Ocean and Air Shipping from Taiwan to Thailand

Thailand is Taiwan’s 12th-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade between the two nations totaling $10.75 billion (USD) in 2018. This indicates robust and prosperous economic relations. Maybe your business is already participating in this active trade or preparing to import from Taiwan to Thailand for the first time.

Whatever is driving you to learn more about importing from Taiwan to Thailand, you’re in the right place. This page will be a great source of information that’ll help you ship your cargo more effectively.

What Are Your Options for Shipping Freight From Taiwan to Thailand?

You can bridge the 2,260 kilometers between Taiwan and Thailand via sea or air. Both shipping methods have their pros and cons, which we’ll explain in detail on this page.

Ocean Freight From Taiwan to Thailand

Less than Container Load (LCL): You can send your freight from Taiwan to Thailand without paying for an entire shipping container. As an LCL shipment, your goods will share container space with the cargo of other shippers. This is often the most economical way to ship your goods if you mainly send small quantities.

Full Container Load (FCL): If you prefer to have a container for your freight alone, FCL shipping is the way to go. How much you load into your container is up to you, but you’ll have to pay the flat fee in any case. That makes FCL a cost-effective option for large consignments.

Air Freight from Taiwan to Thailand

Nothing beats air freight when you are looking for speedy delivery of your products. However, more often than not, air freight is also the most expensive mode of transport.

How Much Does it Cost to Ship Cargo From Taiwan to Thailand?

When you request a quotation from a freight forwarder for your shipping, they’ll consider the following factors to calculate your rate:

• Nature of your goods
• Mode of transport (air or ocean)
• Weight of your cargo
• Volume of your consignment
• Origin and destination
• Type of service (such as Port-to-Port or Door-to-Door)

When you review the quotes, you’ll likely realize that there’s little difference in cost between air and ocean shipping for consignments weighing less than 100 kg. For larger loads, though, shipping a container from Taiwan to Thailand with an ocean freight carrier is usually the more cost-effective option.

Freight forwarders typically don’t provide quotes for loads weighing 35kg or under. It’s best to seek the services of an international courier if you are planning to transport a consignment in this weight bracket.

How Long Does it Take to Ship Cargo From Taiwan to Thailand?

Air freight is the quickest way to transport your freight from Taiwan to Thailand. Your goods can reach the final recipient in as little as two days. On the other hand, transporting your freight by sea with a maritime carrier takes up to two weeks.

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

It typically takes up to two weeks to transport a shipping container from Taiwan to Thailand. Most routes start from either Keelung (Chilung) or Kaohsiung in Taiwan and reach Bangkok or Laem Chabang in Thailand. For example, The Kaohsiung to Bangkok LCL service that we typically use takes 14 days from port to port.

How Long Does It Take to Ship Cargo by Air From Taiwan to Thailand?

Air freight from Taiwan to Thailand will likely fly from Taipei to Bangkok. This will take around two days considering the flight time, customs and security checks, as well as loading and unloading.

Customs Clearance in Taiwan and Thailand

Customs clearance is a mandatory requirement for any shipper looking to export from Taiwan to Thailand. However, knowing which documents to send with your shipment can be tricky. It’s one of the reasons why many businesses engage an expert, like a freight forwarder, for this task. With professional help on your side, you can minimize the chance of delays and ensure that your shipment complies with all relevant customs rules and regulations.

Customs services in Taiwan and Thailand will want to see the following documents, as a minimum, before they clear your shipment for export and import:

1. Commercial Invoice
2. Packing List
3. Certificate of Origin
4. Letter of Credit or other payment terms (depends on the contract between the parties involved)
5. Bill of Lading for ocean freight or Airway Bill for air freight (Shipa Freight will provide this for you)

Supplying these forms might be sufficient, but sometimes your consignment may need additional paperwork, such as permits, certificates, or licenses. Your freight forwarder will be happy to advise you. Check out our document list page to find out more about the documents you need for ocean and air shipping from Taiwan to Thailand.

Should You Choose Ocean Freight or Air Freight?

Ocean Freight

Many shippers choose sea freight to ship their commercial goods to Thailand because it’s almost always cheaper than air freight for bigger consignments. With ocean shipping, your products are loaded into 20ft or 40ft containers and then travel on specialized cargo vessels from Taiwan to a port in Thailand. There are two forms of sea freight: full-container-load (FCL) and less-than-container-load (LCL). We will explain the relative merits of both below.

Considerations for LCL Freight Shipping

LCL shipping could be your preferred option if:

• You have only a small consignment, say, six or fewer standard pallets to ship.
• Your products can be safely shipped alongside other freight in one container.
• Your delivery isn’t very urgent.
• Air freight is not a viable option.

LCL shipping requires your cargo to share a container with other goods and, hence, might not be the right choice if:

• You are concerned about the safety of your high-value freight or delicate/perishable products.
• Your cargo can be compromised by frequent handling and moving.
• You don’t want to risk delays due to the extra LCL logistics steps, like consolidation and deconsolidation.

Considerations for FCL Freight Shipping

With FCL shipping, you pay for the right to use an entire container exclusively for your cargo. This is the ideal mode of transport for you if:

• You have a large shipment that fills more than half the load capacity of a 20ft container
• Your freight needs to reach Thailand by a certain date.
• Your shipment is too large or delicate to share a container.
• You prefer that your products are isolated in the container at the origin in Taiwan and that they remain sealed until they reach the final consignee.

