What's Up With International Mail?

[pkspeaker]

It's simple, some package usually larger and heavier packages, will often goto customs, you have to goto customs and pick it up, if you don't it will sit there forever..once you tell them its just cat food they may open it to make sure its not contraband but they are polite and will most likely hand it over w/o making you pay a tax, but when it goes to customs you have to go get it just like in any country, also expect to wait about an hour or so, depending on how busy they are that day-just bring the customs letter that will come in the mail so they know which package is yours.

[emilymat]

I've had loads of examples of letters that have been sent from the UK disappear in transit. They were mainly cards for Christmas etc, but one or two important letters regarding income tax.

What makes me angry is the indifferent attitude of the Thai authorities when you complain.

Perhaps one of our American friends could advise me if tampering with US mail is a federal offence. Certainly in the UK it's criminal - although we don't have the state/federal difference.

I know this is Thailand but it does pretend to be a civilised country with laws - so the general would have us believe.

We have an election in a couple of months and I have a postal vote. Firstly it has to arrive and secondly it has to be sent - all within a fairly tightish timescale. Doubt my vote will count.

Sorry for the moan, but I consider disappearing mail to be a major part of this corruption the general is pledged to stamp out.

The way it is looked at by Thai's and some of the barstool brigade is 'what do you expect?".

[bnzgrl]

Hello,

Sorry, newbie here. I'd liked to have a package mailed to me from my family in the States. Is the most reliable way thru USPS? Or FedEx or one of the other carriers?

Also, if USPS, what should they mark on the customs form?

I'm in Chiang Mai.

Thanks.

[WheresWaldo]

USPS -- hands down. If you use FedEx, you are very likely to have problems with their customs agents. Furthermore Thai FedEx delivery agents can't ever find you. They call for directions and can't speak English. Unless you have a Thai standing by, it's a clusterfuck.

For the customs form, have them throw in a used book and some pictures. Then put, "Used books, pictures, gifts." Don't insure it.

Edited March 8, 2015 by WheresWaldo

[jacko45k]

Laksi perhaps?

They sent a package of mine back, they claim!

[i claudius]

Even my weekly "Guardian" from the UK is arriving later and later.

I hadn't seen a copy for weeks, then 3 arrive in the space of a few days.

Gosh what did you use for toilet paper in the meantime?

on another note 3 letters sent from the UK in the last few months have not arrived.

[i claudius]

I've had loads of examples of letters that have been sent from the UK disappear in transit. They were mainly cards for Christmas etc, but one or two important letters regarding income tax.

What makes me angry is the indifferent attitude of the Thai authorities when you complain.

Perhaps one of our American friends could advise me if tampering with US mail is a federal offence. Certainly in the UK it's criminal - although we don't have the state/federal difference.

I know this is Thailand but it does pretend to be a civilised country with laws - so the general would have us believe.

We have an election in a couple of months and I have a postal vote. Firstly it has to arrive and secondly it has to be sent - all within a fairly tightish timescale. Doubt my vote will count.

Sorry for the moan, but I consider disappearing mail to be a major part of this corruption the general is pledged to stamp out.

The way it is looked at by Thai's and some of the barstool brigade is 'what do you expect?".

I never used to have any trouble in the past but recently it has got quite bad ,i did not recieve some x mas cards and also some important papers.

[sandyf]

Even my weekly "Guardian" from the UK is arriving later and later.

I hadn't seen a copy for weeks, then 3 arrive in the space of a few days.

A couple of years ago I had a water inlet valve for my washing machine sent out from the UK, took 6 weeks.

[petercool]

I have, on occasion, seen the local post office delivery man when he has delivered mail or bills to my house and tipped him.

For some time after, he seemed to get my mail to me within reasonable time - maybe he searched for my stuff, no doubt hoping to see me again ......

[onemorechang]

Just had a very small package arrive yesterday from Hong Kong.

was ordered in mid December !!!!!!!.

so a bit late, but ok it did get here.

Could have been vendor messing me about , who knows.

using regular post only for this shipment.

Edited March 8, 2015 by onemorechang

[masuk]

i've, literally, had a ton of stuff sent to me by post from the US. Never any problems. But US postage costs a fortune, so I have to comment: That is one expensive cat you have. When I die I want to come back as your cat.

LOL! Yeah, Waldo. I hear ya. It usually costs me about $75 for the food, and the same amount for the postage! That's why a lost package is such a big deal.

See if you can have CAT FOOD printed in Thai on the carton, and you might get it, and someone will have to give up their tasty snacks.

[snooky]

Mail from US seems to be arriving OK but local mail is terrible recently. MY 90 report post stamped at Immigration on 04 December arrived on 19 January (after I had made the trip up to Cheangwattana to get another copy). Friend mailed a letter from Post Office in Prawet section of Bangkok to me in Saphan Kwai on Feb 19th still has not arrived. Somthing going on??

[Jessi]

I just received a small parcel from iHerb in the US, it took 9 days.

[Jonmarleesco]

Random. And they'll have had a nose through it, before calculating a duty value.

