thailandcollection...from terdsak

[Russ]

Dear Momo,

I would be very grateful, if you can tell me the address of central post office, or stamp shop in Bangkok, the opening time, ect.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

[Alex_iv]

You're welcome. You must visit this post office if you interested in new issues And building itself rather impressive

[momo]

contact me

terdsak@hotmail.com

[THE GUEST]

Central post office of Bangkok is located on the Charoen Krung street (one-way street), look at your left side. There many philately and numismatic shops surrounding the post building. You could find used phonecards for collecting, accessory for stamp, banknote, coin,...



http://http://maps.google.com/maps?h...num=1&ct=title

[kemmut]

Below are some of stamp shops in Bangkok.


The excellent new Skytrain has made travelling to and around the Sukhumvit, Siam Square and Silom Road areas of Bangkok a snip. There are two lines, the Sukhumvit line and the Silom line, the latter being somewhat shorter. There is an interchange at Siam Square. The price of a journey varies from 10 to 40 baht dependent on distance. A 15 trip ticket costs 300 baht and is valid for 1 month.

To get to the GPO, take the Silom line to its terminus at Saphan Taksin. On leaving the station, turn left into Charoen Krung Road, go straight past Robinson's Department Store and walk for about half a mile, about half way you will see Silom road on your right. Soon after you will come to the first of the Charoen Krung stamp shops, just after Oriental Lane. Allowing for the heat and crowds, it should take about 15 minutes. Or you could hail a tuk-tuk for about 25 baht.

To get to Chatuchak Park, take the Skytrain Sukhumvit line to its end at Mo Chit. Looking to the left side of the platform on arrival, you can see Chattuchak Park.

To get to the World Trade Center, take either line to Siam Square and walk back towards Ratcha-Damri Road and into the WTC building through the Zen department store.

GENERAL POST OFFICE

Location: 1160 Charoen Krung Road

Map Grid: G-6

Hours: Mail services: Mon-Fri 0800-2000, Sat-Sun 0800-1300

Pack & Wrap: Mon-Fri 0830-1630, Sat 0900-1200

Money Orders: Mon-Fri 0800-1700, Sat 0900-1300

Philatelic: Mon-Fri 0830-1730, Sat 0800-1300, Sunday 0800-1200

The GPO is an absolute must for a visiting stamp collector, not only for the sake of the building itself and the services provided there but also because the largest concentration of postage stamp stores in Bangkok is within a 1-2 minute walk from this location.

Let's assume you get there early on a weekend morning, perhaps about 0800. The main hall that you enter is huge, and there are 39 service counters in front of you. At the extreme right end of the hall is the pack and wrap service area. There is also a doorway here entering into a room off of which are the restrooms, a staircase, and an entryway into the telegraph office. (Telegraph office is now closed and blocked off. There is a small counter just inside the main GPO entrance that now takes telegrams. Telegram service is rapidly being phased out of the Thai postal service.) Want a good photograph of the main hall? Go up one flight on the staircase and you'll find a large window over-looking the hall.

At the other end of the main hall are the Post Restante facilities and the Philatelic section. You should go to the philatelic sales windows first because they'll be hard to get to later after the crowds arrive. If the windows are already open you'll find a basket of scrap paper on the counter. Take a piece and write down the code numbers of the stamps, souvenir sheets, first day covers, maximum cards, etc. displayed in the various cases and then get in line.

Why is the GPO located here? With all of the tall buildings around it's hard to realize it but the back yard of the GPO is the Chao Phraya River, and the GPO was probably constructed here around 1940 because of its proximity to the river. You can get to the river by walking down some of the sois off of Charoen Krung Road. A new GPO Tower (high-rise building) has now been constructed behind the old GPO building. It has a unique "Broadcast Tower" on it’s top that can be seen from a great distance. The river is behind this new building.

THE GPO WEEKEND BOURSE

Location: In front of the General Post Office, 1160 Charoen Krung Road

Map Grid: G-6

Hours: Sat-Sun only 0900-1700. Some dealers start leaving around 3:00PM.

