replacements still have to come via snail mail which means it has at least a 50-50 chance of getting lost here. I've had to call twice in the last year to credit card companies as my cards reached the expiration date and I had not received a new one. It had been lost or stolen. Both companies sent another via Federal Express after I explained the problem to them.

I've used postal services all over the world including the middle east and 3rd world countries and the Post Office in Hua Hin (over the last year) is the worst I've seen.

[PattayaPhom]

Would a PO box make any difference do you think?

[hhfarang]

I have a P.O. box but most credit card companies and government (read all important) mail does not allow you to receive it at a P.O. box; you must have a valid address for delivery.

[PETERTHEEATER]

Yesterday (03 November 2012) I received a letter from my bank in Channel Islands dated 25 September 2012; correctly addressed and stamped. That's 39 days door to door!

Yes, the Post Office in Hua Hin has a pile of mail indicating that the problem is there and is growing. Yes, electronic mail, telephone and Internet access to bank accounts has reduced mail down to 'must have' papers. Sending documents as Registered Mail helps and you can check the transit via Internet 'Track and Trace' but the last letter that I sent spent 5 days at Suwanaphumi shown as awaiting flight.

If you have an important document then do not use a sub-postal service, it can cause additional delay, take it to the main Post Office. I sent one Registered from a Hua Hin sub-post office (Pay at Post) and it took two full days to get to the Post Office and that was in Cha-Am!!

Local mail not too bad if EMS but regular deliveries are very slow indicating that the problem is the HH PO or the post man.

We used to get EMS packages delivered, the postman rang the bell and you signed for it. Now, they just quietly drop a pink card in the mail box for collection at the main Post Office. Then you go to the backroom there and they can't locate and, ringing the postman the Supervisor telsl you that he has it on his round!

[Tim]

to hhfarang I have exactly the same exp to perhaps narrow it down from Post Office to Post Man, I live in the NongKae area what area do you live in. ?

[hhfarang]

to hhfarang I have exactly the same exp to perhaps narrow it down from Post Office to Post Man, I live in the NongKae area what area do you live in. ?

Same area; Nong Khae!

[DEREK-C]

I have had all the problems you mention with mail. 2 years ago I started using 'International Signed For' for important things from the UK, it costs just over 5 pounds on top of the postage fee for the item. So far every piece of mail has arrived and has been signed for. It was funny one day when my 7 year old son produced a letter for me which contained my new Bank card. I asked him who signed for it and he said he did.

[Tim]

I use that ( Inter Signed For, but even with that now you since one year ago you get no card and have to go to the Post Office regularly to check) but as said before there are somethings that you have to accept as normal post, it has caused me a lot of problems I have a post box and use that when I can but sometimes I can not use this, the problem is the "Postman" but what to do, I have complained as well, I am sure a number of people from Nong khae have, it seems to make no difference. any suggestions. ?

[DEREK-C]

Yes, my problem was the local postman. Not just me, but many Thais were complaining and nothing was done. They finally took action when hundreds of letters were found floating in a local kong. All my mail from abroad seems to get through, but as an example only about 60% of my TOT bills arrive.

[darrendsd]

Ring the Main sorting office in Bangkok, Lak Si

Ask to speak to somebody about missing/slow mail and they will send a investigator down to check the post office in Hua Hin

A friend of mine had the same problem as you guys are having and he did the above, they sent a investigator down which resulted in 2 employees from HH PO getting the sack for stealing mail, after that he has had no problems getting his mail.