Shipping from China to Thailand
China → Thailand · clearance by Thai Customs Department (กรมศุลกากร)
We move freight cargo from South China into Thailand through HDY air / Songkhla sea. Thailand is served through Laem Chabang, Bangkok (Klong Toey), Songkhla, which shapes the kind of cargo that moves on this lane and how it should be packed.
On the destination side, Thai Customs Department (กรมศุลกากร) handles clearance; budget 2–5 days of dwell before the cargo is released.
What the routing looks like in practice
Thailand is a short-haul lane: Shenzhen and Guangzhou both run daily air departures into Suvarnabhumi, and Laem Chabang is only 5–9 days from Shekou or Nansha. A land option also exists via the R3A road corridor through Laos, which is sometimes cheaper than air for semi-urgent cargo.
| Air gateways used | BKK (Suvarnabhumi), DMK (Don Mueang), CNX (Chiang Mai) |
|---|---|
| Air transit, China to gateway | 3–5 business days |
| Sea gateways used | Laem Chabang, Bangkok (Klong Toey), Songkhla |
| Sea transit, China to gateway | 5–9 calendar days |
| Gateway serving Thailand | HDY air / Songkhla sea |
| Inland leg to Thailand | Same day from the gateway |
| Typical clearance / dwell | 2–5 days |
| Peak season to plan around | Sep–Nov |
Delivery cities in Thailand
Principal delivery points: Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Chonburi, Rayong, Chiang Mai, Phuket. Pick a city for the gateway it uses and the inland leg beyond clearance.
Import duty and tax position for Thailand
Imports into Thailand are cleared by Thai Customs Department (กรมศุลกากร). The headline position is: VAT 7%; duty 0–30%, and 0% on most lines with an ACFTA Form E. The de-minimis threshold is THB 1,500 (VAT now applies to low-value imports).
Conformity is the part most first-time importers underestimate: TISI standard mark for regulated goods; NBTC approval for radio devices; Thai FDA for food, cosmetics and supplements. Getting this wrong is expensive because it usually cannot be fixed after the cargo has landed.
Restrictions and known friction points for Thailand: Cosmetics, supplements and food need Thai FDA registration held by the consignee before arrival. Used machinery, secondhand goods and e-cigarettes are restricted or banned. Batteries move on approved air channels only.
Air, sea or overland into Thailand?
| Mode | Transit to gateway | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| ✈️ Air Freight | 3–5 business days | time-critical, high-value and low-volume cargo |
| 🚢 Sea Freight | 5–9 calendar days | volume cargo where cost per kilo matters more than speed |
Transit shown is China departure to the Thailand gateway and excludes the same-day inland leg to Thailand and 2–5 days of clearance.
Before you book: Thailand checklist
- Photograph carton markings and seal numbers before departure — it makes any claim far easier to settle.
- Ask for the HS code in writing from your supplier and verify the Thailand duty rate against it yourself.
- Budget for the inland leg: same-day delivery beyond gateway clearance to reach Thailand.
- Declare lithium batteries, magnets, liquids and powders up front — retro-declaring after booking usually means re-planning the whole shipment.
- Book earlier than the transit time suggests during Sep–Nov, when space on this lane tightens.
- Use ISPM-15 treated pallets. Untreated wood is the most common reason otherwise-clean cargo gets held.
Frequently asked questions
How long does shipping from China to Thailand take?
China to the Thailand gateway is 3–5 business days by air, 5–9 calendar days by sea. On top of that, allow 2–5 days of clearance with Thai Customs Department (กรมศุลกากร) and a same-day inland leg to Thailand.
What duty and tax will I pay importing into Thailand?
Thai Customs Department (กรมศุลกากร) applies: VAT 7%; duty 0–30%, and 0% on most lines with an ACFTA Form E. The de-minimis position is THB 1,500 (VAT now applies to low-value imports). Under a DDP arrangement these are pre-paid, so nothing is collected on arrival in Thailand.
Which port or airport does cargo for Thailand clear through?
Cargo for Thailand is routed via HDY air / Songkhla sea. Sea gateways for Thailand are Laem Chabang, Bangkok (Klong Toey), Songkhla; air gateways are BKK (Suvarnabhumi), DMK (Don Mueang), CNX (Chiang Mai). We pick whichever gives the shortest total door time for your address.
