Shipping and Logistics

Choosing how to ship affects cost per unit, handling risk and the documents you receive. This page covers the main options for automotive parts exported from Thailand. It does not quote transit times or freight rates, which vary by route, carrier and season and are confirmed per shipment.

Sea freight: full container load (FCL)

With FCL, one container is used exclusively for your goods from loading to destination. It is usually the most cost-effective option once your order fills a meaningful share of a container.

Container	Approximate internal volume	Typical use for auto parts
20' standard	about 33 m³	Dense, heavy orders: brake discs and drums, batteries, leaf springs, engine parts
40' standard	about 67 m³	Mixed parts orders with a mix of heavy and bulky items
40' high cube (HC)	about 76 m³	Volume-heavy orders: tires, body parts, accessories, filters in retail boxes

Actual dimensions vary slightly by container. The usable payload depends on the container's rated maximum, the vessel operator and road weight limits in Thailand and at destination, so heavy orders can reach the weight limit before the container is full. Tires and accessories, on the other hand, tend to fill volume before weight.

See mixed container shipments for planning a container across several product categories.

Sea freight: less than container load (LCL)

With LCL, your palletized or cartoned goods share a container with other shippers' cargo, consolidated by a freight forwarder. LCL suits smaller orders and trial orders.

Consider that:

• Cargo is handled more often, so strong cartons and palletization matter
• Charges are based on volume or weight, with minimums, and destination LCL charges can be significant
• Dangerous goods, including many battery types, may be refused or restricted by LCL consolidators

Export ports

• Laem Chabang Port (Chonburi): Thailand's main deep-sea container port, serving large vessels and a wide range of international routes.
• Bangkok Port (Khlong Toei): a river port in Bangkok handling container traffic, with limits on vessel size due to river draft. Some routes use feeder services.

The port of loading is stated in your quotation and depends on the service and route selected.

Air freight

Air freight is suited to urgent, small, high-value shipments, such as parts needed to return a vehicle to service. It is charged on actual or volumetric weight, whichever is greater, which makes bulky or heavy parts expensive to fly. Many batteries are restricted or prohibited in air transport; see below.

Typical export documents

Document	Purpose
Commercial invoice	Describes goods, values, Incoterm and parties; used for customs valuation
Packing list	Lists contents, quantities, weights and dimensions by carton or pallet
Bill of lading (sea) or air waybill (air)	Transport contract and receipt for goods; an original or negotiable bill of lading can serve as a document of title
Certificate of origin	States country of origin; preferential forms such as ATIGA Form D are used where a trade agreement applies and rules of origin are met
ISPM 15 compliance / fumigation certificate	Solid wood packaging (pallets, crates, dunnage) must be heat treated or fumigated and carry the IPPC mark; some destinations or buyers also require a fumigation certificate
Dangerous goods declaration	Required when the shipment includes regulated dangerous goods, such as certain batteries
Insurance certificate	Provided under CIF or when the seller arranges insurance
Export declaration	Filed with Thai Customs for export clearance

Processed wood materials such as plywood and particle board are generally outside the scope of ISPM 15. Some destinations also require pre-shipment inspection certificates, conformity documents or specific invoice formats. Tell us your requirements at the RFQ stage. See export process.

Dangerous goods: batteries

Batteries are among the most common regulated items in auto parts shipments. Classification depends on battery type and must be confirmed per product:

• Lead-acid batteries, wet, filled with acid: UN2794, Class 8 (corrosive).
• Lead-acid batteries, wet, non-spillable: UN2800, Class 8. Non-spillable batteries that meet specific test and packaging conditions may qualify for exceptions from some requirements; this must be confirmed against the applicable regulations and the carrier's rules.
• Lithium-ion batteries shipped on their own: UN3480, Class 9. Lithium-ion batteries packed with or contained in equipment are UN3481.

What this means in practice:

• Batteries must be correctly classified, packed, marked and labeled, and declared to the carrier
• Sea shipments follow the IMDG Code; air shipments follow IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations, which are considerably more restrictive
• Carriers may apply additional acceptance rules, surcharges or segregation requirements
• Batteries in a mixed container must be segregated and secured according to the regulations
• Undeclared dangerous goods can lead to fines, cargo being refused or shipments being delayed

Safety data sheets are requested from the battery manufacturer for each battery type shipped. See batteries.

Tires

Tires are generally not dangerous goods but are volume-intensive. They are commonly loaded loose (stacked or laced) to maximize container use, or banded on pallets for easier handling. See tires.

Next steps

Share your destination port and preferred shipping method in your RFQ, or contact us to discuss options.