State enterprise Thailand Post has just banned all outgoing letters, packages and parcels to US because of changes in American customs regulations. Until now, goods valued under US$800 (26,000 baht) were exempt from import tariffs, but starting August 29 most international mail to US will be subject to new charges which could see US recipients paying US$160 extra for a parcel delivery.
Donald Trump’s executive order excludes letters and documents from the surcharges, but there is ongoing confusion across the board. Even a birthday card might be subject to extra scrutiny, leading to delays in delivery throughout the United States. Thailand Post has failed to get a guarantee that even first-class letters aren’t “goods intended for consumption”, leading to a total cessation of handling US-destined mail.
As national postal services round the world are affected by the new US policy, Thailand is not the only country to take action. Some or all postal services to US have been suspended in Singapore, China, Hong Kong, France, Switzerland, Denmark and Belgium. The UK has halted some export services to allow for the implementation of systems to handle the new import duties and taxes.
Courier mail services in Thailand, such as DHL and FedEx, are still accepting mail to US, but with much higher charges. Customers must expect closer inspection of the contents of any package both here and on arrival in US. They are also being warned that the typical three-days international transit time by air can no longer be guaranteed.
Thailand Post said that the total ban was hopefully temporary pending clarification from the US Customs and Border Protection, but mail charges were bound to rise substantially once normal services is resumed. Meanwhile, conspiracy theorists on social media are hard at work. A popular rumor is that Trump’s real aim is to prevent overseas Americans from mailing-in their ballots in future elections.
