Ocean & Air Freight Shipping to Thailand

Among Thailand’s top imported goods are integrated circuits, gold, smartphones, car parts, and computers. If you have commercial goods to export to Thailand, this page will be of use to you. It contains information and guidance that will help make shipping easier for your business.

What Are Your Options for Shipping Freight to Thailand?

Bangkok is the focus for much of the arriving ocean and air freight to Thailand. The capital city has both an airport and a seaport. Thailand’s biggest coastal port in Laem Chabang will also be used by many freight forwarders and carriers as a port of arrival.

Ocean Freight to Thailand

Less than Container Load (LCL): Your consignment to Thailand can be shipped in a shared container. This mode of ocean shipping is popular with businesses with smaller loads to ship, especially if their goods aren’t permitted as air cargo for safety reasons.

Full Container Load (FCL): With FCL shipping, you pay for the use and carriage of a container exclusively for your products. This can be partially or fully loaded with your products and sealed before export to Thailand. It’s often the quickest way to ship sea freight.

Air Freight to Thailand

For the fastest way to transport goods to Thailand, choose air freight. Many freight forwarders recommend Bangkok Suvarnabhumi as the destination airport for imports headed to all regions in the country. Cargo-only services, passenger flights or both may be used to ship your goods to Thailand. Air freight represents the most expensive form of international shipping.

How Much Does it Cost to Ship Cargo to Thailand?

To calculate a quote for your consignment, your freight forwarder will take into account the following aspects of your shipment:

• The type of goods that need to be transported to Thailand
• Your chosen mode of transportation—air, FCL ocean, or LCL ocean shipping
• The volume and weight of your freight
• The distance your goods need to be shipped
• Whether you want a door-to-port, port-to-door, port-to-port, or door-to-door delivery service

The weight of your consignment doesn’t just have an impact on the shipping rates you pay—it can also affect the mode of shipping you choose.

If your goods tip the scales above 100 kg, ocean shipping commonly proves to be the most cost-efficient option.

If your consignment is under 100 kg, the price difference between air and ocean freight is likely to be negligible, so choose whichever method best suits your needs.

If your goods are 35 kg or lighter, you should approach an international courier for a quote. Shipa Freight, like most freight forwarders, focuses on larger consignments.

How Long Does it Take to Ship Cargo to Thailand?

Shipping durations to Thailand will depend on how far your goods need to travel. Generally speaking, air freight shipping to Bangkok from any major international airport in the world takes between one and eight days. That will include loading and flight times as well as customs clearance both at your port of origin and in Thailand.

Using an ocean freight carrier to ship your goods to Thailand will mean a longer shipping time. Again, the distance from the port of origin to Thailand has a major impact. Shipments from ports in Asia, such as Chennai, Jakarta, and those in China can complete in 12 to 17 days in most cases.

If you are transporting goods from Europe, you can expect shipments to take significantly longer—it’s 39 days from Hamburg, for example. It’s longer still from North American seaports, with up to 41 days required for shipments from Atlanta to reach Thailand.

All ocean transit times will be impacted by your choice of FCL or LCL shipping—terms we’ll explain elsewhere on this page.

How Long Does It Take to Ship Cargo by Sea to Thailand?

Here are some examples of ocean freight shipping durations to Thailand from ports around the world:

Country of Origin	Port of Origin	Destination Port	Transit Time LCL	Transit Time FCL
Australia	Brisbane	Bangkok	26 Days
Australia	Sydney	Bangkok	33 Days	29 Days
China	Guangzhou	Bangkok	13 Days	12 Days
China	Chongqing	Bangkok	17 Days	27 Days
China	Dalian	Laem Chabang	17 Days
China	Huangpu	Bangkok	14 Days	15 Days
China	Jiangmen	Bangkok	14 Days
China	Ningbo	Bangkok	15 Days	31 Days
China	Shanghai	Bangkok	15 Days
China	Shekou	Bangkok	8 Days
China	Shekou	Laem Chabang	12 Days
China	Shenzhen	Bangkok	23 Days
China	Wuhu	Bangkok	21 Days
Germany	Bremerhaven	Bangkok	38 Days	45 Days
Germany	Hamburg	Laem Chabang	33 Days
Germany	Hamburg	Bangkok	39 Days
India	Kolkata	Bangkok	16 Days
India	Kolkata	Laem Chabang	16 Days
India	Chennai	Bangkok	15 Days
India	Chennai	Laem Chabang	19 Days
India	Mundra	Bangkok	18 Days
India	Mundra	Laem Chabang	21 Days
India	Nhava Sheva	Laem Chabang	15 Days
India	Nhava Sheva	Bangkok	23 Days	16 Days
Indonesia	Belawan	Bangkok	12 Days
Indonesia	Jakarta	Bangkok	11 Days	14 Days
Indonesia	Jakarta	Laem Chabang	21 Days
Indonesia	Semarang	Bangkok	32 Days	32 Days
Indonesia	Surabaya	Bangkok	14 Days	21 Days
Indonesia	Surabaya	Laem Chabang	21 Days
Japan	Tokyo	Bangkok	13 Days
Japan	Yokohama	Laem Chabang	16 Days
Japan	Yokohama	Bangkok	21 Days
Philippines	Manila	Bangkok	20 Days	14 Days
Philippines	Manila	Laem Chabang	21 Days
Singapore	Singapore	Bangkok	6 Days	12 Days
Taiwan	Kaohsiung	Bangkok	14 Days
United Kingdom	Southampton	Laem Chabang	24 Days
USA	Atlanta	Bangkok	41 Days
USA	Atlanta	Laem Chabang	41 Days
USA	Long Beach	Bangkok	35 Days
USA	Los Angeles	Bangkok	38 Days	38 Days
USA	New York	Bangkok	33 Days	33 Days
USA	New York	Laem Chabang	42 Days
USA	Seattle	Bangkok	44 Days	44 Days
USA	Houston	Bangkok	44 Days	44 Days
USA	Philadelphia	Bangkok	58 Days	58 Days

