How to Package Fragile or Valuable Items for International Shipping

The real reason packages arrive broken

Most damage in international shipping doesn't come from rough handling, it comes from empty space inside the box. If there's room for the item to move, it will move, no matter how careful everyone downstream is with it. Fill the gaps first, then worry about the outside of the box.

On a long international route four things do most of the damage: compression from stacked cargo inside a container, temperature and humidity swings between Bangkok and the destination, rough handling at transit hubs, and a parcel opened for a customs inspection and closed again by the inspector.

That last one is the one packing guides leave out, and on a parcel leaving Thailand it is the one that matters. Packaging that survives being closed once, by the person who knew how the item was arranged inside, does not always survive a second closing by someone who didn't pack it.

How we recommend you pack it

For fragile items, we recommend wrapping very carefully and purchasing insurance.

Use a rigid box, and don't let the item touch the walls. Wrap it, then give it a palm's width of padding on every side — crumpled paper, foam, bubble wrap, whatever you've got. Line the bottom of the box so the item sits on cushioning rather than on the bare floor of the box. Shake the box gently before you seal it. If you feel anything move in there, it's not done yet.

For anything genuinely delicate, put that sealed box inside a second, larger one with its own layer of padding. Then tape every seam, the bottom included, so the box keeps its shape resting on any side. A box that holds its shape only when it sits upright will not stay upright.

A "fragile" sticker is a request, not protection. Somewhere along the route the box gets stacked under other boxes and tilted more than once, sticker or no sticker. Pack for that reality and the sticker becomes a bonus, not the plan.

Beyond that, pack it the way you prefer.

If you'd rather we handle it

We have our own Dragon Courier boxes and bags, built stronger for international delivery. A box that's already made one trip loses some of its strength, and it keeps losing more each time after that. Fine for a domestic parcel. Less fine once it's going through four flights and six pairs of hands — part of why our boxes are heavier than the ones you'd grab from a supermarket.

If needed, yes, we will re-pack it for you. Between drop-off and dispatch, everything sits in our own high-security, climate-controlled warehouse in Bangkok, with 24/7 access.

For especially high-value items

If an item is valuable enough that you don't want it in general cargo, we offer an on-board courier service — someone hand-carries it. Message our team to check if it fits your item.

For everything else valuable, four things do the work. The customs description has to match the contents and the declared value, because a description that doesn't match is the most common reason a valuable shipment gets held for review. The outside of the box should not advertise what's inside: a plain carton draws less attention at every point it passes through than one printed with a brand name. Door to door tracking runs from the day the parcel is exported and you can pass the same link to the person receiving it. Proof of delivery closes the loop when it arrives, and we send you the file.

Value and liability

We offer insurance which covers loss. It does not cover damage: we do not pay for damage in transit, and loss and damage are two different kinds of cover. Worth confirming before you assume a broken item is covered. There is no insurance at all on live plants.

What a policy costs depends on the declared value of the shipment, so it is a number the quote gives rather than one flat figure.

Declare the value honestly. It's the number everything else gets calculated from, insurance and liability both. A box declared at half its real value is protected at half its real value, not more.

Liability is limited to the value of the shipment, as permitted by law. The full terms are in the refund and cancellation policy.

Size and volume

There's no limit on what you can send: any number of packages, any volume.

Weight isn't really the enemy here, empty space is. A dense, well-packed box travels better than a light one that's half empty and shifting around inside. And the price gets calculated on weight and dimensions either way, so there's no upside to leaving air in the box.

Maximum weight and size depend on the country, contact our team for the specific limit on your route. Weight and dimensions are also what the price is built from, so there is no upside to shipping air.

Send us the item and we'll tell you how to box it

Tell us what it is and where it's going. Office +66 2656 9019, or info@dragoncourier.com. Drop-off is until 17:00, Monday to Saturday, at the Bangkok office on Sukhumvit Soi 4 or the Chiang Mai office on Viangbua Road, and a pickup can be arranged for a date and time that suits you. If you sell on eBay or Etsy, we'll set it up around how you already pack.