[Traveling Sailor]

I had a check sent from California, Registered mail, Airmail. Postmarked 26 February, arrived 9 March. I regularly have boxes of herbs sent, USPS Priority Mail. Takes anywhere from 10 to 25 days to get to Samui. I would never consider having anything sent to me without a tracking number. As soon as the letter/box is shipped, I receive the tracking number from the shipper. I go to the USPS website and request email tracking info. It works great. After I get the email that says the package has cleared customs, I wait about 5 days. If the item is not delivered, or if I do not receive a notice from the local PO, I print out the last email, drive to the PO, smile and politely ask if they can help me locate my package. In two years of living on the island, I have never lost anything, using this procedure. Good luck to you!

[marinediscoking]

I have had two packages go missing this year, one in jan. and another in Feb. I have very rarely had a problem in the last 15 years, I can only remember one and they found it in Banglamung after an inquiry. I am over due now on another package so I am expecting something is going where they don't seem to care if packages go missing.

From this point on I am going to make sure all packages are insured until things go back to normal. Fedex and DHL will make sure you pay the absolute over the top customs duties if you use them.

[onemorechang]

I had a check sent from California, Registered mail, Airmail. Postmarked 26 February, arrived 9 March. I regularly have boxes of herbs sent, USPS Priority Mail. Takes anywhere from 10 to 25 days to get to Samui. I would never consider having anything sent to me without a tracking number. As soon as the letter/box is shipped, I receive the tracking number from the shipper. I go to the USPS website and request email tracking info. It works great. After I get the email that says the package has cleared customs, I wait about 5 days. If the item is not delivered, or if I do not receive a notice from the local PO, I print out the last email, drive to the PO, smile and politely ask if they can help me locate my package. In two years of living on the island, I have never lost anything, using this procedure. Good luck to you!

If shipping cost is not important, import duty, also the letter / parcel is valuable, I agree with you.

but for items of very small value, just use regular post,

Using Fedx, Ups and all those type of services, will invite unwanted expensive import duty, most of the time.

Edited March 11, 2015 by onemorechang

[thefactoryoutlet]

Airmail shipping to USA takes more than a month since the beginning of 2015....

[patsfangr]

Here's the wrap up on the problems I had that prompted me to start this thread.

I have now received all 3 of the packages in question from the USA. The one that shipped first, cat food from Hawaii, finally arrived at the Pattaya post office Saturday. I picked it up today. There were no Customs fees. It left Hawaii on Feb 14; arrived in BKK on so it was a total of 28 days from shipment to arrival at Pattaya.

The second package, sports memorabilia items from Foxboro, Mass, shipped from there on Feb 20. It arrived in BKK on Feb 28. I received the pickup notice on Saturday, and picked it up today, along with the cat food package. This package, actual value of about $80 US, cost me 832 baht ($32 US). Strange thing is that this was shipped before the third one I'll detail below, contained fewer items, and had a much lower total value. Yet it took 6 days longer to get to Pattaya.

The third package, same type of merchandise from same source, shipped from there on Feb 28. It arrived in BKK on Mar 2. Yet I wasn't notified to pick it up until Mar 12, which I did. ($372 US). Customs fees on this one cost me a total of 2336 baht ($75 US).

So, my experience was that delivery time was all over the map on the 3 packages. It took 28 days for one; 22 for the second one; and 14 days (very reasonable) for the third one. But Customs is DEFINITELY coming down with both feet on Import Duties and Customs Fees now. Just as an example, I had also ordered some other sports memorabilia items from the same source for a fantasy football party that I hosted back in January. That package, which had a value of about $160, shipped from Massachusetts on Dec 19. It was at Pattaya post office on Dec 29 - just 10 days later, over the Christmas rush period - and I was not charged any Import Duty or Customs Fees!

I have been told that the Thai Customs folks began a "crackdown" on foreign packages at the turn of the new year. That appears to be fact. All we can do is hope that it will fade; but with all the Import Duty and Customs Fees they're pulling in now, if I'm any example, we may be stuck with it for some time. Again, I was charged about $100 in Import Duty and Customs Fees for merchandise worth a total of $452 - that, folks, is a 22% hit! Obviously, I'm DONE ordering anything from the USA until and unless this ROBBERY is discontinued!

[marinediscoking]

Here's the wrap up on the problems I had that prompted me to start this thread.

I have now received all 3 of the packages in question from the USA. The one that shipped first, cat food from Hawaii, finally arrived at the Pattaya post office Saturday. I picked it up today. There were no Customs fees. It left Hawaii on Feb 14; arrived in BKK on so it was a total of 28 days from shipment to arrival at Pattaya.

The second package, sports memorabilia items from Foxboro, Mass, shipped from there on Feb 20. It arrived in BKK on Feb 28. I received the pickup notice on Saturday, and picked it up today, along with the cat food package. This package, actual value of about $80 US, cost me 832 baht ($32 US). Strange thing is that this was shipped before the third one I'll detail below, contained fewer items, and had a much lower total value. Yet it took 6 days longer to get to Pattaya.

