check_bin_krap Posted July 22, 2002 Report Share Posted July 22, 2002 I have found mail to and from Thailand to be very reliable and fast. Over the years I have never lost any mail. Certainly much faster than to or from the US for example. The worst country I have any experience with is Cuba... Only post cards have any chance of success there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike1000 Posted July 22, 2002 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2002 I?m starting to think my problem may be isolated to her area after so many people not having problems with mail getting through. What with a 40% of my mail going astray before my wife moved here, and now none of her mail (only two letters so far) getting to her family, I suppose it is possible that a dishonest post service employee in or near her village could be lifting them. Bloody annoying though. Got to cancel the ATM card today, they tell me 5 days to issue a new one, and start then the mail process all over again. Meanwhile, I bet her family are saying bloody farangs, and thinking that I'm leaving it to them to pay for our kids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 23, 2002 Report Share Posted July 23, 2002 ?I?m starting to think my problem may be isolated to her area after so many people not having problems with mail getting through.? In the past some mail I sent to LOS (from the US) would go missing. One of the possibilities I thought of was that someone wanted the letters for the stamps. I started to send mail using metered postage. I told the post office clerk about this and he confirmed hearing that there was a black market for used stamps in SEA. After this I had no more problems until we moved to a village. For awhile I kept a post office box in the nearest town and had no problems but latter when I began to send or expected to receive mail delivered in the village only about half was making it through. From the main town the mail is sent to a villager?s house, a post office annex of sorts, where it sits out in the open for days, with visitors coming and going until the man in charge gets around to sending his fourteen year old daughter to make the odd delivery. Procedure varies from village to village no doubt but there are certainly many opportunities for mail sent to a village to disappear near the end of the line. Good Luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nkped Posted July 24, 2002 Report Share Posted July 24, 2002 Actually have had very good luck over the years mailing letters to Thailand, including the last few years to an address in rural Nakhon Ratchasima province--addressed in English, no less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bembaman Posted July 30, 2002 Report Share Posted July 30, 2002 My experience is that all 'mail' arrives quickly and efficiently. However, nothing with any gift or physical item has ever arrived and I have told the folks at home to stop sending anything other than ordinary leeters etc. Thieving bastards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bembaman Posted July 30, 2002 Report Share Posted July 30, 2002 My experience is that all 'mail' arrives quickly and efficiently. However, nothing with any gift or physical item has ever arrived and I have told the folks at home to stop sending anything other than ordinary letters etc. Thieving bastards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 3, 2002 Report Share Posted August 3, 2002 I have never had any problem with registered mail before. If I have something important I always make sure it's sent as registered. About a year and a half ago I sent a Playstation machine to Thailand (registered mail) and it arrived. I guess the insurance I took out on it might have prevented a potential loss. During the past year I haven't lost any mail from my home country. About 14 days ago my parents sent some important papers that I need to sign but forgot to register it. Still hasn't arrived. Also missing is another letter from my parents sent the day after the first one... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike1000 Posted August 3, 2002 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2002 We sent the second ATM registered just over a week ago and so far it hasn?t arrived, but it is still early days yet. (I hope) Interesting though, today we went to the post office to ask how long we should expect for it to arrive and they said there were a lot of problems even with registered mail arriving in Thailand, and they only guaranty and track the mail until it leaves the UK. After that they have no responsibility in the matter. I asked if it doesn?t arrive, what about the insurance, and they said there is no value for an ATM card and if it is stolen and used I must take the matter up with my bank. So much for guaranteed delivery. Back to square one. Wish I had sent it Fed ex or DHL now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 5, 2002 Report Share Posted August 5, 2002 Unfortunately that's one of the big downsides to using public post (regualr mail). Unless you use the EMS service (most countries participate) there is literally no tracking, recourse or delivery guarantees. If it doesn't show up, tuff. Postcards and personal letters may be fine for post. Can't beat the cost! But if it's important and/or hard to replace I'd use private post (Fedex, DHL, Airborne, UPS, etc.) While the costs are significantly higher than public post (even EMS) you do get literally guranteed delivery and direct recourse if something goes wrong. --UPSer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike1000 Posted August 6, 2002 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2002 Success at last. Eight weeks and 2 ATM cards, the second arrived today by registered delivery. The kids can now eat again. What a relief, my Thai wife is now smiling again after phoning her mum tonight. Thanks for everyones replies. Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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