How Long Does It Take to Ship Cargo by Sea to Thailand?

Between one and eight days is the time required for air shipments to reach Thailand from the majority of the world’s international airports. And this table of sample shipment durations provides the evidence:

Country of Origin	Airport of Origin	Destination Airport	Transit Time
Australia	Adelaide	Bangkok	5 Days
Australia	Sydney	Bangkok	7 Days
China	Beijing	Bangkok	8 Days
China	Chengdu	Bangkok	4 Days
China	Guangzhou	Bangkok	8 Days
China	Shanghai	Bangkok	4 Days
China	Shenzhen	Bangkok	4 Days
China	Wuhan	Bangkok	8 Days
Germany	Dusseldorf	Bangkok	4 Days
Germany	Hamburg	Bangkok	4 Days
Germany	Frankfurt	Bangkok	5 Days
Germany	Munich	Bangkok	4 Days
Hong Kong	Hong Kong	Bangkok	1 Day
India	Ahmedabad	Bangkok	8 Days
India	Delhi	Bangkok	7 Days
India	Mumbai	Bangkok	7 Days
India	Kolkata	Bangkok	7 Days
India	Chennai	Bangkok	3 Days
Indonesia	Denpasar	Bangkok	4 Days
Indonesia	Jakarta	Bangkok	3 Days
Indonesia	Surabaya	Bangkok	4 Days
Italy	Milan	Bangkok	8 Days
Japan	Tokyo	Bangkok	4 Days
Malaysia	Kuala Lumpur	Bangkok	5 Days
New Zealand	Auckland	Bangkok	3 Days
Oman	Muscat	Bangkok	3 Days
Singapore	Singapore	Bangkok	2 Days
South Korea	Seoul	Bangkok	3 Days
Taiwan	Taipei	Bangkok	2 Days
UAE	Dubai	Bangkok	4 Days
United Kingdom	Birmingham	Bangkok	3 Days
United Kingdom	Glasgow	Bangkok	2 Days
United Kingdom	London Heathrow	Bangkok	3 Days
USA	Los Angeles	Bangkok	3 Days
USA	Chicago	Bangkok	5 Days
USA	Atlanta	Bangkok	4 Days
USA	Philadelphia	Bangkok	5 Days
USA	New York	Bangkok	8 Days
USA	Cincinnati	Bangkok	8 Days
USA	Denver	Bangkok	8 Days
USA	Seattle	Bangkok	8 Days
USA	Houston	Bangkok	8 Days

Import Customs Clearance in Thailand

All commodities shipped to Thailand must comply with local and international shipping regulations. Many of these rules are complicated, which explains why plenty of businesses hire freight forwarders to manage the task. It’s an option your business should consider.

The expertise of a forwarder can help you avoid unnecessary delays to your shipment, and ensure compliance with customs rules and regulations in Thailand.

Even when you work with a freight forwarder, you will still be required to submit documents with your consignment. Thai customs officials and those at your port of origin will insist upon seeing the following:

1. A Commercial Invoice

2. A Packing List

3. A Certificate of Origin

4. A Letter of Credit or other payment terms (depends on the contract between the parties involved)

5. A Bill of Lading for ocean freight or Airway Bill for air freight (Shipa Freight will provide this for you)

Additional documents may be required with your consignment, such as a permit, license, or certificate. Either way, examples of the primary documents, as listed above, are available for you to take a look at on this handy documents list page we’ve compiled.

