Today I want to talk about Thai mail, or rather, how to send a parcel to Russia. I received a number of questions regarding this, so I am writing. Now this is very important, many winterers return home, and they so want bring yourself something from Thailand as a keepsake, as well as to their relatives and friends. And given that there are cheap clothes and toys, you can just stock up on.
We ourselves literally recently sent 18 kg to Moscow. Can you imagine? This is the weight of a whole suitcase! Let's omit the question, where are so many things from? You have to ask my women, they went to the store for blouses, yeah. So it all cost 2,900 baht, or Russian money of 3,000-3200 rubles (depending on the course), and the package arrived in 18 days. Great! Honestly, I did not expect such prices and efficiency.
The content of the article
Thai post
From June 2, 2015, when sending parcels weighing more than 2 kilograms, you must show your passport. This applies to sending parcels both from Thailand and domestically..
What is it like
I will not talk about Thai mail for a long time. I can only say that it makes a pleasant impression, where smiling people work. Usually it is a small room with chairs for waiting. At the entrance you take a number and then track your turn on the screen. The air conditioner is working, sometimes there is a TV, everything is pretty fast and efficient. I sent letters and parcels several times and never waited more than 20 minutes, even if the hall was full of people. And old-timers also say that 5 minutes before closing you will not be kicked out and your parcel will be accepted..
Outside the mail is easy to identify
Thai post
An electronic queue screen hangs on the wall
How to find Thai mail
The post office is not difficult to find. Visually it is very clearly visible. As a rule, this is a free-standing building with a red banner on which Thailand Post is written in white letters, it is difficult to pass by. The easiest way to find out where is to ask your neighbors who know, or the landlords.
If you have no one to ask, then open Google Maps, zoom in to the area / city / island where you are, and ask Post or Post Office. You can also write Post Samui, Post Phuket, Post Bangkok, etc. Then you will get points on the map. How many tried, Google always found what you needed.
Thailand Post Office Hours
The opening hours of post offices in Thailand are about the same. On weekdays from 8 am to 5 pm, on Saturday from 9 am to 12 pm, and Sunday is a day off.
Thailand Post Office Hours
How to send a parcel from Thailand to Russia
Boxes, address filling, packing
You don't need to think about packaging, you can buy it at the post office. Come, see what boxes are offered, choose and buy. If you need a bigger box, then ask some employee. Just gesture that you need a big box. The price is 9-50 baht, depending on the size. I took the biggest one, for 50 baht.
You can pack, both at home and at the post office itself, it doesn't matter. But, if you will do this at home, then you will have to first come for the box, and as a result, visit the post office twice. That is why I just came with the bags, estimated their volume, bought a box and packed everything right there. They will also give you scotch tape on the spot so that you can glue the corners and close the box. And if it is big, like mine, then it will still be fastened with plastic tape..
Maximum can be sent 20 kg.
Choice of boxes
18 kg went to Moscow
Filling in the address and form
On the box itself there will be fields for filling in the address and name. It makes sense to indicate everything in two languages: English and Russian. In general, Thai mail basically only needs to know the country and city of destination, and the rest is needed by the Russian postmen, but just in case, I indicated everything. You can also indicate your phone number and the one who accepts this parcel.
We fill in the address on the box
In addition to the address on the box, you need to fill out a receipt, where you again write down the address, your details, and a list of all the things in the box. This is necessary for customs, as I understand it. The field for the list of things is very small, so I did not write a direct list of all things, but only listed «classes»: children's toys, children's clothing, rice cooker, pants, T-shirts, tea. Like that.
Form-receipt for sending the parcel
How much does a parcel to Russia cost and delivery times
The cost of a parcel depends on the country of destination, weight and delivery time. You can find out the price on the official website in the block at the top right - Calculate Fee. There you need to select a country and indicate the weight in grams. Don't be surprised when a long list of options comes up. These are all types of delivery, he is a little more detailed about them..
Parcel cost and delivery options
By and large, we are interested in 3 options:
- Int’l Parcel-Surface. The cheapest option, delivery is by land, takes 2-3 months.
