Post Office plans to solve mail problems

PHUKET: Mail is to be transported direct from Chumphon to Phuket as one of a series of measures aimed at improving speed of delivery and reducing the amount of misplaced or undelivered mail.

The new system, to be implemented in January, will replace the existing one, whereby the post bounces through several southern provinces on its way to Phuket.

Phuket Postmaster Visal Pongtiwattanakul told reporters on October 1 that the post office had been reacting to complaints about late or lost mail by investigating the possible causes.

Many of these, it seems, are not the fault of the Post Office or its workers.

He said, “There are several reasons, such as the addressee refusing to accept an item; the recipient’s home not having a mailbox, or the post being delivered to someone other than the addressee, who forgets to pass it on.

“Sometimes the addressee has moved, or the envelope is improperly addressed – the tambon, moo, road, soi or house number is missing, for example.

“Also, Thailand has many holidays, when the post office is closed and items are stuck in the system until the post office starts work after the holiday.

“Delivery staff leave and are replaced by new staff who don’t know the area and take time to become familiar with it, or the vehicle bringing the post to Phuket is late, or there isn’t enough room to bring all the post to Phuket, so some has to be left behind until the next collection.”

But, K. Visal added, “We now know the problems, so we can look for short- and long-term solutions.

“In the short term [until the Chumphon-Phuket deliveries are implemented], we will send more bags to Surat Thani to collect mail for Phuket and there will be more delivery vehicles coming from Surat Thani to Phuket.

“Second, our delivery people will work overtime, including on public holidays.

“In the long term, we will reorganise the way the mail is collected and delivered on the island. In the past, a post office in one area would be responsible for collecting the mail, which would be sorted at an office in another area, while a third post office would be responsible for organising deliveries.

“Soon, though, all three functions will be carried out by the post office in each of the island’s five postal areas.

“We’ve taken on temporary staff to enable us to start solving the problems and the permanent staff should be in place by January.”