Ship Ocean Freight to Thailand: FCL or LCL?

You have to choose between FCL and LCL when shipping ocean freight to Thailand. Whichever you choose, your consignment is likely to be shipped in a 20ft or 40ft container aboard a cargo vessel.

If you want exclusive use of a container for your goods, you should choose FCL shipping. If you don’t mind your goods being transported in a container shared with other products (and your consignment is relatively small), an LCL service should suit you fine. We outline the pros and cons of both forms of shipping below.

Less Than Container Load (LCL) Shipping to Thailand

This will be a good choice for your Thailand-bound cargo if any or all of the following apply:

• It’s a relatively small shipment
• Your goods aren’t urgently required in Thailand
• Your consignment is too large to be shipped aboard an aircraft
• Your freight is not permitted as air cargo for safety reasons
• You’re OK with your products occupying the same container as goods belonging to other shippers

While many businesses find LCL the most cost-effective way to ship to Thailand, there are some downsides. For example, you cannot choose which goods your cargo shares a shipping container with, and consolidation and deconsolidation are logistics necessities for all LCL shipments. This can cause LCL to take longer than FCL, which might not fit in with your deadlines.

Other situations in which LCL might not be the best option for your business include:

• If you are shipping very or fragile freight
• You have goods that might be damaged by frequent moving and handling
• You cannot countenance any delays to your shipping
• You want to send a consignment that’s too large to share a container
• Your goods have a short shelf-life and might not arrive in great condition after a long voyage

Learn more about Less than Container Load on our dedicated page on LCL shipping.

Full Container Load (FCL) Shipping to Thailand

If LCL shipping doesn’t suit your needs, you’ll need to opt for FCL. This mode of shipping is best for:

• Goods that are required in Thailand by a specific date
• Shippers who want to seal their container at the point of origin
• Larger consignments—14 cubic meters or more
• Freight that is either delicate or heavy and not suited to being shipped alongside other products in the same container

Learn more about Full Container Load on our dedicated page on FCL shipping.

Cargo Ports of Arrival in Thailand

Bangkok

Port Facts: 

• An inland port situated on the Chao Phraya River
• It’s known locally as Khlong Toei Port
• Ranked in the world’s top-100 busiest container ports
• There are two container terminals, both located at the East Quay
• Easy access from the port to Thailand’s road and railroad systems
• An ideal port of arrival for goods to be distributed in Watthana, Suan Luang, Bang Kapi District, Chatuchak, and Min Buri

Owned By: Port Authority of Thailand.

Annual Container Volume: >1.5 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: THBKK.

Laem Chebang

Port Facts:

• Opened in 1991 as an alternative to the Port of Bangkok, 130 kilometers away
• Located on Thailand’s east coast in Chonburi province
• Features the most advanced container terminal in the country
• The port is close to Pattaya City, Surasak, Nong Kham, and Chonburi
• Future developments should see the port expand its annual cargo handling capacity to eight million TEUs

Owned By: Hutchison Laem Chebang International Terminal Ltd.

Annual Container Volume: >500,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: THLCH.

Air Shipping for Your Freight to Thailand

If the speed of transit is more of a concern to your business than cost, air freight is likely to be your best option. Other situations in which businesses consider air shipping include:

• When they are transporting fragile cargo
• When their freight is perishable
• When their goods are urgently required by the consignee
• When their consignment is small—three pallets at most
• When their consignee in Thailand is situated closer to an international airport than a seaport
• When they are shipping high-value goods and require tight security

Learn more about Air Freight on our dedicated page by clicking here.

Airport of Arrival in Thailand

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (IATA Code: BKK)

Airport Facts:

• Among the biggest air cargo facilities in Southeast Asia
• Located 30 kilometers east of Bangkok in Samut Prakan Province
• Plays host to domestic and international cargo traffic from over 40 airlines
• Facilities include two runways, the longest stretching for 4,000 meters
• Over three million tonnes of air cargo is processed here every year
• The name ‘Suvarnabhumi’ means ‘The Golden Land’, a traditional name for the region

Ocean and Air Shipping to Thailand: Why Choose Shipa Freight?

Shipa Freight is the easy way to ship commodities from anywhere in the world to Thailand. Our website brings long-overdue ease and convenience to the sometimes complex world of international shipping.

You can get quick quotes and price comparisons, all based on real-time shipping rates. Plus you can easily book your shipment to Thailand by air or ocean carrier using your company debit or credit card (we also accept wire transfers).

Other reasons to trust Shipa Freight with all your exports to Thailand include:

• Visibility of all your your global logistics in one place
• The expertise of our friendly customer service team
• We spare you from managing the complexities of customs clearance
• Your consignment will adhere to all international rules and regulations
• The right documents, accurately completed, will always accompany your shipments