Tracking Mail From The US?

[csabo]

I requested a new credit card via mail from the US and as expected, it vanished into thin air. I requested the card company send a second card to a family member who I will then have send it to me in Phuket. I scoured the forums before posting and still not clear. I don't want it shipped to my house here. I prefer to avoid that added potential hazard. I am happy to go and retrieve it from any office within a reasonable distance from Rawai. BUT, I must have tracking as I am opposed to just waiting week after week for something that never shows. The local Post today recommended EMS. I checked the internet quite a bit and I still don't understand what EMS is due to their ridiculously poorly designed website. Is it a stand alone shipping company with offices worldwide? A tracking service working in conjunction with Postal Services? She even showed me the little EMS tracking sticker on an envelope. Is that something the USPS can provide? I am already aware that the USPS does not personally track outside the US so I need an alternative. Thanks in advance. Before you reply, keep in mind I have no interest in shipping FROM Thailand and the item I need shipped here is a plain envelope. Also, I am trying to avoid FedEx as they are quite far from my residence and have a disastrous history according to forum members.

[new2here]

EMS is a service offering by national postal agencies. Most offer it, but not all.

Most national postal agencies are members of the UPU, a UN level working agency that harmonizes and deals with cross-border mail issues. One of the aspects of UPU is working on having one uniform process and system for the cross-border movement of EMS mail.

One part of the EMS offering is that most national agencies offer tracking on their own EMS parcels - once it gets into their national system - as well as inbound EMS parcels from abroad, once they are first scanned into the system.

However, some nations have EDI interconnectivity which allows country X to access the scanning data of county Y and make it available to customers on their website and v.v.

Edited November 23, 2014 by new2here

[csabo]

Ok. That's helpful. So when my friend goes into a USPS office in the states they need to ask for EMS tracking?? Seems that would have been offered to me before when I myself was shipping something to Thailand was told I could not track it out of the country.

[JDGRUEN]

Use DHL ... You get DHL tracking to Bangkok --- then Thai EMS takes the document - IF you are in an area of Thailand not served by DHL... Or if in an area of Thailand served by DHL then it can be picked up at a local DHL office or franchise office. ... When EMS gets the envelope / package... you an inquire with DHL and EMS -- and pick up on the tracking inside Thailand.

Thai Post EMS is a bit like USPS Express Mail / Priority Mail ... only better.

I did this from Texas, USA to Ao Nang, Krabi with a Debit/ATM card - sent to me by a friend.

USPS in Texas tells my friend that it is $14.00 more - tacked onto $24.95 for Priority mail International Flat Rate envelope for the same mailing as done with DHL --- BUT he was told the tracking ends when the envelope leaves America... - amazing.

No tracking available form USPS after the package reaches Thailand. Wow!

P.S.

If you have need for a mail forwarding service from America - here is a top choice... Some very state of the art features...

Edited December 7, 2014 by JDGRUEN