Ocean and Air Shipping From India to Thailand

Information and quote from India to Thailand for LCL, FCL and Air shipping

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Updated on 16 Sep 2021

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India and Thailand are around 2,400 kilometers apart as the crow flies. Both primary manufacturing centers in South Asia, the two nations have a long history of good trade relations. In 2013, a Joint Business Council was established to stimulate bilateral trade—a move that’s certainly bearing fruit, because in 2018 exports from India to Thailand totaled $4.86 billion.

If your business has been exporting or importing from India to Thailand for years, or if you are a start-up new to international shipping, a freight forwarder can help make shipping less stressful. They can arrange and coordinate the transportation of your commercial goods between India and Thailand by air or sea, so you can concentrate on generating that next big order.

Shipping Ocean Freight From India to Thailand

Warehouse operative pushing a trolley, stacked with boxes, from the Flag of India towards the flag of Thailand

Cargo vessels bound for Thailand from India will cross the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, then pass Singapore to reach the Gulf of Thailand. That’s where the ports of Bangkok and Laem Chebang lie—Thailand’s two biggest ocean shipping hubs. They are just 114km apart, with Bangkok to the North of the Gulf of Thailand and Laem Chebang on its eastern shores.

Sea freight shipments from India to either port can be completed in as little as 11 days or take as long as 23 days, depending on your port of origin and whether you require FCL or LCL shipping. You will find further explanation of transit times elsewhere on this page. Your freight forwarder should give you a choice of containers in which to ship your goods. The types of container available include:

Tank containers for liquids and gases
Open top containers for extra long or tall cargo
Half-height containers for small amounts of bulky freight
Flatbacks for heavy or unevenly shaped consignments
Refrigerated containers for goods requiring temperature control
Ventilated containers for goods needing air circulation

A good freight forwarder will coordinate every aspect of your import or export from India to Thailand, and should offer the following delivery options:

Port to port
Door to port
Port to door
Door to door

Sending a Less-than-Container-Load (LCL) From India to Thailand

Sea freight that’s less than 15 cubic meters in volume and weighing under 100kg is usually more cost-effective to ship as LCL. A less-than-container-load will share a container with other goods making the same journey aboard a cargo vessel.

Consolidation of your goods with others will occur in your chosen port of origin in India, and deconsolidation will take place in Thailand. Both are logistics necessities that help explain why LCL shipping typically takes longer than FCL.

Full Container Load (FCL) From India to Thailand

FCL shipping gives your business exclusive use of a container that you can fill with as many or as few goods as you desire. You will be able to seal your container before transporting it to port in India, and it will remain unopened until it arrives at its destination in Thailand, unless customs officers wish to inspect your goods. The advantages of FCL shipping over LCL include:

Fewer touches of your goods
No consolidation or deconsolidation is required
Typically faster shipping times

As with LCL shipping, you will have a choice of 20ft containers which carry 10-11 standard pallets, or 40ft containers which can fit up to 21 standard pallets.

Cargo Ports of Origin in India

Chennai

Located in Southeast India in the Bay of Bengal, Chennai is one of Indian ports that’s closest to Thailand. Choose this as your port of origin and your goods could be shipped to Thailand in under two weeks if you decide to use FCL shipping.

Owned By: Chennai Port Trust, Ministry of Shipping.

Annual Container Volume: >1.5 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INMAA.

Mundra

A world top-50 container port, Mundra has four container terminals that can process your goods ahead of export or import from India to Thailand. It’s a privately-owned sea freight center in Gujarat, close to the border with Pakistan. If your goods originate in Mundra, Bhuj, Rajkot, or elsewhere in Northwestern India, this is a good choice as a port of origin.

Owned By: Adani Group.

Annual Container Volume: >4 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INMUN.

Nhava Sheva

The Port of Nhava Sheva achieved a first for annual cargo throughput in India in 2019, exceeding five million TEUs. Five container terminals handle 50% of India’s containerized freight traffic in a port that’s located in the northwest, about as far away as an Indian port can be from Thailand. But don’t let that put you off getting a freight forwarder to book a carrier to get your goods from here to Thailand. Shipping from Nhava Sheva can take as little as 12 days.

Owned By: Government of India.

Annual Container Volume: >5 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INNSA.

Kolkata

Situated close to the border with Bangladesh, Kolkata is a river port over 200km inland from the Bay of Bengal. It was India’s third-busiest port for container traffic in 2018-2019 and has 86 wharves and 28 berths from which goods can be lifted from shore to ship. If the last link in your supply chain is in Jamshedpur, Bhadrak, or Kolkata itself, shipping to Thailand from here makes sense.

Owned By: Kolkata Port Trust, Ministry of Shipping.

Annual Container Volume: >825,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INCCU.

Hazira

This port in Northwest India is close to Surat and north of Mumbai. It’s a privately-owned deepwater sea freight hub with multi-cargo facilities that are easily reached by road and rail from Bharuch, Karjan, Kosamba, and other locations in Northern and Western India.

Owned By: Adani Group.

Annual Container Volume: >300,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: INHZA.

Other Ports of Origin in India

In addition to the ports mentioned above, Shipa Freight can arrange shipments to Thailand from these Indian ports:

Visakhapatnam
Kattupalli
Tuticorin
Pipavav
Haldia
Krishnapatnam
Mormugao
Ahmedabad

Cargo Ports of Arrival in Thailand

Bangkok

Khlong Toei Port as it’s also known serves Thailand’s capital city. The port is ranked in the world top 100 for volume of containerized goods processed. It sits to the north of the Gulf of Thailand on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. If the final destination for your goods is Bangkok, discharging your commercial goods from India here is a wise move.

Owned By: Port Authority of Thailand.

Annual Container Volume: >1.5 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: THBKK.

Laem Chebang

Situated on the eastern shores of the Gulf of Thailand, 25km north of Pattaya City, this is Thailand’s largest seaport. It ranks as the world’s 22nd-busiest for container goods and has seven container terminals. Businesses with cargo destined for Rayong, Chon Buri, and elsewhere in Eastern Thailand might find it quicker to discharge their goods here instead of in Bangkok, which is further north.

Owned By: Hutchison Laem Chebang International Terminal Ltd.

Annual Container Volume: >500,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: THLCH.

Air Freight From India to Thailand

Over 330 flights operate between India and Thailand every week. Air shipping between the two nations usually takes eight days, quicker than LCL or FCL ocean shipping. Air freight could be the best choice for your cargo if:

You like the idea of paying less insurance for your consignment
You want to ship a smaller consignment of just a few pallets
Your goods are fragile or temperature-sensitive
Your goods are valuable and will benefit from the high levels of security provided by airlines and airport operators

Airports of Origin in India

Chennai

Chennai Airport handles all types of air freight and has specialist facilities for perishable goods such as fruit, vegetables, plants, and flowers. If you are exporting or importing from India to Thailand, freight forwarders can arrange for your consignment to be delivered within eight days—faster than ocean shipping.