Thai post tracking unreliable

[advancebooking]

A quick thread to mention that sometimes the thai post tracking system can be unreliable. I sent two separate registered letters to oz and they gave me a tracking number- it was the slow service not the fast EMS option.

I posted them on the 12th sept and a few days later checked online and the status was 'outgoing international'. Since then, the system was not updated which lead me to believe that the items had gone missing.

Today one of the recipients advised that they had received the letter. I checked online and it still shows a date of 14th sept outgoing international.

I presumed it must have gone missing and was about to post another copy of my documents. Just giving you a heads up on this as one would assume that the tracking would continue once arriving in oz?

[h90]

no it is the last thing Thai post can track.

Rest you need to track in Australia.

Thai post is usually very reliable,

[evadgib]

Agreed. The Thai tracking no is traceable via Royal mail in Uk therefore will presumable be traceable via Oz post office too.

HTH

[wayned]

Thai Post will only track until it leaves Thailand . Try putting in the tracking number in OZ post tracking system; http://auspost.com.au/track/

Edited October 3, 2013 by wayned

[tingtong]

if something important, use EMS or DHL or alike...cost a bit more, but their tracking and speed worth it.

if something really fast, scan and email

[seajae]

mate, snail mail in Thailand is just that, very very slow, speed post from Australia takes 2 weeks plus to arrive here, normal mail anywhere beteween 3 and 6 weeks and going the other way as well. The saying "mai pen rai" covers everything, they will simply ignore letters/packages and do what they want, I have learnt not to sweat on it. I am actually waiting for a friend in Australia to recieve a package sent almost 6 weeks ago but I am not worried as this is normal for thai post, in another 2 weeks I will probably have to accept that it was considered to belong to one of the thai postal workers and has been taken home with them as this is also very common.

[maesai]

in another 2 weeks I will probably have to accept that it was considered to belong to one of the thai postal workers and has been taken home with them as this is also very common.

In my experience, your statement is pure BS.

I ship over 75 packages a month worldwide - mostly by registered airmail or airmail parcel (some EMS). I have been doing this for several years.

While they can sometimes take a while, it is extremely rare for a package to be permanently lost. In the few instances where they have been lost, the loss always occurred after the package arrived in the destination country.

[maesai]

It depends on the destination country. Some countries provide tracking updates to the Thai Post on registered airmail, some do not. The US will usually only provide an update once the item has been delivered.

[dogeatdog]

Tracking system is good, infact very good.

Never had any problems with it but you must remember tracking comes at a service and that service costs.

If you go to;

www.thailandpost.co.th/upload/list_ RCP.htm

you will find a list if countries and which services are traceable for which countries.

Certainly for Oz, the only 2 services that are traceable all the way are EMS and Parcel.

Standard registered "normal service" is not traceable outside of thailand, however you will receive an "accepted" notice once delivered but this may be delayed for some time.

Sorry cant paste the link to that page as the list is only viewable from thai language site and as it is adobe flash player driven and im using android I cant view it on my phone.

Here's a screen shot of the list for Australia and UK i took from pc.

"Standard registered post which costs around 150 thb has an average delivery time of 7 to 14 days"

At this std service your mail will arrive at suwanaphum airport within 1 to 2 days.

But then it will be consolidated with other freight and this takes time. Only once the consolidated palette is full the consignment can be booked on a flight.

Time for this to happen can be up to a week just sitting and waiting at the airport.

Remember this service is costing around 150 thb only.

If you dont want your mail consolidated with the bulk then you have to pay the 1000 thb rate and then it will depart the airport normally within the 3rd day of post.

Its the same system used worldwide and yes sometimes, there are mistakes and losses do occur, but this can happen and does happen in every country.

The only real guarantee of delivery of your mail arriving is if you hand carry it yourself.

And no I don't work for a post office!!!

[dogeatdog]

Sorry guys only 1 pic showing.

I hate this new app its impossible to use.

Please can we have the old one back??

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[dogeatdog]

[h90]

It depends on the destination country. Some countries provide tracking updates to the Thai Post on registered airmail, some do not. The US will usually only provide an update once the item has been delivered.

yes.....also speed depends on the local postal.

I had several shipments to Japan that arrived in 5 days.

Also shipments FROM Germany that were here fast.

While other countries are terrible slow.....but on the other hand they make photos of everything for the NSA (confirmed for Germany and Austria), that needs time.

[vtjforyou]

You know too much, genius <3

In case you don't know the monkeys from farang land need to update tracking info to allow Thai post to update it's own tracking results...

[rak sa_ngop]

I ship over 75 packages a month worldwide - mostly by registered airmail or airmail parcel (some EMS). I have been doing this for several years.

