Skip to content
✉ info@chinaoceanfreight.com |📞 +86 18138342527
💬 WeChat: lunjie1120 WhatsApp Us →
            Get a Quote
💬 WhatsApp Us Now
🚢 Sea Freight

Sea Freight from China to Chonburi

China → Chonburi · via Laem Chabang sea · clearance by Thai Customs Department (กรมศุลกากร)

Sea Freight from China to Chonburi, Thailand — cargo handling at the departure terminal
Cargo handling on the China–Chonburi lane.

Chonburi is port province and the main warehousing cluster for imported cargo, and it is served through Laem Chabang sea. That combination is what actually sets your delivery date on this lane — the inland leg is same-day, so the clearance date is effectively the delivery date.

On the destination side, Thai Customs Department (กรมศุลกากร) handles clearance; budget 2–5 days of dwell before the cargo is released.

Routing and transit on this lane

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.

Sea gateways usedLaem Chabang, Bangkok (Klong Toey), Songkhla
Sea transit, China to gateway5–9 calendar days
Gateway serving ChonburiLaem Chabang sea
Inland leg to ChonburiSame day from the gateway
Typical clearance / dwell2–5 days
Peak season to plan aroundSep–Nov

Import duty and tax position for Chonburi

Thai Customs Department (กรมศุลกากร) assesses duty and tax on cargo arriving for Chonburi consignees. Current regime: VAT 7%; duty 0–30%, and 0% on most lines with an ACFTA Form E, with a de-minimis position of 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.

Container terminal operations used on the China to Chonburi (Thailand) freight lane
Handling on the Laem Chabang sea routing serving Chonburi.

What to sort out before the cargo leaves China

  • Put the Chonburi delivery address, contact name and phone number on the invoice, not just the packing list.
  • Use ISPM-15 treated pallets. Untreated wood is the most common reason otherwise-clean cargo gets held.
  • Compare gross weight against volumetric weight (L×W×H ÷ 6000) — the higher figure is what gets billed on air and express.
  • 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.
  • Get the conformity paperwork moving early: TISI standard mark for regulated goods; NBTC approval for radio devices; Thai FDA for food, cosmetics and supplements.

Frequently asked questions

How long does shipping from China to Chonburi take?

China to the Thailand gateway is 5–9 calendar days. On top of that, allow 2–5 days of clearance with Thai Customs Department (กรมศุลกากร) and a same-day inland leg to Chonburi.

What duty and tax will I pay importing into Chonburi?

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 Chonburi.

Is sea freight cheaper than air freight into Chonburi?

Per kilo, yes — usually by a wide margin. The trade-off is time: 5–9 calendar days by sea versus 3–5 business days by air to the Thailand gateway, before clearance and the same-day inland leg. The crossover point is normally somewhere between 100 and 300 kg depending on the density of your cargo.

When is the busiest time on the China–Thailand lane?

Space and rates tighten around Sep–Nov, plus the China-side windows of Chinese New Year in January or February and Golden Week in early October. Book one to two weeks earlier in those periods.

Can you deliver door-to-door in Chonburi?

Yes. Delivery to a Chonburi address is quoted as one figure covering freight, duty and tax owed to Thai Customs Department (กรมศุลกากร), and the same-day inland leg. Confirm whether your consignee wants the goods at a warehouse, a marketplace fulfillment center or a shop front, because the last-mile requirement differs.

How is the chargeable weight calculated for Chonburi?

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.

Other delivery cities in Thailand

All Thailand freight information →

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.

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.

All 60 industry guides →

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.

If this is your first shipment into Thailand, the Thailand Country Commercial Guide covers the practical import environment in more depth than a rate page reasonably can, and it is written by a party with no stake in your booking.

Watch: the process behind this route

This guide covers routing and clearance for Chonburi. The video below covers the wider shipping process that sits around it.

Bill of Lading Explained (BOL) | Types, Components & Full Beginner Guide | Shipping Document — 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.

Get a rate for Chonburi

This lane is quoted per shipment rather than from a rate card: the landed cost depends on the commodity, its density, the conformity requirements above and the delivery point. Send the cargo details and we price it properly.

Answer these and you get a real price, not a range. These are the exact figures a carrier needs before it will quote. Fill them in once and we can price your cargo the same day — leave them out and we have to come back and ask, which is what turns an hour into a week.

kg
ctn
Carton sizeoptional
× × cm
m³
ctr
Built-in battery?* Lithium cells are dangerous goods.
Someone else's brand?* Logos you are not authorised to ship.
Magnetic product?* Speakers, motors, magnets.
Why these three decide everything

They determine whether your cargo can fly, and on which service. A declared battery changes the price; an undeclared one grounds the shipment at the airport and you pay storage while it sits. Unauthorised brands are seized at customs and the freight is lost with them. Magnetic goods need a field test — routine, but it has to be booked ahead. Telling us now costs a click; telling us later costs the shipment.

Sea or air?*
Tick both and we quote both.
When should it move?optional
Photographs of the goodsoptional
    Your details are used to prepare this quotation and nothing else.

    See the Thailand route page →

    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