Post Office Boxes POB

[Fuzzy Ken]

Post Office Boxes (POB)

In Thailand, experiencing the vagaries of postal deliveries, I though it a good idea to rent a post office box. Back In 2005, when I registered my business, I considered it even more important to have a secure means in place, for my local and international mail.

However, despite many attempts down the years, to obtain one of these precious boxes, in Udon Thani, it continued to produce an unequivocal NO. Try as I might, never discovered why I could not get one, and concluded that it was so shrouded in mystery, a closely guarded secret, held by the post offices impenetrable inner circle, that we were never likely to succeed. 555

About 2015, ten years on, mail deliveries to our restaurant, opposite the bus station, came to a full stop. As a consequence, we had to visit the sorting office in person, go to the shelf for our street, Sayoutis Road, and search through hundreds of mail items, to find anything for us. Never discovered the reason for non-delivery to our city center address, but in light of this, attempted again to obtain a POB, but the answer remained a firm NO.

I was wondering whether anyone had experience of any of this in Udon Thani, and whether, in more recent times, the system has been updated, modernized and/or improved.

[tamada]

No

[Potamoi]

I was wondering whether anyone had experience of any of this in Udon Thani, and whether, in more recent times, the system has been updated, modernized and/or improved.

Had a multitude of issues for home delivery in Udon ending up finding some mail for my neighbor on only what could be described as a "falang table" upstairs in the main post office. Apparently we had a bad third party courier who eventually was let go. Now all is well on the Udon home mail delivery front.

At our office in NongKhai, we missed two critical registered mail items so my wife walked across the road to the couriers home. She was appalled by the stacks and stacks of undelivered mail on her dining table. My wife found some of our missing mail (one of which was an invitation to a symposium by the health department) she had missed due to non-delivery. Turns out this courier had some personal issues and was too busy to deliver mail on time. My wife told here she needed to report it to the main office in NongKhai in order to get the lady some support or help in her time of need. She agreed and now things get delivered as normal.

I think the moral of our particular story is check with the mail carrier if you can but don't be afraid to go above them if you get no help from them. To me, mail delivery is less important than it was in the past but it is still one of those sacred disciplines.

[Jello]

I could not get one, and concluded that it was so shrouded in mystery, a closely guarded secret, held by the post offices impenetrable inner circle, that we were never likely to succeed. 555

I have a PO Box at the main post office. Current cost is 500 Baht per year.
My guess is you asked the wrong people. Are you still looking to rent a box? Go to the room next to the outside PO Boxes. The people working the counter are often students, so if they can’t help you ask to speak to the supervisor. (Bring someone who speaks Thai). I would think they could at least offer to put you on a waiting list if no boxes are available.

[tamada]

I could not get one, and concluded that it was so shrouded in mystery, a closely guarded secret, held by the post offices impenetrable inner circle, that we were never likely to succeed. 555

I have a PO Box at the main post office. Current cost is 500 Baht per year.
My guess is you asked the wrong people. Are you still looking to rent a box? Go to the room next to the outside PO Boxes. The people working the counter are often students, so if they can’t help you ask to speak to the supervisor. (Bring someone who speaks Thai). I would think they could at least offer to put you on a waiting list if no boxes are available.

When did you get your PO Box?

Ta
tam

[Jello]

2007. I think the cost was 200 baht a year at the time. The post office looked a lot different then. I was living in a hotel then and needed a reliable address for my mail. Decided to keep it after that.

[tamada]

Still a no then.

[Khun Paul]

Had a PO box for years ever since the Postman I had was guilty of stealing and storing mail . I must add I have a reminder set up for paying the annual fee Thb 500, as they ( The Post Office ) are a little tardy about notifying you /

[GENTLEY]

I've got a PO Box at Udon Thani Central Post Office near Nong Prajak. 500 baht a year and they pop a reminder slip in your box for the next year's rental money. They usually have a list of available PO boxes in office next to PO boxes as mentioned earlier. Always a good service I've experienced.

[tamada]

I've got a PO Box at Udon Thani Central Post Office near Nong Prajak. 500 baht a year and they pop a reminder slip in your box for the next year's rental money. They usually have a list of available PO boxes in office next to PO boxes as mentioned earlier. Always a good service I've experienced.

I assume this was quite recent? Handy if they still do the list of available boxes. I'll get my lad to go check.

[Fuzzy Ken]

As previously mentioned, I attempted over many years to obtain one of these boxes, but at every stage, met with a no, don’t know, see the person at the next counter or make an appointment to see Somchai, when he returns from his extended holiday. Not wanting my life to revolve around POBs, I put the matter on the back burner. After all, ten years pursuing this was more than enough, at least in my opinion.

Actually, I related this saga to my attempts at getting a bank security box. I recall visiting a bank in Udon in 2005, at the old Charoensri shopping center (also known as Robinsons) and was informed that there were no boxes there, and made an appointment for me, to visit their main “high street” branch. I was met in the foyer and taken to a private interview room, to learn from two employees, everything known about security boxes. Following a lengthy explanation on how much, how big and how often, one needed access, accompanied by a detailed explanation on insurance and so on, it was decision time.

I recall that there were 9 different size boxes. The smallest suitable for a passport, bank cards and a small bag of diamonds, I should be so lucky. The largest being the size of a 3-drawer filing cabinet with two key access, and a dial for the all-important code number. I decided on the second from smallest but told unavailable. I then chose the next one up with the same result. Getting the same answer about the smallest box, I asked them what boxes were actually available, and was there a waiting list. I was somewhat stunned by the answer, “you cannot have a box because you are not a Thai person”. Upon asking them why they did not tell me that to begin with, but preferring to waste around half an hour of mine and their time, I was greeted with a less than helpful smile. I cannot recall exactly what my response was, but it was not “have a nice day”. To avoid further time wasting, went to Makro and purchased a suitable safe for my sack of diamonds, late delivered mail from my mother, and a small jar of Marmite.

Obtaining a POB was, I thought, following the same time-wasting exercise, and put the matter on the reserve bench. Much later though, when the post office was not delivering our mail at all, I resurrected my pursuit of a POB, but met, as in previous years, with the same uninspiring results.

Interestingly however, here in Cambodia, where I now live, I asked at the Post Office in Phnom Penh for a POB. I had to show my passport, visa and rent contract, complete two forms and pay $16 for the year. In less than 20 minutes, I was given a key and shown where the boxes are located, and to make sure that the key fitted the lock.

Job done, no drama and a reminder placed in my box each year, for continued annual use. The officer at the counter was pleasant, helpful and knowledgeable. Isn’t that the way it should be?

[Bubbler]

I used DHL services to receive all I needed.