- Int’l EMS-Package. Express mail, the parcel must arrive in 1 week, send by air. The option is good when time is important, and the weight of the parcel is more than 2 kg.
- Int’l Parcel-Air. The most expensive way is regular air mail. Delivery time 2-3 weeks. It's strange that even though the package takes longer than EMS, it costs more. True, if the parcel is less than 2 kg, then it will be cheaper than EMS.
For example. Our package of 18 kg (rounded up) cost Int’l Parcel-Air 11400 baht and Int’l Parcel-Surface 2890 baht. There is a difference, right? Naturally, we chose the second option, because we are in no hurry. Int’l EMS-Package cost 8100 baht, and if urgency was needed, they would send them.
How much does the parcel cost (you can watch Austria or Germany instead of Russia)
As a result, our package arrived not in 2-3 months (Parcel-Surface), as promised, but in just 18 days. But you shouldn't count on it, I know, a bunch of examples when it went on for a month, or two, or three. So we were just lucky. Well, it is worth considering that in Russia it seems like all parcels come to Moscow, and from there it is already further across the country. So, plus more simple customs and transportation by Russian mail around the country. Actually, our parcel ended up in Moscow after 10 days and 8 days was cleared through customs and delivered to the address. Yes, it is worth laying another 3-4 days for the delivery of the parcel from your location to Bangkok, because everything goes through it.
All delivery options, decryption
Int’l EMS-Package - express mail EMS, up to 20 kg, takes 1 week
Int’l EMS-Document - documents by express mail EMS, up to 20 kg
EMS World (One Price Box) - 1400 baht per box D (22x35x14cm) and less, these are the ones that cost 9-20 baht
Int’l Parcel-Air - a parcel with things, regular air mail, the most expensive, up to 20 kg, takes 2-3 weeks
Int’l Parcel-Surface - a parcel with things, mail by land, the cheapest, up to 20 kg (in fact, often also flies by plane, just with stops), it takes 2-3 months
Int’l Letter-Air - delivery of letters by air mail, up to 2 kg
Int’l Letter-SAL - delivery of letters by sea and land, up to 2 kg
Int’l Letter-Surf - delivery of letters by land, up to 2 kg
Int’l Printed Paper (Book) -Air - delivery of documents and books by air mail, up to 5 kg
Int’l Printed Paper (Book) -SAL - delivery of documents and books by sea and by land, up to 5 kg
Int’l Printed Paper (Book) -Surf - delivery of documents and books by land, up to 5 kg
Int’l Small Packet-Air - a parcel of up to 2 kg by plane, sent unsealed, you can only tie it with a rope
Int’l Small Packet-SAL - a parcel of up to 2 kg by sea and land, also not sealed
Int’l Small Packet-Surf - a parcel of up to 2 kg by land, also not sealed
Tracking packages from Thailand
When you hand over the parcel and pay, you will be given a check. Do not throw it away, your tracking number will be indicated there - a set of numbers and letters, like CP067879484TH. You need it to track the path of your package. It must first be entered on the Thai mail site, here, and after a while on the Russian mail site here..
Check with tracking number
The route of the parcel with dates on the Thai postal website
The route of the parcel with dates on the website of the Russian post
Customs restrictions
I do not know exactly all the restrictions, it is better to check with those who often send goods from Thailand by mail, well, and not only from Tai. In general, your package shouldn't look like a sale. That is, 10 brand new iPhones in boxes are wrapped up at customs anyway. We sent things without labels and without packaging, and we also had an explosive mix there, including the old things that we used, so I was not puzzled by this question..
I read that there should be less than 5 goods of the same name, and also there should not be more than two parcels per month to one address. Also, there was information that some had a package deployed in Bangkok, when it contained perfume, creams and sauces, that is, liquids. If anyone knows more about the limitation, please add in the comments..
P.S. In another article of mine, read, how to send a letter from Thailand. The scheme is similar, but different in price.
