Ocean and Air Freight Shipping From Thailand to Brazil

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Updated on 15 Mar 2022

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Brazil imported $1.65 billion of goods from Thailand in 2018 according to COMTRADE figures. Your products could have been among those in trade. Or perhaps you are seeking to export from Thailand to Brazil for the first time.

Whatever’s driving you to find out more about importing from Thailand to Brazil, you’re in the right place. This page is a handy source of information that’ll help you ship commercial goods from Asia to South America more effectively.

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

Flags of Thailand and Brazil to show Shipa Freight capacity to ship from the Thailand to Brazil Ocean or air shipping are the two ways you can transport freight from Thailand to Brazil. Both methods have their pros and cons, which we’ll deal with on this page.

Ocean Freight From Thailand to Brazil

Less than Container Load (LCL): You can have your goods sent in a container from Thailand to Brazil without paying to ship the entire container. As a less-than-container-load, your goods can share container space with other products. Indeed, for many businesses, this is the most economical way to ship freight.

Full Container Load (FCL): When you want a whole container for your consignment, FCL shipping is the way to go. You can fill or part-fill the container, it’s up to you. FCL is often faster and sometimes less expensive than LCL.

Air Freight from Thailand to Brazil

For speedy shipping of goods from Thailand to Brazil, nothing beats air freight. But more often than not, it will be the most expensive option.

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

Ask a freight forwarder to generate a quote for your shipping and they’ll take into account the following when working out a price:

The type of freight you’re sending
Whether you want your goods shipped by air or ocean
How much your cargo weighs
The dimensions and volume of your consignment
How far the goods need to be transported
The type of service you want (such as Port-to-Port or Door-to-Door)

Cost-wise, there’s little difference between air freight and ocean freight for shipments of less than 100 kg in weight. For heavier loads, sea freight is typically the most economical option.

Consignments with a weighing 35kg or under aren’t something freight forwarders provide quotes for. So for the smallest shipments, it’s best to seek the services of an international courier.

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

Hourglass and calendar for transit times with Shipa Freigth Transporting a shipping container from Thailand to Brazil by sea takes about four weeks. Transit time will vary depending on origin and arrival ports and whether you opt for FCL or LCL shipping. Air freight shipping is considerably quicker. Most air cargo shipments take between five and eight days.

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

It typically takes around four weeks to ship goods for import from Thailand to Brazil. For example, one carrier’s FCL service from Laem Chabang to Santos takes 27 days.

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

You should allow between five and eight days for air freight shipments between Thailand and Brazil. For example, transit time (including consolidation and customs clearance) from Bangkok is around seven days to Paranagua, Santos, and Sao Paulo, and eight days to Viracopos.

Customs Clearance in Thailand and Brazil

Customs services in Thailand and Brazil will want to see the following documents before they will clear your shipment for export and import:

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

You can find out more about these documents and see examples on our document list page.

Supplying these forms is mandatory, and your consignment may need additional paperwork, such as permits, certificates, or licenses. Knowing the correct documentation to send with your consignment can be tricky. It’s one of the reasons why many businesses get help with ocean and air shipping from Thailand to Brazil from a freight forwarder. You might want to do likewise to minimize the chance of delays and ensure your consignment complies with rules and regulations.

Should You Choose Ocean Freight or Air Freight?

Ocean Freight

Sea freight is almost always less expensive than air shipping for heavier goods or bigger consignments. Typically, your goods will be loaded into a 20ft or 40ft container for ocean shipping from Thailand to a port in Brazil.

There are two forms of ocean freight shipping: FCL and LCL. We outline the relative merits of both below.

Considerations for LCL Freight Shipping

Less-than-container-load shipping, which requires your goods to share a container with other products, could be your best option if:

You’re shipping a small consignment (six or fewer standard pallets).
Your delivery isn’t urgent.
Your goods can be safely shipped alongside other products in a container.
Air freight is out of the question.

LCL might not be the right choice if:

You’re shipping high-value cargo or delicate/perishable goods.
Your freight might be compromised by frequent handling and moving.
You can’t have your shipment delayed by the extra LCL logistics (consolidation/ deconsolidation)
Your goods aren’t suited to sharing a container—they could be very large or heavy, extremely fragile, or vulnerable to any form of contamination.

