Need Help From Someone Travelling from USA to Thailand Next Week!

[Telecom66]

I desparately need help from someone who is travelling from the USA to Thailand next week.

I am currrently in Samitivej Hospitlal Sri Nakarin in Bangkok after having 2 knee operations, and the 2 knee braces the hospital needed to order for me are out of stock with both the Thailand distributor and the Hong Kong distributor.

I am stuck without them and cannot begin my rehabilitation until the braces arrive. I really am desparate.

My only option to get them urgently is to find a good samaritan who is travelling from the USA to Bangkok next week, so I can get the US supplier to UPS overnight ship them to your address and then bring them over as part of your luggage. They weigh about 3 pounds combined and there are also 4 lycra/cotton sleeves to wear under the brace that weight next to nothing. Unfortunately the US suppliers will only ship within the USA and not directly to Thailand

I hope someone is travelling next week and can respond quickly. I can get the supplier to overnite UPS the braces to your address.

Thank you in advance for your help

Thomas

[CharlieH]

Hope you find someone, if not there is always places like this you can use....

www.reship.com

www.shipito.com

www.usa2me.com

Edited November 14, 2013 by CharlieH

[Telecom66]

Hello CharlieH,

I am trying to avoid the international shipping because I am trying to avoid any possibility that it is delayed in customs.

Cheers,

Thomas

[CharlieH]

Hello CharlieH,

I am trying to avoid the international shipping because I am trying to avoid any possibility that it is delayed in customs.

Cheers,

Thomas

In my experience and that of many others here, as long as it it is NOT sent via DHL, UPS or other courier type services then customs are very unlikely to be involved if its sent standard Airmail through USPS.

Edited November 14, 2013 by CharlieH

[arunsakda]

Fedex it. You will get it within 48 hours. You will pay full duty required.

[Telecom66]

CharlieH,

How long does it typically take for USPS Airmail to get to Thailand?

Regards,

Thomas

[Telecom66]

arunsakda,

48 hours sounds perfect.

Is that FedEX Air or Priority or what?

Can you tell me what duties would apply?

Is it just the 7% VAT + Service Charge?

Pardon my ignorance, but I have no experience with couriering anything from US to here.

Regards,

Thomas

[Forethat]

Sorry to interrupt, but this is typically where I would say:

"You want me to carry goods across the border for someone who could easily ship the stuff with DHL, FedEx or similar...?"

Get an account with FedEx and arrange a pickup of the item. This link takes you to the correct location, just click the "Create an account" and the page will then take to the "Arrange an International pickup" page.

https://www.fedex.com/fcl/?appName=fclpickup&locale=gb_en&step3URL=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fedex.com%2FPickupApp%2FFCLStep3.jsp&returnurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fedex.com%2FPickupApp%2Flogin%3Flocale%3Den_gb%26appTab%3DFDXE&programIndicator=4

Some people...

Edited November 14, 2013 by Forethat

[Telecom66]

Forethat,

If it was as simple as getting a courier to collect then I would not be posting here.

The distributor is a US distributor, so they can only ship it within the US. They will not allow an independent pick, so it MUST be delivered to a US address before anything else.

While your link may assist others, the pompous and arrogant remarks will not.

Have a pleasant evening.

Regards,

Thomas

[thaibeachlovers]

I am puzzled. Were the operations an emergency, or booked? If the latter, why was it undertaken if the required braces were not available?

As a theatre nurse for many years I would be astonished if the operation was undertaken without the required follow up requirements being met.

If it was an emergency, can't they get the braces from another hospital? Surely, it can't be the only hospital in Thailand that carries out such operations. Hospitals in my country even have departments that construct one off specialist equipment.

Sounds like your hospital stuffed it up, and it is after all THEIR responsibility to obtain the required braces, not yours.

[donniereadit]

Sorry to heal about your dilemma.

Disclaimer:

Be extremely cautious carrying someone elses packages on international flights to other countries. No matter where they appear to come from or who they are for (ie. you may want to make sure his leg is hollow).

