DHL targets Thai overseas students
Delivery company DHL launched a new express service targeting university students who plan to study abroad, The Nation reports.
Named “University Express”, the new service has been designed exclusively for the fast delivery of students’ applications for admission to universities abroad.
“We have seen business potential in the market as there are about 40,000 students who send their applications to universities abroad every year,” said Herbert Vongpusanachai, managing director of DHL Express (Thailand) Ltd.
DHL currently accounts for more than 50 per cent of Thailand’s international express service for documents, according to the company.
He said that about 70 per cent of those students who have sent application forms to universities abroad seek to study in master’s degree programmes.
He said that on average each student sends applications to five universities abroad. Major destinations are famous universities in the United States, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
DHL’s University Express charges from Bt700 to more than Bt1,000 to deliver each application, which is cheaper than its regular delivery service. The company expects that between 3,000 and 4,000 students will send admissions applications using its express service over the next 12 months.
Herbert said Thailand is the first country in Southeast Asia to be offered DHL’s exclusive express service for students. The service has been tested in India for almost two years and has proved a success.
“DHL understands that the delivery of applications from students applying abroad is very important and marks an initial step into their future. We are the first express and logistics company to enter the university-student market by offering them an affordable and reliable service, with proof of delivery and on-time service,” Herbert said. DHL will pick up the students’ applications at their front doors and deliver them in more than 220 countries and territories around the world. Students can verify proof of delivery via DHL’s real-time tracking system, using SMS, e-mail, WAP, the DHL website or its customer service centre.
Herbert said that the new express service for university students would contribute to DHL’s growth.
He said that DHL Express (Thailand) expects to expand its express service revenues by 20 per cent to 25 per cent this year.
“Thailand’s international express service market is becoming more sophisticated and business clients demand more complex supply-chain management. They want an express-service provider that gives them one-stop service,” said Herbert.
