So how to you get a package to Thailand, or how do you send something from Thailand back to your home town? This is a common concern for many people. There is of course, no gurantees when it comes to sending and recieving packages anywhere, but with a few guidelines and a little knowledge you can increase the chances of success.
First the Post office. I have to say I have been very impressed with the Post offices here in thailand. Now, while I do not have tons of experience, what experience I do have has been good. So far, everything I have sent overseas from the Post office has made it safely. So how do you start? Well first of all, don't worry too much. Customer service is great at the post office. Don't sweat the "how do I package" or "where do I find a box" worries. You bring whatever you are sending to the Post office and they will usually have someone outside or nearby that will box everything up for you in a way that meets the Thai Postal requirements. You can of course do all this yourself, but why bother? They will have an assortment of boxes available and will box everything quickly and efficiently using good quality packing tape. They will then wrap the box in the required brown paper, and finally, using a banding machine, they will put two crossing bands over the box. I was very impressed with the speed, quality and price of the packing service at the Thai post office. You then simply take the banded, wrapped, taped, and well prepared box up to the counter where they will weigh it and ask if you want air or sea delivery. I am usually not in too big of a hurry, and go for the cheaper and proverbial 'slow boat form asia' option. They say it will take up to four months, but my experience is that things usually arrive much sooner. Of course, if your out in a small village the above story might not be so applicable and it would be advisable to take along a local friend that can translate for you. One reminder, for international shipments you should be at the Post office before 3:00 in the afternoon, the earlier the better. If you do not yet have an address in Thailand, then you can use pote restante just the same as in other countries, although I heard rumours there is a small fee, and only the main branches will offer this service, but I have not personally used this service so your results may vary.
DHL seems to be the largest carrier here in Thailand. They have a large central hub here in Bangkok. For more information visit
http://www.dhl.co.th/publish/th/en/tools/dropoff.high.html
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