Should Amazon open a fulfillment Center in Thailand!

General chat about life in the Land Of Smiles. Discuss expat life, relationship issues and all things generally Thailand and Asia related.
Post Reply
User avatar
The understudy
Ace
Ace
Posts: 1293
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2003 12:16 pm
Location: Hua Hin, Bangkok, Berlin, L. A. rotating

Should Amazon open a fulfillment Center in Thailand!

Post by The understudy »

Hi there you guys

The understudy is back with an interesting Topic for y'all to think and ponder upon.

You know that Online Shopping is popular around the world and many of us had ordered stuff from amazon.com in the US, .co.uk in United Kingdom, and of course amazon.de! Now with amazon gaining more and more popular ordering from the amazon.com or .co.uk can sometimes get into a sweaty situation when a Package from them comes late or your order get's Lost along the way.
For that reason should Amazon open a fulfillment Center here in Thailand and should amazon open a local site for Thais to shop at amazon.co.th
I think many Thais wants to experience the enjoyment of shopping at amazon but don't understand English! Or finds it's such a hassle to order from abroad and pay taxes afterword and some are to afraid
to let their order sent to Thailand because their order got lost.
As it has happened to me once I've ordered something's from amazon, clicked on the cheapest & longest way my order should arrive! Than after two weeks past my order status suddenly changed to delivered. But I never got my package I'd inquired at the post office and they can't tell where my package went! To this day nobody can tell me where my order from amazon went. A popular theory by people who also ordered things from amazon to Thailand suggested that customs officers who takes care of the unexpedited foreign packages randomly open packages when they find anything expensive or rare they simply take the boxes and let evidence disappear. But with expedited mail over UPS, FEDex or DHL with package tracking and insurance number customs office officials cannot take it home!
So would a amazon fulfillment center in Thailand be a good idea??

Your's The understudy
In Love with Hua Hin since 19naughty9 and it ain't fading!!!
(My fable for All Things Japanese knows no boundaries!) Proud Student of Stamford University Hua Hin Campus from 1999 to 2004 (5th Batch of Graduates.)
“Once you survive Stamford U Hua Hin Campus only you can survive anything!!!”
User avatar
dtaai-maai
Hero
Hero
Posts: 14196
Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2007 10:00 pm
Location: UK, Robin Hood country

Re: Should Amazon open a fulfillment Center in Thailand!

Post by dtaai-maai »

A fulfilment centre? I thought Thailand had plenty of those already...
This is the way
User avatar
kendo
Rock Star
Rock Star
Posts: 3571
Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2008 7:11 pm
Location: Southampton.

Re: Should Amazon open a fulfillment Center in Thailand!

Post by kendo »

Great idea
Would open up a whole new market in Thailand I don't trust EBay as had a couple of bad experiences but I buy shit loads of stuff from Amazon with no issues.

Kendo.
Is Bangkok a place or a nasty injury.......Eric Morcombe.


Proud to be a Southampton FC Fan.
User avatar
hhfarang
Hero
Hero
Posts: 11060
Joined: Fri Mar 12, 2004 1:27 am
Location: North Carolina

Re: Should Amazon open a fulfillment Center in Thailand!

Post by hhfarang »

The only issues I've had with Amazon, were actually not with Amazon, they were with Thai customs. I bought one item, paid double the price for Fedex shipping, then was called by the Fedex agent in customs clearance in Bangkok and to get the item through customs I was going to have to pay double the price of the item and shipping again! I told Fedex to just destroy it. Would this Amazon distribution center you're suggesting here avoid problems with customs and exhorbitant duty fees on items?
My brain is like an Internet browser; 12 tabs are open and 5 of them are not responding, there's a GIF playing in an endless loop,... and where is that annoying music coming from?
User avatar
The understudy
Ace
Ace
Posts: 1293
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2003 12:16 pm
Location: Hua Hin, Bangkok, Berlin, L. A. rotating

Re: Should Amazon open a fulfillment Center in Thailand!

Post by The understudy »

Hi there Hhfarang.

This fulfillment Center would certainly avoid exorbitant duty fees as all products are already imported and duties collected beforehand according to law.
I think it's another scheme where both the shipping Agent and the customs duties officer both getting the better of you unfortunately.
When the shipping agent tells you that customs wants double the items price You told him to destroy it unless you asked for photographic proof of items destruction. He didn't destroy it and gives the item to the customs officer for virtually nothing. He in graditude exchange gives you the shipping Agent get 5000 Bahts.

Your's The understudy...
In Love with Hua Hin since 19naughty9 and it ain't fading!!!
(My fable for All Things Japanese knows no boundaries!) Proud Student of Stamford University Hua Hin Campus from 1999 to 2004 (5th Batch of Graduates.)
“Once you survive Stamford U Hua Hin Campus only you can survive anything!!!”
musungu
Professional
Professional
Posts: 397
Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2013 3:28 pm

Re: Should Amazon open a fulfillment Center in Thailand!

Post by musungu »

I am not sure what a fulfillment centre is, but it seems a strange word to use when it seems to be a basic service centre.
Anyway my experience with Amazon, first ordering from USA they added some incredible amount for import duty ( when in my experience the value would have been handed over by Hua Hin PO free of duty - I cancelled the order. Secondly with the UK when Amazon had to replace a Kindle Fire I had bought in London 30 days previous _ Amazon refused to send the Kindle to Thailand and I had to have it sent to a friend in UK, I also had to go through my Amazon 'profile' and change my address to that of my friend etc etc before they would despatch - typical JOBSWORTH for those who used to watch the TV program identifying such individuals !!

The less I hear of Amazon the better
Prior Planning & Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance.
User avatar
The understudy
Ace
Ace
Posts: 1293
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2003 12:16 pm
Location: Hua Hin, Bangkok, Berlin, L. A. rotating

Re: Should Amazon open a fulfillment Center in Thailand!

Post by The understudy »

Hi there y'all

An amazon fulfillment center is just vast and require space.... And lot's of it! And it will require workforce I mean 10.000 people or More!!!!
Here's amazon's fulfillment Center in a Nutshell cliip for y'all

Can Thais handle such kind of work? Or any ASEAN country that can woe amazon to set up such operations?
In Germany we have 4 of such Fulfillment Centers in the UK there are 5 of them with another one being built in Scottland.
For Thailand I think 2 or 3 of those Centers are more than enough!
What's your take on this Madams and Gentleguys?!?!?!?!

Your's The understudy!!!!!!!
In Love with Hua Hin since 19naughty9 and it ain't fading!!!
(My fable for All Things Japanese knows no boundaries!) Proud Student of Stamford University Hua Hin Campus from 1999 to 2004 (5th Batch of Graduates.)
“Once you survive Stamford U Hua Hin Campus only you can survive anything!!!”
User avatar
STEVE G
Hero
Hero
Posts: 12822
Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2006 3:50 am
Location: HUA HIN/EUROPE

Re: Should Amazon open a fulfillment Center in Thailand!

Post by STEVE G »

I think for Thailand to build and operate something like that would be easy but I think the biggest problem would be the infrastructure to guarantee reliable delivery from the center to the customer.
Post Reply