contents

Postal Mail, Private Courier

International shipments require a customs form or a commercial invoice.

has mixed reviews for reliability.

https://www.usps.com/ship/mail-shipping-services.htm
Priority Mail Express, fastest, $31
Priority Mail, 2-3 days, best seller, $9.35
tracking, insurance, flat rate 9×12 envelope

https://www.usps.com/international/mail-shipping-services.htm
Priority Mail Express International, 3-5 days, 1-3 weeks, $75
Priority Mail International, 6-10 days, 4-6 weeks, $35
tracking
online fillable customs form
flat rate 9×12 envelope

All three of these have online systems for ordering and paying for shipments.

• DHL Express
• Fed Ex
• UPS

International shipments require a customs form or a commercial invoice.

Has strong presence in Thailand, good relationship with customs, good reputation.
In USA, no service points in Topeka. Junction City, Leavenworth, Overland Park.
In Chiang Mai, service points at Thapae Gate and elsewhere.

https://mydhl.express.dhl/us/en/home.html#/createNewShipmentTab
create shipment online, pay online
ask for order pickup “collection”
driver will bring an envelope
Print shipping label and customs forms at Copyland.
personal cheque to USA, 1779 THB, including pickup

FedEx as of 8 Jul
Ship Manager: 2 shipments
Billing Manager: 2 invoices
no connection between the two other than date
Ship Manager doesn’t know anything after the label printing; no invoice number, no delivery date.
Billing Manager doesn’t have the tracking number or delivery date.
1 week between ship date and invoice date

ship date invoice date
6/30 to sdfcu 882374715736 7/8 1068.06thb
6/23 to jh 882206461970 7/1 1274.02thb

consignor - shipper
consignee - recipient
seller - may or may not be the consignor or shipper
buyer - may or may not be the consignee or recipient
waybill - contract between shipper and carrier, used by trucking, sea, and air carriers
air waybill - a waybill used for an air shipment
airbill - same as air waybill
shipping label - same as air bill

aka waybill, air waybill, AWB, and airbill
the contract between the shipper and the carrier (FedEx)

in an international shipment
itemizes the contents of the package and the value of each item
in a “document” package, the customs declaration can be a small section on the airbill
used by Customs officials in both the sending and receiving countries

required by for international shipment of items
Shipment contents is either

• document, or
• items

Documents and items cannot be mixed in one shipment.
Items - means goods that might require a customs duty.
An Items shipment requires a commercial invoice.
Documents does not.

In Thailand, letterhead and signature are required.
But the fill in the blanks pdf has no letterhead.
Are we supposed to print it on a letterhead paper?

The Ship Manager can generate a commercial invoice from the data already entered.
But it requires an upload of two image files: a letterhead logo, and a signature of the shipper.

commercial invoice fillable form is 12 MB
printed version is 200 kB
max uploadable: 5 MB

PDF Fillable Forms - Must use a browser to fill the forms.
Evidently Linux Adobe does not run the calculated fields.
https://www.fedex.com/content/dam/fedex/us-united-states/International/images/2020/Q1/Updated_Commercial_Invoice_6_11_19_1271336359.pdf

Does the commercial invoice have to be uploaded before clicking the Finalize button?
Yes it does. Even though we do not have the tracking number yet.

Can I, the recipient, sign the Commercial Invoice, or does it have to be the shipper?
No. It has to be the shipper.

Can I click the Finalize button before uploading the Commercial Invoice?
No. The commercial invoice must be uploaded before the Finalize button will work.

Can a shipment be cancelled after clicking the Finalize button, in the event I’ve made a mistake?
Yes. And it can be edited in which case it is cancelled and wiped off the system and you start from scratch.

Can the commercial invoice, with the tracking number added, be re-uploaded after Finalize?
No. When the shipment is edited, the shipment and tracking number are deleted.

fdxhelpdesk@fedex.com
1 800 gofedex
1 800 463 3339

fedex Chiang Mai at 4 Somphot
call 1782 or 02.491.2000
thcsr@fedex.com

fedex has acquired TNT and they are now integrating

local scan time, ascending
09:58 dropped off at origin facility, Chiang Mai TH
14:00 left origin facility, Chiang Mai TH
02:50 at local FedEx facility, at Samutprakarn TH
07:04 On the way, at Samutprakarn TH
14:51 On the way, at Bayan Lepas MY (Penang)
17:21 On the way, Singapore SG
14:19 Arrived at FedEx hub, Anchorage AK
15:47 International shipment release - Import, Anchorage AK
19:55 On the way, Anchorage AK
19:55 At local FedEx facility, Anchorage AK
19:55 On the way, Anchorage AK
21:48 Departed FedEx hub, Anchorage AK
06:44 Arrived at FedEx hub, MEMPHIS, TN
15:43 Departed FedEx hub, MEMPHIS, TN
18:22 At destination sort facility, DULLES, VA
07:52 At local FedEx facility, ALEXANDRIA, VA
08:19 On FedEx vehicle for delivery, ALEXANDRIA, VA
10:03 Delivered, ALEXANDRIA, VA

Is a cheque a prohibited item?