What certification do I need for Thailand?
For regulated goods, plan for: TISI standard mark for regulated goods; NBTC approval for radio devices; Thai FDA for food, cosmetics and supplements. Missing conformity paperwork is the single most common cause of a hold, and in most cases it cannot be remedied once the cargo has arrived.
What documents does Thai Customs Department (กรมศุลกากร) require?
A commercial invoice with HS codes, a packing list, the bill of lading or air waybill, a certificate of origin where it lowers duty, and any product certification (TISI standard mark for regulated goods; NBTC approval for radio devices; Thai FDA for food, cosmetics and supplements). We prepare and file these as part of the service.
How is the chargeable weight calculated for Thailand?
We compare actual gross weight against volumetric weight — length × width × height in centimeters divided by 6000 for air — and bill the greater of the two, rounded up to the next kilogram. Light, bulky cargo is almost always billed on volume.
References & official sources
Duty rates, thresholds and conformity requirements for Thailand change by ministerial decision, sometimes mid-year. The figures on this page are buyer-planning references, not a customs ruling — confirm the current position for your own HS code with Thai Customs Department (กรมศุลกากร) or your broker before you ship.
- Thai Customs Department
- Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI)
- Port Authority of Thailand
- WTO — Tariff Profiles (applied MFN duty by country)
- IATA — Lithium battery shipping guidance (PI 965–970)
- World Bank — Logistics Performance Index
- ICC — Incoterms 2020 rules (DDP, DAP, FOB definitions)
Page data last reviewed: 10 月 2026.
Shipping by industry
This page covers the route and clearance picture for the destination. Packing, classification and the compliance step that actually holds a shipment depend on what you are sending — these guides cover that by commodity.
- Electric Motors General Machinery & Industrial Equipment
- Wire & Cable New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Wall Panels Building Materials & Construction Products
- Injection Molded Parts Plastics, Rubber & Packaging
- Furniture Furniture & Home Products
- Home Storage Products Furniture & Home Products
- Exhibition Display Equipment Retail, Display & Commercial Fixtures
- Aluminum Coils Steel & Metal Materials
- Pipe Fittings Metal Products & Industrial Components
- Generators New Energy, Power & Electrical
- Ceramic Tiles Building Materials & Construction Products
- Paper Packaging Wood, Bamboo & Paper Products
Checking the Thailand duty position yourself
We publish these figures so you can budget, but the assessment that binds is the one Thai Customs Department makes on your declaration. Where a shipment is large enough that a percentage point matters, check their current tariff guidance rather than ours.
Classification drives everything downstream: the same carton can attract very different duty depending on the heading it lands in, and the structure those headings come from is the World Customs Organization Harmonized System. If your product sits near a boundary between two headings, resolve it before shipping rather than at the border.
For ocean cargo, restricted commodities move under the IMO's IMDG Code, and the container has to be declared and stowed accordingly. Batteries, flammables and corrosives all have a compliant ocean path; what causes rolled bookings is finding out about them after the container is packed.
For a wider view of how importing into Thailand actually works — documentation norms, inspection behavior, the paperwork that tends to hold shipments — the U.S. ITA guide to Thailand customs regulations is a useful independent read alongside our own lane notes.
Watch: the process behind this route
This guide covers routing and clearance for Thailand. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.
LCL vs FCL | Difference Between Full Container Load & Less than Container Load | Which is better ? — 10 Min For Supply Chain. Published on YouTube by a third party; we link it because it explains the process well, not because we produced it or endorse the provider.
Customs clearance in Thailand
Duty and tax position, certification, typical port dwell and what actually holds shipments at this border — plus who files the entry.
Thailand clearance requirements →Priced routes to Thailand
- Nansha to Laem Chabang Container Shipping — 20GP Rates
- Nansha to Songkhla Container Shipping — 20GP Rates
- Shanghai to Bangkok FCL Ocean Freight Rates | 20GP & 40HQ
- Shanghai–Songkhla Sea Freight: Container Rates and Schedule
- Shekou to Bangkok FCL Ocean Freight Rates | 20GP & 40HQ
- Shekou to Laem Chabang FCL Ocean Freight Rates | 20GP & 40HQ