Which shipping service do you need?
Eleven services sounds like a lot until you know the one question that separates them: what you are shipping, and how much of it. Find your situation on the left, take the service on the right. Where a threshold decides it, the threshold is stated.
Start with your situation
| Your situation | The service | The deciding condition |
|---|---|---|
| Buying from a Thai store that ships domestically | Parcel forwarding | Under 30 kg per box, you already can pay the seller |
| Seller only takes Thai bank transfer or PromptPay | Proxy buying | We pay the seller in Thailand, then forward |
| Orders from several Thai stores at once | Consolidation | Two or more boxes merged before one outbound rate |
| You need a Thai address for mail and documents | Thai address and mailbox | Recurring mail, not one-off parcels |
| Item left in a Thai hotel | Lost and found recovery | Hotel confirmed it is holding the item |
| Time-sensitive air shipment from 0.5 kg upward | Air freight | Same express calculator to ~300 kg; airline AWB quoted above |
| Commercial cargo, 1 CBM or more, cost-driven | Sea freight LCL | Under about 12-15 CBM, LCL is usually quoted first |
| Commercial cargo above roughly 15 CBM | Sea freight FCL | Break-even varies by lane; use the FCL vs LCL tool |
| Cargo is arriving in or leaving Thailand and needs clearing | Customs clearance | Standalone service, with or without our freight |
| You need a Thai supplier found, vetted and managed | Procurement and sourcing | From about THB 100,000 production value |
| Several Thai suppliers feeding one export shipment | Multi-supplier consolidation | PO verification at our door before packing |
| You sell online and want stock shipped for you | E-commerce fulfilment | Same-day dispatch before 14:00 ICT |
Parcel, air or sea: the four modes side by side
| Parcel express | Air freight | Sea LCL | Sea FCL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economic from | 0.5 kg | 0.5 kg (same express network to ~300 kg) | 1 CBM minimum | About 15 CBM |
| Door-to-door time | 5-9 days | 5-9 days (express); AWB varies above ~300 kg | 25-45 days | 25-45 days |
| Pricing | Live calculator only | Live calculator under ~300 kg; AWB quote above | On request | From about $720 per 20ft by lane |
| Customs entry | Simplified, usually by carrier | Same express path under ~300 kg; full AWB entry above | Full entry, filed by us | Full entry, filed by us |
| Best for | Personal orders and samples | Door-to-door express to ~300 kg; pallet AWB above | Boxes and pallets from 1 CBM, no rush | Container-scale imports |
Parcel and door-to-door air rates are live-calculator only - no published per-kg band. Indicative sea FCL bands only. Confirm on quote before booking.
Operator execution rules
These rules apply to every sea freight quote and booking. Indicative rates are not a guarantee without a scoped quote.
- 14-day rate locks max
Do not guarantee these rates past 14 days. Carrier war surcharges are floating weekly.
- UAE high-risk clause
TH to AE requires an explicit floating insurance addendum in client contracts to cover sudden port blockages or diverted discharges at Jebel Ali.
- Working capital squeeze
Ocean lines are demanding shorter payment terms on Middle East and European lanes. We need to collect 100% freight prepayment from clients before container loading.
Contract wording is in our Standard Trading Conditions.
The two break-evens worth memorising
300 kg
Chargeable weight where commercial airline AWB cargo usually replaces door-to-door express. Below it, parcel and air express use the same network and calculator - including 45 kg cartons.
12-15 CBM
Volume where a full container usually beats LCL on most Thai lanes. Use the FCL vs LCL volume tool for guidance, then confirm on quote.
Choosing between services: questions we get asked
Still not sure? Describe the shipment and we will tell you which is cheapest, even if it is the smaller service.
Ask us