Can you explain the difference between a 'letter' and a 'package' in the eyes of the Thai postal system?

I have sent several packages in bubble padded envelopes, about 1 inch thick, to New Zealand. Only about 200 gm in weight. When I checked the receipt I noticed I had been charged the letter rate as opposed to the cheaper package rate.

How do you ensure a package is charged as a package?

Thanks if somebody can help me on this, It will save me having to make a fool of myself in the post office trying to save 20 or 30 baht next time.

[maesai]

Next time ask for airmail small packet (พัสดุย่อยทางอากาศ). Use staples instead of tape on the envelope and attach a CN22 form.

[rak sa_ngop]

Next time ask for airmail small packet (พัสดุย่อยทางอากาศ). Use staples instead of tape on the envelope and attach a CN22 form.

Thanks, great.

I think I will stick to the letter rate as I would prefer to have the package well sealed by tape.

[Suradit69]

no it is the last thing Thai post can track.

Rest you need to track in Australia.

Thai post is usually very reliable,

Thai tracking system for EMS will keep you informed up to delivery in a foreign country.

Other mail services, such as registered, it only goes to the airport in Bangkok and then you need to use the tracking service in the destination country.

The Thai postal service has been excellent, both in getting mail in or out and providing reliable tracking information. Certainly better than the US postal tracking and often better than DHL or UPS.

I sent something to Korea recently with the following results. 48 hours from Pattaya to the recipient in Incheon, South Korea and tracked every step of the way. Well worth the cost if you send something of value. I've used the PO a fair amount over the years and have no complaints.

Edited October 4, 2013 by Suradit69

[Foxglove]

Something else worth knowing about EMS is that they won't deliver to the Isle of Man. I tried doing it twice but both times it never left Thailand. I assume this would apply to all offshore islands.

[longstebe]

Something else worth knowing about EMS is that they won't deliver to the Isle of Man. I tried doing it twice but both times it never left Thailand. I assume this would apply to all offshore islands.

Tbf, half the people on the British isles don't know where the IOM is.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Minnehaha]

It depends on the destination country. Some countries provide tracking updates to the Thai Post on registered airmail, some do not. The US will usually only provide an update once the item has been delivered.

My experience sending registered EMS documents to USA is that the tracking report gets questionable once in the US. For example, I sent a letter this way and tracked the progress out of Thailand, into the USA - LA -and then transit to Houston, the destination. It never said it was delivered.

About 3 weeks later the letter was returned, obviously not delivered. Not clear why. Address was correct.

Same situation sending a letter to St. Louis, Missouri. It never showed it was delivered but it in fact was delivered. So, there are problems on the USA side.

Meanwhile here in Thailand...

As an Managing Director of a company and having to send notice to an employee we were firing, we sent the required registered mail, EMS, and tracked it. The person never signed for it. But the Postal system delivered it anyway. The employee claimed they never received it, but I had evidence from EMS that it was delivered.

In Labor court this came up, but we had so much other stuff against the employee that we won the case quickly and easily. But I suspect that Thais know that if they don't sign or "receive" the mail they can legally say they were not notified.

[UdeBoCM]

Something else worth knowing about EMS is that they won't deliver to the Isle of Man. I tried doing it twice but both times it never left Thailand. I assume this would apply to all offshore islands.

Yes indeed, I had problems as well to New Caledonia and Tahiti. The tracking system shows that it went to Roissy airport in Paris (!!? - the other way around the globe), stayed there for a while, then came back to me un-deliverable... and without explanation. Total wasted time: three week.

[maesai]

I have successfully sent EMS to both Tahiti and New Caledonia. They go via France for some reason. My first attempt to send EMS Tahiti was returned because there was no invoice on the outside of the package. I have since learned this is required for France.

[dogeatdog]

Something else worth knowing about EMS is that they won't deliver to the Isle of Man. I tried doing it twice but both times it never left Thailand. I assume this would apply to all offshore islands.

Yes indeed, I had problems as well to New Caledonia and Tahiti. The tracking system shows that it went to Roissy airport in Paris (!!? - the other way around the globe), stayed there for a while, then came back to me un-deliverable... and without explanation. Total wasted time: three week.

Well thats not too bad on their part???

But I think bloody annoying for you.

New Caledonia and Tahiti both come under Republic of France so I guess sending it to Charles de Gaulle Airport was a very good guess by them.

It shows that somebody was thinking.

French country so we send it to the capital of France and that will be Paris.

One can only Imagine the look on the post worker in CDG when it arrived there. Its no wonder they just returned it back here, I doubt air france has many direct flights to those places.

You know the standard of geography is sometimes lacking here.

It could of ended up in the standard geographical area.

