Massive EMS International Post Price Increases

[Robbogeordie]

Just a warning to anyone sending small international parcels via EMS. We sent one to Australia today - last week EMS Price 750 baht - EMS Price today 2300 baht
Huge increases to USA and probably everywhere else as well.

Just hoping that someone's made an error and it'll be fixed,but I don't think that's going to happen. Feel like I've been robbed!
Check for yourself here if you like:
http://www.thailandpost.co.th/rate.php

[steven100]

[andre47]

Thai EMS is totaly unrelieable and slow.

Use DHL, top service and same price.

[chiang mai]

Thai EMS is totaly unrelieable and slow.

Use DHL, top service and same price.

Rubbish, EMS in Thailand is hugely reliable, never lost anything outbound in over 15 years. Sure DHL is OK BUT, only if you want to attract the scrutiny of Customs and start paying duty!

[andre47]

Thai EMS is totaly unrelieable and slow.

Use DHL, top service and same price.

Rubbish, EMS in Thailand is hugely reliable, never lost anything outbound in over 15 years. Sure DHL is OK BUT, only if you want to attract the scrutiny of Customs and start paying duty!

I don't understand. If you use EMS you don't have to pay duty??

[chiang mai]

Thai EMS is totaly unrelieable and slow.

Use DHL, top service and same price.

Rubbish, EMS in Thailand is hugely reliable, never lost anything outbound in over 15 years. Sure DHL is OK BUT, only if you want to attract the scrutiny of Customs and start paying duty!

I don't understand. If you use EMS you don't have to pay duty??

Inbound EMS rarely attracts the attention of Customs Dept, based on experience of receiving goods from UK family members. Obversly, DHL inbound gets stopped every time and am asked to pay.

[wimpy]

Was informed about this by my local post office last month. I think the Thai Post is making a big mistake. I believe international EMS was their most profitable service. I am pretty certain our regular EMS customers will not be willing to pay these rates. I bet the Thai Post is going to see a dramatic drop in international EMS use.

[chiang mai]

EMS is not Thai, it is an international organization that operates in many many countries so rates are not set by just the Thai postal system:

http://www.ems.post/contacts

[Robbogeordie]

The increase means that now EMS is very poor value. They are not a premium courier like say FedEx:

EMS are now usually twice the price of FedEx for small parcels.

EMS delivery usually 7 days plus. FedEx delivery 2 - 4 days.

EMS trackable by Thai and international destination postal services,but NOT trackable when travelling between the two which is where delays/losses are usually experienced. FedEx fully trackable all the journey until delivery.

EMS if a delay and customer launches a track EMS promise some information within 4 months. FedEx if delay they are on the case to sort out quickly.

I'm not an apologist for FedEx,UPS,DHL or anyone else,but have always regarded EMS as a halfway house between normal post and a private courier and the service is usually pretty good,but why pay twice the price for an inferior service?

[sas_cars]

The increase means that now EMS is very poor value. They are not a premium courier like say FedEx:

EMS are now usually twice the price of FedEx for small parcels.

EMS delivery usually 7 days plus. FedEx delivery 2 - 4 days.

EMS trackable by Thai and international destination postal services,but NOT trackable when travelling between the two which is where delays/losses are usually experienced. FedEx fully trackable all the journey until delivery.

EMS if a delay and customer launches a track EMS promise some information within 4 months. FedEx if delay they are on the case to sort out quickly.

I'm not an apologist for FedEx,UPS,DHL or anyone else,but have always regarded EMS as a halfway house between normal post and a private courier and the service is usually pretty good,but why pay twice the price for an inferior service?

Second that !

[ESL BUZZER GAME SYSTEMS]

Yes big increases in price of shipping not only have they increased now you cant send airmail reg over 2kg and i cant see SAL tracking as well if anyone finds a cheaper option ...CANADA 4100gm =4400 ....and i thought the oil prices had gone down....

[paulinbkk111]

Regularly send documents to China. Was 450 for 3 day arrival, now 850!!!

Normal Thai post for me now

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

This is CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For years, I've been mailing in my U.S. taxes each year via EMS to the U.S. And for years, their standard rate for a document only, small envelope, under 500g I believe, has been 600 baht.

Today, I went to the Post Office and was told the exact same EMS mailing to the U.S. was going to cost 1400 baht!!! I almost choked. They claimed EMS had a big price increase at the beginning of the year. But to more than double their prices overnight, and at a time when jet fuel and other transport prices have dropped dramatically???

