What Postal/courier Service To Use?

[Rossi]

Hi there,

I would like to send small padded envelopes from Bangkok to Europe. The weight is just about 20-30 gram. Until now I always sent it as Airmail with the Thai Post. The service is quite reliable and cheap, but:

- Even as registered Airmail there is no online tracking

- The delivery time is sometimes horrible (3-4 weeks) due to the european custom departments!

Is there an interesting option to send these packages with another service? If I look at courier services like EMS/DHL/UPS/FEDEX/TNT, they have always good prices, but only for bigger packages like 10 or 25Kg. Do you know if they have also cheaper trackable services for small and light packages (padded envelopes)? I wouldn't care if the delivery takes a couple of days, but I don't want to pay 900 Baht for a package with a value of only 100 Baht...

Thanks for your help,

Mike

[barryofthailand]

The Thai postal service has an international registered mail, but you have to ask them for the long green card. Fill that out with the small white registered slip and you will get the green card back in the mail with the signature of the recipient.

Now if customs is holding up ypur mail then their is really nothing you can do about that, but I can't see customs holding up letters.

Barry

[Maestro]

- The delivery time is sometimes horrible (3-4 weeks) due to the european custom departments!

Do you put the green customs declaration label CN 22, completely filled out, dated and signed, on the envelopes?

This is very important as it helps the customs inspector to decide whether to hold the item for inspection or to let it go for delivery without delay.

The Thai post office where you mail you letters can give you this label.

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Maestro

[qualtrough]

Use the Post Office EMS system. Trackable and fast. Somewhat pricier than airmail, but better than courier prices for small envelopes.

[Maestro]

- Even as registered Airmail there is no online tracking

This is unfortunately true. However, if it helps you to receive an acknowledgement of receipt signed by the person who takes delivery of your packet, use the Post Office’s service called “Advice of Delivery ( ไปรษณีย์ตอบรับ )”

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Maestro

Edited August 26, 2006 by maestro

[Maestro]

I see that the Thai Post Office does, in fact, offer Track & Trace service, for EMS items. On this web page, click on “Track & Trace” on the left of the page.

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Maestro

[jezchesters]

I see that the Thai Post Office does, in fact, offer Track & Trace service, for EMS items. On this web page, click on “Track & Trace” on the left of the page.

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Maestro

Think that's just for inside Thailand...

[qualtrough]

I see that the Thai Post Office does, in fact, offer Track & Trace service, for EMS items. On this web page, click on “Track & Trace” on the left of the page.

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Maestro

Think that's just for inside Thailand...

No, it is for external as well. If you look at the small banner it says Track and Trace anywhere in the world. The EMS system is used by a number of different countries. I have tracked packages sent to other countries. You just enter your EMS number from your receipt and/or EMS form in the box and click.

Edited August 29, 2006 by qualtrough

[jezchesters]

Fair enough!

That's very useful to know

Edited August 30, 2006 by jezchesters

[Rossi]

Wow... I couldn't log in for a couple of days and now I see so many helpfull answers. Let me summarize that and add some questions:

Customs Declaration Label CN22:

I never used this label yet. Probably this would help to avoid the casual delays. On the other hand I sent already about 5000 letters and there are only a few (maybe about 5%) with longer delays. I guess the customs always pick out a few letters/packages for casual checks.

Do you know if it is allowed to generate this label by yourself on the PC and print it out in the correct size, or do you have to use the original label provided by the post office?

"Advice of delivery":

Does anyone know how long it takes to get the receipt back to Thailand? How much does this service cost? Actually I don't think it helps me more than a normal registered mail, as also for the normal registered mail, the recipient has to sign that he received the mail. There is just no receipt to send back to Thailand.

EMS:

This Service is actually good, as it is fast and mostly trackable. If I remember it right, there is unfortunately no tracking service provided for Germany. Does anymone know where I can find the pricees for EMS letters? I can only find those for parcels.

Cheers,

Mike

[qualtrough]

I find that the post office employees are rather hit and miss with the CN22 forms. I have decided to use those all the time now as it surely cannot hurt and might well avoid a delay or needless opening of a package. Last time I was at the PO I asked for some and they gave me a small booklet of them.

[Maestro]

Customs Declaration Label CN22:

I never used this label yet. Probably this would help to avoid the casual delays...

Do you know if it is allowed to generate this label by yourself on the PC and print it out in the correct size, or do you have to use the original label provided by the post office?

As you have experienced, the sending post office does not care whether you affix the CN22 or not, as any problem arising from its absence will occur in the destination country.

I have received packets as letter post from mass mailers like Amazon and Apple Shop with the CN22 integrated in the address label, all printed black and white, including printed signature. Since your post office never even asked you to put on the CN22, there should be no problem if you print its text on the address label. No need to make font style and colour match exactly the original.

The green colour of the CN22 provided by the post office, I believe, serves to help the customs inspector of the destination country to easily detect its presence on a postal item. Unless you have a colour laser printer, go ahead and print it on the white background of your address labels.

The major purpose of the CN22 appears to be to give customs the written authorisation to open the postal item for customs inspection. I am personally aware of two instances where the absence of the CN22 caused a delay, in both cases for a packet sent as postal mail:

1. A Swiss company forgot the CN22 on a packet to a Japanese company, the Tokyo post office sent a form to the recipient to sign and return for permission to open and inspect the item.

2. For an item sent to me without CN22, the customs inspector at the Swiss post office in Basel phoned me to ask what was in the packet and requested verbal permission to open and inspect it.

Swiss television recently showed how postal items from abroad pass on a conveyor belt in front of a customs inspector, who occasionally picks up an item for a closer look.

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Maestro

[Rossi]

I have received packets as letter post from mass mailers like Amazon and Apple Shop with the CN22 integrated in the address label, all printed black and white, including printed signature.

This sounds very interesting. How does this label look like? Do you have any picture of it? I couldn't find any more information about that on google.

[think_too_mut]

I see that the Thai Post Office does, in fact, offer Track & Trace service, for EMS items. On this web page, click on “Track & Trace” on the left of the page.

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Maestro

Think that's just for inside Thailand...

No, it is for external as well. If you look at the small banner it says Track and Trace anywhere in the world. The EMS system is used by a number of different countries. I have tracked packages sent to other countries. You just enter your EMS number from your receipt and/or EMS form in the box and click.

EMS works well out of Japan too.

I had some documents sent from BKK..wife said the post office clarks advised that EMS was the way to go. Everything arrived the third day after being sent from BKK.

True, we had no need to track the parcels.

From Tokyo to BKK, I use it 5-6 times per year. Reliable, 3 days (they say 7 days) until delivered.

[Maestro]

This sounds very interesting. How does this label look like? Do you have any picture of it? I couldn't find any more information about that on google.

I’m afraid I can’t give you a picture of it; the boxes have been thrown out and I do not plan to order anything from these suppliers anytime soon.

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Maestro