UPS shipping from BKK?
 

Has anyone shipped goods from Bkk? Using the UPS stores in BKK to USA?
Cost? Friends and family asking for Thai goods and fabric/material.
Thanks for any ideas,

I have. I don't remember the cost. I just remember it was a fortune, but the item arrived to me fine. I hadn't planned on shiping anything, but a Thai friend gave me a gift of a big stuffed animal and I couldn't get it into the suitcase, so I had to ship it. Happy Travels!

I shipped a bronze buddha from BKK to the UK. It was expensive but worse that that , when the package arrived the buddha was broken. we had relied on the supplier to pack it and they had put it in a box within a box wrapped in bubble wrap which, seemed ok but clearly wasn't. If sending breakable items again I would oversee the backing and insist on twice what seemed adequate. We did get compensation but it was a bit of a hassle.

Some times it is cheaper to buy an extra suitcase and pay the overage in luggage fees than going the UPS route. Those plastic rice bags and a roll of tape are great for getting fabric home and can be stuffed if packed carefully. I travel with a roll of packing tape for just such occasions....just tape across the zipper in several places.

Great idea, Kmk...!

I bring home rice bags all the time, filled with handmade fabric bags and such. But I've also done the UPS thing. And, zowie! it's expensive! I mailed home dirty laundry several times just so I could make room for all those handmade goods in my checked luggage.

I'm a 1K (very) frequent flier with United, so I am allowed 3 70lb suitcases as checked luggage on international flights. I still end up using UPS though. I've never paid for overages in luggage so I can't compare the cost, but kmkrnn is probably right in that it might be cheaper to do this.

The UPS website at http://www.ups.com/content/th/en/index.jsx gives some info on shipping rates from Thailand. As the materials you want to send are not breakable, surface shipping via Thai Post may be the cheapest and best route. See http://www.thailandpost.com/irt.php
and click on “Postage Rates”. Surface is slower than air mail, but if you aren’t in a hurry to receive the package, the savings are significant. Sending it by air mail is also possible. The post office can sell you a box, tape, etc to prepare the package, see http://www2.thailandpost.com/post_product_en.asp .

I can't tell from your message if you live in Thailand or will be there on holiday from elsewhere and plan to purchase the fabric. If the latter, the idea of mailing dirty laundry back via the post, and carrying purchases in your checked or hand luggage is a very good one. Esp as you don’t pay US Customs duty on used personal effects which you mail to yourself or others; but may have to pay duty on new imported fabric, as goods purchased abroad which do not personally accompany you into the US are subject to duty, there is no exemption as there is for goods you carry back with you.

we have sent things at least twice.....once a 25 kilo box for about $190... another time a 10 kilo box for ~$125. both arrived perfectly and within 5 days of shipping...

i think the key is the packing.... the packer has to know what he or she is doing... i would tend to load up on insurance if the thing is breakable... personally i would do what karen says above carry anything breakable with you if at all possible... checking it with the airline is a crap shoot too....but perhaps they have special handling...

ups or fedex air are fantastic imo

Great suggestions, Thank you.
Will be flying LAX to BKK (and on to CM) for a total of a 21 days of pure vacation fun. Can't wait.

we often leave a pkg or two at our hotel in bkk while we travel elsewhere....it makes things much easier...