Considerations for FCL Freight Shipping

With FCL shipping, you pay for the use and carriage of an entire container exclusively for your products. It could be right for your business if:

Your freight needs to be in Brazil by a certain date.
Your consignment is large—more than 14 CBM—half the load capacity of a 20ft container.
Your cargo is heavy or delicate.
You want your cargo sealed in a container at source in Thailand and to remain sealed in until reaching your consignee.

Air Freight

You should consider transporting your goods with an air freight carrier if:

They have a short shelf-life (food, plants, and flowers for example).
Your shipping is urgent.
Your goods are of high value and will benefit from airline and airport security measures.
Your cargo consignment is relatively small—up to three pallets at most.
Your supplier and consignee are located closer to an international airport than a seaport.

Ocean Cargo Port Guide

Cargo Ports of Origin in Thailand

Bangkok

Port Facts:

Located on the Chao Phraya River
It’s an inland port that’s also known as Khlong Toei
One of the world’s top-100 busiest container ports
The quayside stretches for 1,200 meters
A third terminal is being considered, which would increase the port’s capacity to 2.6 million TEUs.

Owned By: Port Authority of Thailand.

Annual Container Volume: >1.5 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: THBKK.

Laem Chebang

Port Facts:

This cargo facility opened in the 1990s to provide an alternative to the Port of Bangkok
It’s Thailand’s largest port and one of the top-25 busiest container ports in the world
Situated 25km north of Pattaya and 126km from Bangkok
FCL shipments to Santos can be completed in 27 days

Owned By: Hutchison Laem Chebang International Terminal Ltd.

Annual Container Volume: >500,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: THLCH.

Cargo Ports of Arrival in Brazil

Salvador

Port Facts:

Located in All Saints Bay in Northwestern Brazil
Ideal if your supply chain involves the movement of goods from the state of Bahia
Situated 1,200 kilometers southwest of Rio de Janeiro
Major imports include perishables, chemicals, and vehicles

Owned By: Companhia das Docas do Estado de Bahia.

Annual Container Volume: >300,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: BRSSA.

Rio de Janeiro

Port Facts:

Brazil’s third-busiest seaport Situated in Guanabara Bay Spans 7,000 meters and features 65,000 square meters of storage space across ten warehouses Imports include breakbulk, steel products, and general cargo

Owned By: Companhia Docas do Rio de Janeiro. Annual Container Volume: >135,000 TEUs. UN/LOCODE: BRRIO.

Suape

Port Facts:

Located in the city of Ipojuca in the state of Pernambuco
This port is about 1,300 kilometers northwest of Rio de Janeiro
Cargo throughput of over 5 million tonnes per year
Its inner harbor houses the Tecon Suape container terminal
A laser-enabled docking system speeds-up cargo processing

Owned By: Governor Eraldo Gueiros Industrial Port Complex.

Annual Container Volume: >400,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: BRSUA.

Navegantes

Port Facts:

900-meter quayside with eight cranes for unloading cargo vessels
50,000 square meters of storage space for frozen goods
Linked to the BR-470 and BR-101 highways for easy onward distribution of goods

Owned By: Portonave S/A.

Annual Container Volume: >264,000 TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: BRNVT.

Santos (São Paulo)

Port Facts:

The largest seaport in South America
The most technologically advanced facility in the country
Connected to over 600 ports in 25 countries
Its primary hinterland covers five states
Received over 4,800 port calls in 2019

Owned By: Federal Government of Brazil.

Annual Container Volume: >4 million TEUs.

UN/LOCODE: BRSSZ.

Other Destination Ports in Brazil

Shipa Freight can also arrange for your goods from Thailand to be discharged in these other ports in Brazil:

Rio Grande do Sul
Vitoria
Paranagua
Haguali
Itapoa
Itajal
Belem
Pecem
Manaus

Flying Your Freight: Airport Guide

Origin Airport in Thailand

Bangkok Suvarnabhumi

Airport Facts:

One of Southeast Asia’s biggest air cargo facilities
Situated in Racha Thewa in Samut Prakan Province
The airport opened in 2006
Three million tonnes of air freight is handled here annually
Shipments to Sao Paulo, Paranagua, and Santos can be completed in five to eight days

Brazil Airports Served: None.

Bangkok to Brazil Cargo-Only Operators: None.

IATA CODE: BKK.