Edited November 15, 2013 by donniereadit

[JLCrab]

If you can't find someone traveling, you might try a low-key mail forwarding service like this that has customers in Thailand and see if they would consider a one-off shipment.

http://sbimailservice.com/

[Telecom66]

Thaibeachlovers

I had a heavy fall 4 steps from the bottom of a staircase in the house so operations were not planned.

Ironically it is the orthopedic doctor associated with the Insurance company I have that is insisting on a particular type of DonJoy knee brace that is designed for my injury. He dropped that bombshell the day after the operations were done, once he knew the damage, so the hospital could do nothing. Unfortunately the Thai Distributor does not import that brace, nor does the regional distributor in Hong Kong, so I had to go direct to USA. As they are restricted by their license, they can only ship within the USA - hence my dilemma.

The hospital has tried its best but they are restricted to certain distributors. As the DonJoy braces are specific to each leg and each damaged meniscus compartment and 8 different sizes for the thigh, no distributor can keep them all in stock on the off chance they might sell. The main reason is that the Thai distributor has not gotten the OR YOR (FDA) approval to import that product.

The hospital is one of the largest International hospitals in Bangkok, but as I mentioned, it is the insistence of the insurance company that threw everything into chaos.

Regards,

Thomas

Edited November 15, 2013 by Telecom66

[Telecom66]

Donnierreadit,

Wow - the conspiracy theorists are out at post 11.

I am merely trying to find an urgent solution to my problem- nothing more and nothing less.

Regards,

Thomas

[Telecom66]

JLCrab,

Thanks JL.

Regards

Thomas

[taotoo]

Donnierreadit,

Wow - the conspiracy theorists are out at post 11.

I am merely trying to find an urgent solution to my problem- nothing more and nothing less.

Regards,

Thomas

I'm sure you are and wish you the best. Your genuine need doesn't invalidate the comment though - people get duped and end up in jail.

[Telecom66]

Taotoo

I was not invalidating his warning, merely to state that it took 11 posts before a genuine request was reduced to a suspected drug mule advertisement. It seems that almost every thread on here gets sabotaged and then the people who would genuinely participate in the conversation just do not read the thread. Not every post warrants being hijacked by dooms day soothsayers, which seems to be the norm on here nowadays.

Regards

Thomas

[FACTOR]

Why don't you get a friend or family member from the US to fly over to Thailand with the braces, if it is so urgent, rather than expecting people on TV to respond to this sort of request from a stranger?

[taotoo]

Taotoo

I was not invalidating his warning, merely to state that it took 11 posts before a genuine request was reduced to a suspected drug mule advertisement. It seems that almost every thread on here gets sabotaged and then the people who would genuinely participate in the conversation just do not read the thread. Not every post warrants being hijacked by dooms day soothsayers, which seems to be the norm on here nowadays.

Regards

Thomas

Well you DID attempt to invalidate his warning by belittling it as a conspiracy. Somebody posting something other than the hoped for "yes I'll do it" is not equal to sabotage.

[donniereadit]

Something feels amiss here.

You are looking for a mule because you are worried about possible customs delays or custom tarrif? You don't even know whether a delay will occur. The customs fees should be a minor concern for an item of this importance. Does not really make sense.

What about the delays and logistics of finding a complete stranger, having an item shipped to them in another country and having it delivered in another country from someone you have never met while they wait for it to arrive. Don't forget to get their exact departure schedule and how long the item will take to deliver. You may also want to draft a contingency plan in case htey have to change dates or there is a delay getting the device made? Could cause some delays and or problems methinks. Again, does not seem to add up.

