Probably a silly question but, when sending mail outside of Thailand, does it make any difference (delivery time-wise) if you send it by "regular" mail or "airmail?" Almost all the time, I use the substation at Kad Suan Gaew and the nice little guy always asks me if I want to send it by "airmail." I just tell him regular mail is fine.

What I don't understand is why it takes 15-20 days for a letter to go from the Chiangmai post office to the US (Midwest). Is the junta using mules to transport the mail to Bangkok?

Surface mail or regular mail goes by sea,airmail obviously

goes by air so it's much faster,and the price for a letter is

not that much more

regards Worgeordie

In my experience, regular mail takes 14 to 20 days to US (west coast) and just last week I used airmail which arrive in 7 days.

They always ask "tamadaa" or "rong tabien". I've never heard of anyone using surface mail (boat) for a letter? Airmail is about 4 THB more for a letter. If you send a package surface, they tell you that it could take up to 3 months! And in my experience it does take at least 7 weeks. Always use airmail, and if it's something important, then rong tabien (registered) for 65 Baht - International, about 16 Baht within Thailand.

In my experience, regular mail takes 14 to 20 days to US (west coast) and just last week I used airmail which arrive in 7 days.

I think they use elephants from BKK to CNX.

Takes up to 3 weeks for The Guardian to hit my mailbox. Or not at all as the case has been lately.

Airmail is good. Registered Airmail is better but slightly slower as it has check points en route.

Registered Airmail is way cheaper than EMS, and as reliable. I used to send my tax returns by EMS at a cost of 730B. I have used Registered Airmail for the past two years at about 160B: works well.

Mail your letter early morning and use the airport post office where it gets on an aircraft w/o waiting half a day or more in any city post office.

Mail your letter early morning and use the airport post office where it gets on an aircraft w/o waiting half a day or more in any city post office.

That's not how it works. It goes by truck to the main processing center in Lamphun.

Thanks for the info, guess I'll go with the "airmail" option in the future. Am getting tired of birthday cards showing up late.

I can understand electrified's comments as almost all mail in the US would first go by truck to a regional processing center; however, the difference is that almost all mail thereafter goes by air.

Worgeordie, are you serious/certain that "regular" mail between Thailand and the US goes by boat? That's a bit difficult to believe given regular mail only takes 15-20 days to get there (including at least 2-3 days to even get to Bangkok).

US international "surface mail" was discontinued in 2007, meaning no more boats.

As others have noted, there has been no "airmail" out of the US for years now. On average I find 1st class mail takes about 10-14 days to Thailand from the west coast, and on the rare occasion up to 3 weeks or more.

Who sends letters? Email and e-filing of tax returns is the way to go.

Who sends letters? Email and e-filing of tax returns is the way to go.

My home bank requires the original signature on documents. Will not accept fax or email attachments. So I must sent letters.

Airmail and registered airmail are the same service...one just has a tracking number which will let you know when it has been delivered and is 65 baht extra. It takes on average a week to Europe and 2 weeks to the US (and a week to Oz). SAL, I believe, is not by boat but land and air as opposed to just air meaning it flies across the ocean I suppose to the most convenient city as deemed by the post office and then goes by truck. This takes 3 to 4 weeks. Then there is Surface which I believe is indeed by boat and takes up to 2 months. It's convenient for heavy items. You can register your parcel with any of the three shipping methods for 65 baht. It has nothing to do with the shipping service but can help some if the package goes AWOL.

This is my understanding of the system....

Registered mail is also much less likely to get lost or messed with. It's really the only way to go, and prices are very reasonable.

Cheer up - it takes two weeks normally from Bangkok to my bank in Colorado using mail shop process. Receiving mail from US can be anything from 3 days to many months (amazing how many bright sparks in US have no idea how to route mail to Thailand or that it is not part of the 50 states - seems to be endemic for Texas sent mail).

All letter mail goes by air but suspect those with airmail postage here in Thailand still get priority.

EMS can be a minus in US as they must get signature and do not seem to be anxious to do so - have had letter wait more than a week in Denver area for delivery to bank.

Possibly this news may help to understand: Brooklyn Postal Worker Arrested for Not Delivering a Decade’s Worth of Mail 25/9/14

Read more at http://observer.com/2014/09/brooklyn-postal-worker-arrested-for-not-delivering-a-decades-worth-of-mail/#ixzz3EhYydiRu

and these:

https://www.google.co.th/search?q=postal+worker+hordes+mail&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-beta&channel=sb&gws_rd=cr&ei=fzwpVOOdJI-ouwSn-4HQBA#rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&q=postal+workers+horde+mail