Suffice to say, no more EMS mailings for me...certainly not at those prices. I switched to registered airmail, which is trackable with an estimate two week delivery time to the U.S., and paid 165 baht for a .072 kg envelope -- 82b for postage, 65b for registered, and 20 baht for the return delivery postcard back to Thailand.

I know don't who's making these decisions or why... But they've got to be F***ing insane.

Here's the Thai Post receipt clip for the 1400b EMS charge, before I had them cancel it.

Edited April 18, 2016 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

EMS is not Thai, it is an international organization that operates in many many countries so rates are not set by just the Thai postal system:

http://www.ems.post/contacts

It's true EMS is an international collective of different countries' national postal services. But who sets the rates charged by the sending postal service/country is a different issue.

Somehow, I'm doubting there's been a worldwide doubling of EMS rates at every origin country in the EMS system.

[BlueScouse]

Thai EMS is totaly unrelieable and slow.

Use DHL, top service and same price.

I received a DHL parcel yesterday, sent by my employers. It went to DHL head office in Bangkok who then sent it by EMS to Ubon.

[NanLaew]

Thai EMS is totaly unrelieable and slow.

Use DHL, top service and same price.

I received a DHL parcel yesterday, sent by my employers. It went to DHL head office in Bangkok who then sent it by EMS to Ubon.

That is normal for any courier that doesn't have an extensive in-country network. They will transfer it to the next best option for local delivery which in Thailand is EMS. I had a FedEx sent from the US to Brazil that eventually was delivered to me by UPS as they happened to have a better local network at the ultimate destination and local EMS didn't exist. Both DHL and FedEx are fairly well represented regionally in Thailand (obviously not in Ubon) but AFAIK, the UPS home hub is Bangkok and they would probably consign to EMS as well although they do deliver from Bangkok to Pattaya (better be at home though!)

Back on topic: It looks like EMS belatedly realised how low their rates were compared to the front-line couriers and looking at the volume of users, upped their rates but screwed the pooch. Too much IMHO since their tracking and overall speed is well below what the main couriers offer.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Talk about shooting yourself in the foot....

The fact that EMS Thailand (Thai Post) apparently thinks they can get away with more than doubling their international rates overnight, without any apparent explanation or justification and at a time of much reduced fuel prices, just demonstrates several things:

1. that they're totally out of touch with their international customers inside Thailand.

2. that they're an arm of the Thai government and thus think they can do whatever they want, regardless.

3. that they've been drinking pretty strong Kool-Aid if they woke up one morning and started to actually believe they're in the same league as FedEx or DHL in terms of customer service for international package delivery.

4. All of the above.

I don't begrudge them some price increase, especially if it's true that they haven't raised their international rates for many years. But in any normal place, the company executives/government officials would realize that doubling their rates overnight just isn't going to fly, and they'd instead opt for a phased plan of gradual rate hikes over some extended time to catch up. Thus not alienating their customers, and hopefully using the revenues to improve their standard of service along the way. Of course, this is anything but a normal place.

[Speedo1968]

EMS to UK ( April 2016 ) - ( a thumb drive (( data drive with songs for grandchildren )) - weight 66 grams - postal charge 2,200 Baht - given 20% discount. Normal post 52 Baht.

Sorry kids that means no more food parcels !!! Although I have sent food parcels before normal post and no problems - no meat or fish that is.

Ok, so it takes 2 - 4 days ( yes sometimes only 48 hours door to door = Banphai to Brighton ) but normal post can get there in 7 days ( normally UK end thats slow ).

Even with EMS, if they open at UK customs e.g. I sent some pyjamas with Paul Frank logo, they wanted 25gps before release and you had to pick up from the airport - if you don't pay I wonder who gets to keep the parcel ?

Also had to give passport details, with all the release of data from Immigration recently I wonder how safe the Post Office is securing your information ?

I gather Thai people must give ID details if sending to Bangkok.

Years ago I remember seeing a guy sending his bicycle by post as it was the cheapest way.

I hear a lot of Thai businesses and general public complaining.

[bembaman]

Does anyone know what insurance costs for registered airmail, can it even be insured? Also, how is it tracked, I know how it works for EMS but how does it work for registered airmail?

[bembaman]

On 1/5/2016 at 6:33 PM, chiang mai said:

Rubbish, EMS in Thailand is hugely reliable, never lost anything outbound in over 15 years. Sure DHL is OK BUT, only if you want to attract the scrutiny of Customs and start paying duty!

Me too, never lost anything in 17 years here. I also find standard post extremely good. letters in either direction to/from UK in 3-4 days, parcels usually 5-7.