Thailand Post beefs up sanitation measures
Thailand Post has heightened sanitation measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus from its postal services as demand for courier and logistics services has escalated following the outbreak.
The measures include providing hand sanitiser gel at post offices nationwide and spraying antiseptic on all incoming parcels at the offices, said Digital Economy and Society (DES) Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta. The DES Ministry oversees Thailand Post.
Masks will be given to all staff who have to work close to customers and cleaning will be carried out at all touching points throughout postal operations every half-hour, he said.
If staff or customers are found to be susceptible to infection, the post offices they engaged with will be temporarily closed for intensive cleaning, the minister said.
Thailand has reported 47 coronavirus cases thus far with one death.
The prime minister requested government agencies and enterprises follow through on disease control measures drawn up by the Public Health Ministry.
Thailand Post president Korkij Danchaivichit said the company started with strict measures and provided guidelines for all related parties to ward off the spread of virus.
“Thailand Post sprays antiseptics on all items sent from abroad, particularly at four major postal centres, namely the Suvarnabhumi Postal Center, Laksi Postal Center, Express Mail Center (EMS) and Bangkok Center,” said Mr Korkij. These sites serve as the main facilities for postal sourcing, which includes items from abroad.
Thailand Post also helps distribute alcohol-based gel through its network of over 10,000 branches as the Excise Department sells alcohol-based cleaning gel at post offices nationwide, providing the public easy access at a reasonable price.
Referring to Thailand Post’s business operation, Mr Buddhipongse said the company continues to serve as a major player in the market, though its market share has dropped 2-3 times in the face of intense competition by international logistics firms.
Delivery service Kerry Express, for example, saw its revenue surpass 10 billion baht last year, much higher than average annual revenue of 3 billion three years earlier, he said.
Thailand Post needs to improve its operations and image to effectively compete with private firms through strong resources, including personnel who know locations well, said Mr Buddhipongse.
In 2020, the DES Ministry set a plan for Thailand Post to use its offices nationwide to assist vendors in rural areas to sell products through online marketplaces and build up community e-commerce.