[mickjn]

Do you have to have those braces,cant you have something made up locally

[Langsuan Man]

I don't see what the problem is in asking......so long as you are willing to put up with the Thia Visa warriors

On a different board someone posted a need for a remote for their media player, with pretty much the same question: if someone was coming from the US would they pick up one. It turned out that I had ordered the exact same remote a year earlier via ShipitTo so I had an extra that I gave to the poster

So nothing ventured, nothing gained

[banglay]

Order the said braces in the US and get then sent directly to a family member or a friend in the US and get then to repack the braces in a new but old looking box and wrap in brown paper to make it look second hand ( the customs will probable ignore it then) ...and then get the family or friend member to Airmail it directly to you ...

[thaibeachlovers]

Thaibeachlovers

I had a heavy fall 4 steps from the bottom of a staircase in the house so operations were not planned.

Ironically it is the orthopedic doctor associated with the Insurance company I have that is insisting on a particular type of DonJoy knee brace that is designed for my injury. He dropped that bombshell the day after the operations were done, once he knew the damage, so the hospital could do nothing. Unfortunately the Thai Distributor does not import that brace, nor does the regional distributor in Hong Kong, so I had to go direct to USA. As they are restricted by their license, they can only ship within the USA - hence my dilemma.

The hospital has tried its best but they are restricted to certain distributors. As the DonJoy braces are specific to each leg and each damaged meniscus compartment and 8 different sizes for the thigh, no distributor can keep them all in stock on the off chance they might sell. The main reason is that the Thai distributor has not gotten the OR YOR (FDA) approval to import that product.

The hospital is one of the largest International hospitals in Bangkok, but as I mentioned, it is the insistence of the insurance company that threw everything into chaos.

Regards,

Thomas

<it is the orthopedic doctor associated with the Insurance company I have that is insisting on a particular type of DonJoy knee brace that is designed for my injury. He dropped that bombshell the day after the operations were done, once he knew the damage, so the hospital could do nothing.>

Sorry to hear about that problem, but to me it raises alarm bells. WHY is the Dr insisting on braces that can't be provided? Has he been able to obtain them previously for other patients? Why didn't he not know that they would be needed? Why is the insurance company not obtaining them for you- it's not normal for patients to have to provide their own equipment?

Without knowing all the facts, it does seem as though something dodgy is going on here.

In the meantime, has the surgeon visited you and explained why he won't let you get better without all this BS? Braces are after all, just an appliance. It is, after all, HIS responsibility, not yours to provide everything needed.

The posters advising that someone you know back in the States bring them out would seem the best option if you can't get satisfaction any other way. I certainly wouldn't be relying on strangers or the Thai postal/ customs services.

Can you not contact your embassy- they might be able to get them here in the diplomatic bag?

[evadgib]

At the very least i'd expect the OP's insurers to be getting off their &lt;deleted&gt; rather than leaving it to the patient; assuming of course that this thread isn't a wind up.

[donniereadit]

I wonder whether he is going out on his own and trying to get the braces over the head of the Dr. due to frustration over a delay or otherwise?

It would be unprofessional to suggest a patient purchase their own medical device. They could get the wrong one and don't have the expertise necessary certainly.

Another looming possibility is that the insurer is jeopardizing your health by insisting on a particular brace which enables them to make more commission.

I would talk with the surgeon and get other options for braces and insist that the insurer covers them due to the unavailability of the primary brace.

[JLCrab]

The guy asked for shipping options -- now he gets:

[Telecom66]

Why don't you get a friend or family member from the US to fly over to Thailand with the braces, if it is so urgent, rather than expecting people on TV to respond to this sort of request from a stranger?

Therein lays the problem. I do not have friends or family/relatives in USA.

[h90]

Hello CharlieH,

I am trying to avoid the international shipping because I am trying to avoid any possibility that it is delayed in customs.

Cheers,

Thomas

I think you mean smuggling it into Thailand without paying duty?

[Forethat]

They will not allow an independent pick, so it MUST be delivered to a US address before anything else.

I'll tell you what; give me the name of the company and I'll sort this out for you to make them "allow an independent pickup".

Just give me the name of the company and I promise to sort this out.

PM will be fine.