Almost 20 stamp dealers operate from an open-sided tent erected in the parking lot in front of the GPO on New Road every weekend. Sales start at 0900 or earlier but many of the dealers don't arrive until near noon. Each dealer has his material spread out on a table and there are usually plenty of chairs so you can sit down and go through their stock books and boxes of covers and souvenir sheets. For those who like classical Thai stamps and postal history, pay a visit to Kitti Damrongvadhana, who has a large and interesting stock together with a vast knowledge of the subject. He also speaks excellent English, German and French.

This is a must stop, not only because of the large number of dealers here but also because many of them do not have stores where you can visit them.

A.A. NUPHILA

Location: 1164-66 Charoen Krung Road, just to the right as you leave the GPO compound.

Map Grid: G-6

Mail: A. A. Nuphila, 1164-66 New Road, Bangkok 10500, Thailand

Email: aanuphila@hotmail.com

Hours: Monday-Saturday 1000-1830, closed on Sundays.

Tel: 237-1105, 236-9976

Fax: 237-8154

This store is operated by J. Thana and his wife, both of whom speak excellent English. This is probably the most spacious and best organized stamp store in Bangkok. In addition to stamps and related items, they also deal in currencies and silver objects from the Thai hill tribes. The store is located less than a minutes walk from the GPO.

ORIENTAL STAMP CENTER (BURAPHA STAMPS)

Location: 1196 New Road, very near to the GPO

Mail: Oriental Stamp Center, 1196 Charoen Krung Road, Bangkok 10500, Thailand

Map grid: G-6

Hours: Mon-Sat 0930-1730

Tel/Fax: 233-8477

This is another of the five postage stamp stores located within 1-2 minutes walk from the GPO. In addition to Thai and worldwide stamps, they sometimes have packets of Thai kiloware which I have found to be of particularly good quality. They also sell seashells and mounted butterflies.

Their magazine advertising and business cards make use of both names, Oriental Stamps and Burapha Stamps.

SIO SIAH KEE STAMP AND COIN SHOP

Location: 1216 Charoen Krung Road

Hours: Monday – Saturday ? (closed Sunday)

Veerachai Smitasin and his father have operated this shop for many years. His father officially retired in 1997, but can be seen in the shop most days. Veerachai has produced two of the finest Thai/English books on Thai coins and banknotes. He speaks excellent English

HOBBY STAMPS

Location: 427 Charoen Krung Soi 43

Map grid: G-6

Mail: Hobby Stamps, 427 Charoen Krung Soi 43, Si Phraya, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500, Thailand

Hours: Monday-Sunday. Sometimes closed on weekdays – no set schedule.

Tel: 02-266-2969-70 or hand phone 01-868-8822

To get to Hobby, exit the GPO compound to the left. Walk to the first soi. There is a crosswalk across Charoen Krung to your right. Cross the street at this crosswalk. Go around the corner of soi 43. Hobby Stamps is about the third shop on the right.

L. KIM GUAN

Location: 1142 Charoen Krung (New) Road

Mail: L. Kim Guan, G.P.O. Box 25, Bangkok, 10501, Thailand

Map grid: G-6

Hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1730, Sat 0900-1500

Tel: ................

This shop had been on Silom Road for many years but in recent years it moved to the GPO area. It is in the same block of stores that Leng Stamps is located.

This store was established in 1927 and so is one of the oldest stamp dealers in the city. They don't have nearly as much stock these days as in past years but they can still produce some hard to find items.

S. SURACHAI COINS AND STAMPS

Location: 1143 Charoen Krung Road, opposite the GPO

Map Grid: G-6

Mail: S. Surachai Coins & Stamps, G.P.O. Box 1574, Bangkok, 10501, Thailand

Tel: 234-0836

This store is located directly across the street from the GPO but, as the name implies, they are more into coins than stamps. They have a rather limited English-language capability.

LENG STAMPS

Location: Charoen Krung Road, near the GPO

Mail: Leng Stamps, G.P.O. Box 1214, Bangkok 10501, Thailand

Map grid: G-6

Hours: open Mon-Tue, Thu-Sat, 0930-1700.

Tel: 233-3178; Fax: 234-6407

This is another of the five postage stamps stores located within 1-2 minutes walk from the GPO. Leng moved back to his original location on Charoen Krung from the Si Phraya Road location a couple of years ago.