With that being said, FCL shipping has one disadvantage. You might face difficulties loading and unloading your freight, as not every supplier and buyer has the space or capability to handle a container.

Air Freight

Air shipping might be right for you if:

• Your shipment is very urgent, and you need a definitive delivery date.
• Your products have a very short shelf-life (e.g., food, plants, and flowers).
• You have high-value cargo requiring the tight security measures of airlines and airports
• Your consignment is relatively small (around three pallets or less).
• Your supplier and buyer are based closer to an international airport than a seaport.

Ocean Cargo Port Guide

Cargo Ports of Origin in Taiwan

Kaohsiung

Port Facts:

• Located in the south of the island.
• Largest seaport in Taiwan.
• New container facilities were added recently to advance the container throughput.
• Serves shippers in the cities of Yancheng, Lingya, Gushan, and Siaogang.

Owned By: Taiwan International Ports Corporation.

Annual Container Volume: >10.2 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: TWKHH.

Taipei

Port Facts:

• Third-busiest container port in Taiwan.
• Newest international port in the country.
• Situated in Taipei’s new Bali District.
• Can process up to four million TEUs per year.

Owned By: Taiwan International Ports Corporation.

Annual Container Volume: 1.6 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: TWTPE.

Taichung

Port Facts:

• Situated on the west coast of the island in the Wuqi District.
• Taiwan’s second-largest seaport after Kaohsiung.
• Stretches over an area of 3,800 hectares.
• Offers eight berths with a total length of 2,377 meters.

Owned By: Taiwan International Ports Corporation.

Annual Container Volume: >1.7 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: TWTXG.

Keelung (Chilung)

Port Facts:

• Situated in Taiwan’s north, just 37 km east of central Taipei.
• Commonly known as Keelung Harbor.
• In operation since 1886.
• Used to be one of the busiest ports in the world during Taiwan’s rapid economic growth.

Owned By: Taiwan International Ports Corporation.

Annual Container Volume: >1.5 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: TWKEL.

Cargo Ports of Arrival in Thailand

Bangkok

Port Facts:

• An inland port located on the Chao Phraya River.
• Also known as Khlong Toei.
• Among the world’s top-100 busiest container ports.
• Facilities include a 1,200 meter quayside.

Owned By: Port Authority of Thailand.

Annual Container Volume: >1.5 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: THBKK.

Laem Chabang

Port Facts:

• Largest port in Thailand and among the top-25 busiest container ports worldwide.
• Opened in the 1990s to provide an alternative to the busy Port of Bangkok.
• Located 25 km north of Pattaya and 126 km from Bangkok.

Owned By: Hutchison Laem Chebang International Terminal Ltd.

Annual Container Volume: >500,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: THLCH.

Flying Your Freight: Airport Guide

Origin Airport in Taiwan

Taipei

Airport Facts:

• Taiwan’s largest and busiest airport.
• Eighth-busiest international cargo airport globally.
• Officially named Taoyuan International Airport.
• Situated in the north of the island, 40 km west of Taipei’s city center.

Thai Airports Served: Bangkok.

Taipei to Thailand Cargo-Only Operators: Cargolux Airlines.

IATA CODE: TPE.

Kaohsiung

Airport Facts:

• Second-busiest airport in Taiwan.
• Named Siaogang Airport after the district in southern Taiwan it’s located in.
• Has two terminals and one east-west runway.
• Processes around 73,500 tonnes of cargo per year.

Thai Airports Served: None.

Kaohsiung to Thailand Cargo-Only Operators: None.

IATA CODE: KHH.

Airports of Arrival in Thailand

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi

Airport Facts:

• Among the biggest air cargo facilities in Southeast Asia.
• Handles three million tonnes of air freight per year.
• Located in Racha Thewa in the Samut Prakan Province, 30 km east of Bangkok.
• Plans to increase the cargo handling capacity to 6.4 million tonnes annually are on the drawing board.

Connected Airports in Taiwan: Taipei.

Taiwan to Bangkok Cargo-Only Operators: Cargolux Airlines.

IATA CODE: BKK.

Why Ship From Taiwan to Thailand With Shipa Freight?

Shipa Freight is one of today’s most innovative freight forwarders due to our online-only approach. We can greatly simplify the transport of your freight from Taiwan to Thailand and speed up your supply chain.

With our cutting-edge online portal, you can now manage all of your imports and exports in one place. Our expertise covers ocean and air shipping, allowing us to meet all of your international logistics needs.

Here are six more reasons to partner with Shipa Freight:

• Receive and compare easy-to-understand quotes online.
• Place all of your bookings and payments online.
• Receive expert guidance relating to shipping documentation.
• Let us handle the customs complexities, so you don’t have to.
• Access our friendly customer service team around the clock.
• Leave it to us to guarantee that your shipment complies with all shipping rules and regulations.

Know Your Shipping Terminology

To help build your understanding of the language of shipping, we’re ending our country-to-country pages with definitions of potentially confusing terms and jargon. It’s a great chance to familiarize yourself with the ‘lingo’ so you can communicate your needs more effectively.

• HTS Code
• Known shipper