• If the cheque is endorsed to bearer, it may be a cash equivalent, and therefore prohibited.
• If the cheque is not endorsed or is endorsed “for deposit only” to a named institution, then it has no value, and is not prohibited.

Regarding any particular list of prohibited items, is it defined by the customs department of a specific country, or is it the policy of a specific courier.

A customs department may at random open a package and check that its contents match the description on the customs form. If it does not match, this could be trouble.

In an online chat with a DHL agent, she said the personal cheque is a prohibited item.

The following two DHL documents also list the cheque as a prohibited item, though neither specifies the way the check is filled out or endorsed.

The third DHL document avoids mentioning checks, though it does list other cash-equivalent payment forms.

https://www.dhl.com/th-en/home/ecommerce/business-help-center/prohibited-goods.html
Domestic Shipments
Prohibited Goods (Goods you are NOT allowed to send)

• Fragile goods e.g. glass, porcelains
• Currency or any methods of payment e.g. cash, cheque
• …

https://www.dhl.com/content/dam/dhl/global/dhl-freight/documents/pdf/dhl-freight-terms-and-conditions-global.pdf
DHL Freight Terms & Conditions as of 1st January 2025
1. Prohibited Goods
DHL Freight does not accept the following: certain classes
of dangerous goods (see clause 7), weapons and
ammunition, wastes, living botanicals, livestock, animals,
derivatives of endangered species (e.g.: skin, fur, teeth,
shell, feathers or blood and parts of some plants, e.g.
seeds), bulk material, removal goods, money and/or
valuables, cheques, ready to use credit-cards, coins, fiscal
stamps, valid telephone cards, any means of payment,
securities (guarantees), precious metals, precious stones,
jewelry, art, antiques or tobacco products.

https://www.dhl.com/content/dam/dhl/local/gb/dhl-ecommerce/documents/pdf/gb-ecommerce-terms-and-conditions-april-2024.pdf
Section 2. Defined Terms
Valuable goods - means any items that are irreplaceable or
not easily replaced, or have sentimental
value, or which could easily be used by
persons other than the Sender or the
intended recipient. Examples include
without limitation: precious metals,
stones or gems, cashiers/travellers
cheques, bearer instruments, stored
value cards (including pre-loaded cards
and top-up cards), credit/debit cards,
important documents (passports, birth/
marriage certificates, share certificates),
stamps, antiques, unprotected furniture,Se
artwork, jewellery (other than costume
jewellery);

Value - means either the cost value of the item
at which it was originally purchased or
manufactured (as applicable), or the
open market value (on a like for like basis,
not new for old) of the item, whichever is
the lowest. Where the item is a cheque,
voucher, stamp, stored value card or
similar item, the Value of such items
shall be the actual cost of re-issuing the
cheque, stamp, voucher, stamp, card, or
similar item.

4. Shipments
…
4.1.1. shall not contain (subject to Condition 4.1.3) any Prohibited
Goods, Restricted Goods, Unsuitable Goods, Dangerous Goods,
Valuable Goods, or out of scope items;

https://www.fedex.com/en-jp/customer-support/faq/sending/what-goods-can-i-send/money-as-shipment.html
This is a customer inquiry sent to the Japan website.
Can I send monetary units?
Money (coins, cash, currency paper money and negotiable instruments equivalent to cash such as endorsed stocks, bonds and cash letters) cannot be carried by FedEx. See more details.

A list of prohibited items, by country. Goods only, no documents.
https://www.fedex.com/en-us/shipping/international-prohibited-items.html

https://rnpexpress.com/en/shipping-terms-and-conditions/
3.2 Prohibited Items for Shipping

• …
• Currency, coins, and banknotes.
• Prohibited documents, such as ID cards, passports, and financial transaction documents.

The Customs Department, 1, Suntorn Kosa Road, Klong Toey, Bangkok, 10110
Customs Care Center at Tel. 1164
Fax : +66-2667-7767
E-mail : saraban@customs.go.th
E-mail: 1164@customs.go.th

I called Thailand customs and the lady did not know what a personal cheque is. She asked me to email her with a photo of the item. (She is thinking goods, not documents.) I emailed her a photo of an example check off of google. She sent back a form letter telling me how to look it up in the database.

Thai Customs Department database
http://itd.customs.go.th/igtf/en/main_frame.jsp ,

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#search/singapore+customs/FMfcgzQbfLQDcPnjcsrDFFgZHqpdKbrW
Good afternoon, Thank you for contacting Singapore Customs through live-chat. This is Jennifer. To help us assist you better, please elaborate on your enquiry please?

Is a personal check an allowed document to come in through customs?

please assist to elaborate on your enquiry. is the cheque being posted to Singapore Customs or to make payment for duty/GST to SC?

No. It is payable to me from a company in USA. I will endorse the check and send it back to USA.

it is an allowed document
OK. Good. Thank you.