The state-owned enterprise is testing the use of RFID in hopes that it will enhance its postal services, said Woodtipong Moleechad, chief operations officer.

With RFID, when a customer brings a package to a counter at Thai Post, the cashier applies a tag to the parcel after which it is sent to its destination. The tag contains a slew of information like parcel contents and delivery times. This system is expected to be up and running by the end of this year.

He said that the new system would help Thailand Post's staff reduce the amount of time the agency keeps its customers' mail before dispatching it for delivery. That's because they can use RFID to read and check information simultaneously.

"We now use the barcode system, so when customers want to send, for example, five boxes, we have to use the barcode reader to scan them five times. But with the RFID reader, we can read the boxes just once," said Woodtipong.

The RFID tags have 64KB of memory that records information including contents, the product's owner, date and time it was brought in and delivered, destination and the number of parcels.

With the system, Thai Post will be able to provide tailor-made postal services to small businesses and enterprises and provide services depending on its customers' needs and help them reduce costs.

"The new service will not only reduce the time it takes to render services to customers, but also increase accuracy. It will be able to reduce human error," Woodtipong said.

Moreover, the firm is negotiating with mobile-phone service operators to allow customers to track their shipments via mobile phones.

The service will allow customers to check the status of a letter or parcel they have sent.

Jirapan Boonnoon

The Nation