It's occasionally difficult to get anyone to pay attention to you in this store as often only the owner is in attendance and he's usually quite patient and painstaking with whatever customer he is dealing with at the time. But collectors interested in kiloware should definitely not pass this place up. They sell two kilogram bags (4.4 lbs.) of Thai definitive kiloware for only 150 baht ($6), and they also have commemorative stamp kiloware at higher prices. You'll probably see bags of the kiloware in the window displays on either side of the entrance to the store.

In addition to worldwide stamps, these folks also deal in telephone cards and currency items. They also have what is probably the largest selection of Thai FDC's of any dealer in Bangkok.

Store is run by Khun Chotchuang Satjaphraeophan, who speaks very little English. However, his son and daughter are usually present and speak excellent English.

SIAM STAMP TRADING

Location: World Trade Center

Mail: Siam Stamp Trading, Ltd., World Trade Center, A-407 (4th floor), Rajdamri Rd., Rajprasong, Bangkok 10330, Thailand

Map Grid: left center of F-8

Hours: 1000-1930, seven days a week

Tel: 255-9599 Fax: 255-9599

Sakserm Siriwong and his partner Suphadej Suksantisawad operate this company. They are two of the most knowledgeable stamp dealers in the country and both have won numerous major awards for their own stamp collections.

The store is located on the fourth floor of the World Trade Center building at the intersection of Phloen Chit and Ratcha-Damri Roads. This is a huge building containing dozens and dozens of shops, restaurants, department stores and other businesses. The elaborate spirit house for the Trade Center is located nearest to the above mentioned intersection. Directly behind the spirit house is the ground-level entrance to the Zen Department Store. Enter here and walk back into the interior of Zen to the escalators. Go to the 4th floor and exit Zen by going straight ahead once you come off the escalator. As you exit Zen you'll pass the Cafe Chino Coffee Shop on the left and the Bio Concepts health food store on the right. Angle right to go down a hallway, and at the end of this hall is Siam Stamp Trading.

Both Sakserm and Suphadej speak excellent English.

BEST STAMPS

Location: The Mall in Bang Kapi, Lat Phrao Road, 3rd floor

Map Grid: E-14

Mail: Best Stamps, The Mall Bangkapi, 3rd floor, Lat Phrao Road, Bangkok 10240, Thailand

Hours: Tuesday-Friday 1030-2000, Saturday-Sunday 1000-2000

Tel: 734-1878

Fax: 734-1879

Vichit Eurtivong, who publishes one of the better Thai stamp catalogs, is the owner of this store which opened on August 5, 1994. This is a store well worth visiting even though it is located rather distant from the downtown Bangkok area. It is large and very orderly and Vichit stocks any number of Thai stamp rarities. You'll be amazed at the numerous full sheets of overprints and other early Thai stamps that he has on display. He also deals in foreign stamps, albums and other collecting accessories, coins, telephone cards, etc.

Take a taxi to "The Mall in Bang Kapi" or, if you take a bus watch the Soi numbers along Lat Phrao Road and get off between Sois 117 and 119. The mall is across Lat Phrao Road from these sois. The blue #15 (or sometimes a double, articulated white bus #514) air conditioned bus can be taken from Silom near the New Road intersection or from World Trade Center. It also goes by Fortune Town on the way.

The store fronts on the ground floor of the mall are, in order, Swensen's, Calico Jack's Fast Seafood, Macdonald's, Dunkin Donuts, KFC, and a Popeye's. Enter the Dunkin Donuts, continuing straight through it and into the mall. (These shops may change from time to time. Please forward any observations to Webmaster.) Take the nearest escalator up two more floors to the 3rd floor. As you come off the escalator, go left and Best stamps is about 200 feet down on the right.

Both Vichit and his wife Benchamat speak excellent English.

Mr. STAMPS

Perapol Raimathurapong has a few showcases in the 3rd floor aisle of Central Pin Klao Department Store on the Thonburi side of the river. You can reach Central Pin Klao on the #511 air conditioned bus which runs up Sukhumvit, past World Trade Center, down Phetchaburi to Ratchadamnoen, then across the river.

Mailing address: P.O. Box 34, Phra Pin Klao Post Office, Bangkok 10705

Cell Phone 01-447-5456

e-mail – mrstamps@hotmail.com

Khun Perapol has a wide selection of modern worldwide stamps. He also sells on eBay as Mr. Stamps.