I recently received my first mail of any kind — the above-pictured postcard — in almost ONE YEAR! Thailand Post has had a dismal service record since the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020 and it really seems to have gotten worse since last year. Of course, from around August until late October/early November 2022 most of Thailand experienced horrendous flooding which wiped away entire communities not to mention roadways and, yes, even a few post offices. Domestic mail was often sorted on the ground in parking lots, protected only by open-sided tents. International mail service was cut to and from many nations and is only starting to be restored (and the backlog is apparently housed near the international airport in Bangkok).
A huge international stamp exhibition will be held from 27 November until 2 December to mark the 140th anniversary of Thailand’s postal services so, hopefully, this has helped to spur Thailand Post to get their act together. The postcard I received from my sister was mailed from Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.A. on 4 October and finally reached me in Phuket on 9 November.
I guess I have been a Chiefs fan since we moved to the Kansas City area (from Tennessee) in August 1977. The team was founded in 1959 as the Dallas Texans by businessman Lamar Hunt, and was a charter member of the American Football League (AFL). In spring 1963, the team relocated to Kansas City, and assumed its current name. The Chiefs joined the NFL as a result of the merger in 1970. I attended many games at Arrowhead Stadium while I lived there and have continued to follow the team since moving away. Here in Thailand, that often means listening to the games on internet radio in the wee hours of the morning and even into the early part of school days. I did take a day off to watch their Super Bowl appearance in February 2020 at a local resort, which was their first time to win the championship game in fifty years.
Postcards to Phuket 