The third package, same type of merchandise from same source, shipped from there on Feb 28. It arrived in BKK on Mar 2. Yet I wasn't notified to pick it up until Mar 12, which I did. ($372 US). Customs fees on this one cost me a total of 2336 baht ($75 US).

So, my experience was that delivery time was all over the map on the 3 packages. It took 28 days for one; 22 for the second one; and 14 days (very reasonable) for the third one. But Customs is DEFINITELY coming down with both feet on Import Duties and Customs Fees now. Just as an example, I had also ordered some other sports memorabilia items from the same source for a fantasy football party that I hosted back in January. That package, which had a value of about $160, shipped from Massachusetts on Dec 19. It was at Pattaya post office on Dec 29 - just 10 days later, over the Christmas rush period - and I was not charged any Import Duty or Customs Fees!

I have been told that the Thai Customs folks began a "crackdown" on foreign packages at the turn of the new year. That appears to be fact. All we can do is hope that it will fade; but with all the Import Duty and Customs Fees they're pulling in now, if I'm any example, we may be stuck with it for some time. Again, I was charged about $100 in Import Duty and Customs Fees for merchandise worth a total of $452 - that, folks, is a 22% hit! Obviously, I'm DONE ordering anything from the USA until and unless this ROBBERY is discontinued!

Thanks for the update! I ordered a new LCD for a 7 year old ipod never arrive from china in Jan. They sent a replacement in Feb. never arrived. Ordered another one from hong kong but with tracking number and it came right through last month now duty. Ordered tea from england it arrived quickly no duty. I have another package from the USA sports gear overdue now also. I am blamming the changes to the coup, during the last coup many gov. branches were difficult to deal with without over the top red tape.

[Beardog]

They have a new thing about regulations. because of the Fed X plane that went down with lithium batteries in it the Government & postal has turned totally anal & has been checking everything for batteries. They list no smart phones ghetto blasters cameras & video recorders even without batteries in them . I had a long talk with the Post master in Ban Ampur about the problem sending an SD card( memory card-not a battery) & he pointed to 14 opened boxes in the post office not sent. The list he handed me was not even close to the real hazard list & they are mis informed big time. I brought him a Hard drive a Usb stick & 2 memory chips(all cameras & phones use them) and showed there are absolutely no batteries inside. So if anything going in fro m the states or out(or any other country) this is part of the reason. Extra tea money undoubtedly is the other part. Lots of new international rules & the Thai shipping system is passing out poor info & believe me that will slow anything to a crawl. Even anything in or out of Hong Kong is crazy & getting checked unless the backhanders have been paid so they can ship 100,000 battery's & avoid scrutiny. I know it seems crazy but other U.S. citizens are getting burned or mail slowed down so they can verify if the restrictions prohibit sending. I wouldn't doubt they would think the cat food is some kind of acid that can be used for making batteries.They are just ill informed & the general is making it harder not easier to ship.

[Cobrabiker]

for me, i suspect the mail man is stealing packages

even letters, sent from abroad, for birthdays, 50% never arrive

ethics in thai ... i guess, if one receives mail that does not belong to them, even if it is a few houses down, they will just bin it

I truly agree as I too have had too many items gone "missing", so now I only order goods to be sent by registered mail or EMS. If you really have to use airmail, put a thai name, your friend or girlfriend's, you may have a slightly higher chance of receiving the goods, don't give a bogus name as sometimes you need to go post office to show ID and collect item.

And for OP about the cat food, it may be held up by the custom, as I once had an item sent by priority mail from US and was delayed for 1 month, and I needed to go Leam chapang to the custom dept and pay duty tax to collect my goods, that was really inconvenient.

[emilymat]

Couple of things.

I sent a 6kg parcel to the UK by surface mail in January through the local post office. I had given up on it arriving and was convinced it had not left Thailand, as the customs declaration made clear it contained 200 dvd's. (Not porn I can assure you, but a ten year collection of classic British and American films).

Anyway, it has arrived in the UK as Parcelforce have sent my daughter a bill for 20 pounds before they deliver it. It's for UK 'handling charges". So, it took 10 weeks.

Therefore, whilst generally remaining a sceptic. I do owe the Thai postal service an apology.!

However, like other posters I've had loads of instances of undelivered cards, letters etc. over the years. It might seem small fry to the Thai post, but on one occasion I had to pretend to my granddaughter, on the phone, that a hand made Xmas card had arrived. (My daughter briefed me on the card beforehand).

What I do now though is have things sent to the local post office on a c/o basis, who then SMS me and charge 90 baht an item.

So far, everything has arrived from UK and Hong Kong etc., although quite slowly.

I still thing it dreadful and deplorable however, that you can't trust the normal postal system to private addresses. I now understand why my credit card company refuse point blank to send replacements to this country. They said Thailand was on the no-go list.

[i claudius]

I would be happy if just ordinary mail arrived from the UK ,so far i am still waiting for 2 christmas cards and 3 birthday cards ,oh and the first b/card that my daughter sent 2 months ago ,the second was recorded delivery ,arrived in 6 days.