Shipping times and costs from South Africa to Thailand

Shipping Container Costs to Thailand

Looking to move your belongings to Thailand?

If you’re in a rush, putting your possessions on a plane is possible, but pricey – it’ll typically cost you much more than shipping them to Thailand by sea.

 

How to get quotes for shipping to Thailand

1. You’ll be asked to provide a few details about your move to Thailand
2. If we have shipping partners who can help you, they’ll contact you with quotes
3. You can compare these quotes and choose the deal that suits you
4. Our shipping partners will then help prepare your shipment for customs, deliver it door-to-door, and generally make the process as easy and stress-free as possible

 

Should you choose sea freight or air freight?

You may decide to send your belongings to your new home in Thailand via plane or ship – either way, it should be an informed decision.

Here are the main advantages of each method, with more detailed explanations available on our Air Freight vs Sea Freight page.

Benefits of Sea Freight

• A 99.99% safety record
• Sea freight is 12-16 times cheaper than air freight
• You’re typically able to fit more on a ship than a plane
• A container ship creates 44 times less CO2 than a plane
• The International Maritime Organisation has pledged to reduce CO2 emissions from shipping by 40% by 2030

Benefits of Air Freight

• An identical 99.99% safety record
• Planes are faster

  However, there are unpredictable factors that can affect your shipping time, such as:

• Natural disasters
• Adverse weather conditions
• A route being unexpectedly blocked, as the Suez Canal was in March 2021
• Global health crises like COVID-19

 

Clearing customs at the Thai border

Customs in Thailand are strict, but you can navigate the process fairly easily if you follow the rules and use the help of your shipping company.

Most shipping companies will send you all the forms you need to fill in before your move.

This is especially useful because you’ll need to send a draft import declaration, a passport, proof you’re allowed to live in Thailand, and your work permit, as well as several other documents about the items you’re bringing into the country.

To import your goods without paying duties or taxes, you’re required to have owned, physically possessed, and used them in the country you’re moving to Thailand from.

The quantity of items you send must also be deemed reasonable. For goods like TVs, radios, and microwaves, the limit is one – unless you’re moving as a family, in which case you can have two of each item.

All of these household goods must be imported one month before you move to Thailand at the earliest, and a maximum of six months after your arrival.

You can also only bring one litre of liquor with you, so choose carefully.

For more information, check out Thailand’s official customs website.

 

Popular shipping ports in Thailand

Your container will almost certainly be sent to one of Thailand’s two main shipping ports. They are as follows:

• Laem Chabang (8.1 million containers per year)
• Bangkok (1.5 million containers per year)

Once your container reaches a Thai port, it will go by truck or train to your new house. A door-to-door service means you won’t have to worry about organising this final stage on your own.