"Just North of Chang Mai"

Thats where every country is situated when they dont know where geographically its location is in the world.

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[Cuban]

Internally I find Thai post EMS fine, no problems BUT...

I make a point of having all addressing information written in Thai with no farang looking names used.

Fortunately my name has a common Thai spelling and I use my wife's maiden name, even if the house address were wrong post that gets to the village will find me.

Where I've had post sent from elsewhere or from another non-Thai I have provided by email an image of my name and address that can be printed out, stuck to the envelope and looks totally native.

The post looks a lot less interesting to any postal worker with an inquisitive nature shall we say?

Anything entering or leaving the country will be "interesting" - so consider exactly what you need to write on the outside of the letter.

The short phrase in Thai "These are your tax return documents" is a better choice than "Enclosed are the diamonds you wanted".

Make the letter/package as dull and uninteresting as possible - think before you post !

[Cuban]

Something else worth knowing about EMS is that they won't deliver to the Isle of Man. I tried doing it twice but both times it never left Thailand. I assume this would apply to all offshore islands.

You probably addressed it correctly for an English speaking person.

Postal workers in sorting offices work on a VERY SIMPLE logical process and if you consider that when writing the address the letter will get routed to the right place.

From the Thai mail box to the first sorting office the only part of the address that is relevant will be the Country and maybe the major City of destination.

Most Americans consider London, Paris and Berlin are all in neighboring states as that where the war was, so can you expect a Thai postal worker to know or care that the Isle of Man is nearer Dublin or London? It's simply not relevant to them.

The postal sorter will look at the last line of the address which should be England, maybe the second from last line might usefully be London, these two locations should be written in THAI.

That will get the package into a mail sack on the right plane leaving Thailand.

When it gets to the UK, the postal worker there will not understand the Thai (but probably recognize the squiggles as Thai and it will get scanned for drugs ) then look at the lowest address line written in English, this could usefully be Isle of Man or Douglas (had to look that up) and so on, at each stage of handling the sorter looks at what is the most relevant next step in address.

( But I guess that will just look at the Zip-code and throw it in the right sack.)

I suggest if you addressed the item to John Doe, 123 Main Street, Douglas, IOM UK etc. I can see why a Thai postal worker put the item in the wrong bag or just unknown.

[HUAHIN62]

It means that Thai post did there job but in oz they didn't. Once the post arrive in oz they must update the system, Thai post can't.

[D Vince]

Just out of curiosity sake, does anyone here realise that no postal service (that I know of) tracks Registered Mail outside of the home country?

A confirmation of delivery is suppose to be available once it has been delivered, but other than that USPS, Canada Post, Parcelforce, the Royal Mail and the Royal Thai Post Etc ETc ETc. all clearly state that they are providing you with a Package #, NOT a Tracking number. EMS parcels on the other hand are easy to track using their tracking number.

I send 50-100 packages per month Via Registered Air Mail, and EMS for the last three years, and not once has the problems that can occur happened in Thailand.

I've had 4 parcels lost by Parcelforce in the UK, and now i only agree to sell there if they pay for EMS postage.

Two of the packages eventually showed up (claiming the address was incorrect / Incomplete. and two that have just "Departed for parts unknown").

Conversely, I receive 3-4 parcels a month myself, stuff ordered from overseas, and other than very high import duties, there hasn't been one lost or stolen.

The Royal Thai Post is one of the best postal service's I have had the pleasure to deal with, the only delay in the Packages I send has always been in the recipients local postal service, or their local customs inspection.

All the packages I mail are all out of the country within 3-4 days Maximum. one to Sweden arrived in 4 days, (that's the current record for me)

I regularly have customers in the CONUS that are super happy with the delivery speed, and comment on my facebook page that its funny that a Package from the other side of the world gets to them faster than USPS can deliver one that is mailed from one coast to the other.

[bangkokstick]

Registered parcels can be tracked in many countries !

Try more and come again when you have more than 12 posts :-)

[bangkokstick]

I have successfully sent EMS to both Tahiti and New Caledonia. They go via France for some reason. My first attempt to send EMS Tahiti was returned because there was no invoice on the outside of the package. I have since learned this is required for France.

We also have customers on the French islands and customs form + invoice are required just like anywhere else in the world BUT this is enforced on French island because parcels have to pass 2 customs clearance: once in Paris and once when arriving at the island.

Very difficult to avoid customs duty there when it is so easy almost everywhere in the world (and especially US).

[wayned]

I've had many things shipped via USPS from the US. They gave me a tracking number which could be tracked on the USPS tracking system until it left the US. Once it arrived in Thailand I used the number on the Thai post racking system and was able to track it all the way to my house!