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BANGKOK: — Thailand Post will introduce a national “portable zip codes program” that will allow individuals to take their zip code with them when they move, no matter where they move, whether across the country or across town.

The program is inspired by the recent CAT Telecom ruling that allows people to retain the same phone number wherever they move or whatever service they switch to.

Boonlert Praisannee, head of Thailand Post says “A modern, mobile society like Thailand can no longer afford to remain grounded in locale-specific zip codes. He continues: “A zip code is a badge of honor, an emblem symbolizing a citizen’s place in the demographic, rather than geographic, landscape.”

Khun Boonlert: “This will also save companies and organizations a lot of money, because they don’t need to print new letterheads, forms and business cards when they move or relocate. “I’m pleased to announce this new feature of our on-going “Go Postal” campaign,” said Khun Boonlert.

“It’s yet another step to modernize our postal system and satisfy our customers.”

Earlier in January, CAT Telecom ruled that phone customers would soon be able to keep their telephone numbers with them when they changed carriers. That made it possible for a person to retain a familiar number even when switching, say from AIS to DTAC or True, and even from traditional phone service to cell phone service.

At the time, no one anticipated the cascading effect this would have. Now the concept has spilled over onto another branch of the communication infrastructure, namely Thailand Post.

The Democrat Party Leader Abhisit Vejjajiva says this is typical populist ideas from the Samak government. “Call me old-fashioned, but zip codes were meant to stay put,” he said. “They serve a clear, unambiguous purpose: They tell the postal worker on his or her rounds where you live. I’m certain I’ll be thinking long and hard of maybe voting against it.”

The stationary system of zip codes has been in place for decades, and in that time those five numbers evolved from just a series of digits to a status symbol — like an expensive watch or a handsome hairpiece.

The new vanity zip code feature is only the latest addition to the Go Postal program, which began last April 1. Thailand Post’s officials say Go Postal has already been a success, with millions of baht of new revenue coming from the introduction of pop-up ads on postage stamps.

They are hoping to issue the first portable zip codes by April 30, 2008.

But first the House subcommittee must override an anticipated veto by a two-thirds majority of dissenting members. If that passes, the full Senate will have to take up the three riders attached to the bill by the postal subcommittee. If that fails, then only a 4-5 measure in both houses can pass. Only time will tell where this all stands.

–Agencies 2008-04-01

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