Reasonable shipping rates from the USA and Europe?

[OneMoreFarang]

I just looked up the shipping rate for a 52lbs package with 18"x18"x18".

Shipping with a courier service cost about 500 USD and it takes a few days.

That is fast but expensive.

 

Are there, in general, any cheaper shipping options, i.e. by ship, which are a lot cheaper?

I don't need a container load or even 10% of a container, just a few boxes like above. 25kg, 40cm cube or something like that.

I don't care if it takes a months or even 3. What are the options?

 

This should be delivery from a company address over there to my home address or a depot in Bangkok.

I am aware that likely I will have to pay customs and vat.

This is just a general question and it does not really matter what is shipped. In this case it's electronics equipment. 

[gamb00ler]

I have a Thai friend who moved back from US in 2019.  He used a freight consolidator to ship about 20 boxes to Thailand.  He paid much less than your quote.  If you have contacts in the Thai community in US they will be able to refer you to a shipper with relevant experience.

[STALINGRAD]

Try Ship2Thai with offices on the west coast of US.

[Yellowtail]

If you're not in a hurry, and your goods are either not fragile, or very well packed, sea freight is generally cheapest. That said, on a small shipment, local pick up and delivery can eat up the savings realized on the actual freight cost relatively quickly over what you would pay a courier. 

 

In any event, you want to use a freight-forwarder that is based in the country the goods are being delivered into, in this case Thailand. 

 

You are in BKK yes? If so, contact (or better have your GF) a few local forwarders over the phone about your freight, but do not jerk them around. They will get tired quickly with endless calls or worse emails with no orders.

 

Tell them the size and weight of the crate as well as the value and an accurate description of the goods and they can estimate of the cost. Be advised, no one knows exactly what it will cost, so anyone pretending to is likely overbidding enough to cover the absolute maximum. 

 

Local pick-up varies significantly depending on the location and proximity to the port, as does local delivery cost. Local pick up in Long Beach, CA, is a lot cheaper than pick up in Billings, MT. 

 

Exporting is cheap and easy. Importing? Not so much. That is why you want to use a forwarder based in the country you are importing into. They  (the forwarder) already know how to get the goods into the country quickly and cost effectively. 

 

Keep in mind, you pay duty on cost & freight, and VAT on cost, freight and duty, so it adds up quickly, the less you pay for freight, the less you pay for duty and VAT. 

 

Once you use a forwarder successfully and build a little trust, it will becomes very easy.

 

We used PJ Transpack quite a bit for shipments from the US and they were great, but I've been out of it for a few years. Bigger, more "international" names typically cost more, but can be cheaper depending on the location. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[OneMoreFarang]

16 hours ago, STALINGRAD said:

Try Ship2Thai with offices on the west coast of US.

Thanks

 

I googled this and I found a facebook page. And then I found links to companies like that in the USA - mostly only with Thai text - but Google translate helps to get the details.

That is good enough to get me started. Thanks

 

@Yellowtail I will check for similar companies in Thailand. Maybe the companies which I found already have also offices in Thailand. I will check.

[Yellowtail]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Thanks

 

I googled this and I found a facebook page. And then I found links to companies like that in the USA - mostly only with Thai text - but Google translate helps to get the details.

That is good enough to get me started. Thanks

 

@Yellowtail I will check for similar companies in Thailand. Maybe the companies which I found already have also offices in Thailand. I will check.

 

If you are bringing goods into Thailand, do not use any forwarder that does not actually have operations in Thailand.

 

If your seller is motivated and does a good bit of international trade, you may get them to agree to ship to you DDP, in which case what forwarder they use is irrelevant to you. 

[OneMoreFarang]

7 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

 

If you are bringing goods into Thailand, do not use any forwarder that does not actually have operations in Thailand.

 

If your seller is motivated and does a good bit of international trade, you may get them to agree to ship to you DDP, in which case what forwarder they use is irrelevant to you. 

I just saw this definition: Delivered duty paid (DDP) is a delivery agreement whereby the seller assumes all of the responsibility, risk, and costs associated with transporting goods until the buyer receives or transfers them at the destination port. 

 

I can't imagine that many sellers will be interested in such a deal if the buyer is only one of many buyers.

If a company does i.e. good business within the USA then they won't have much motivation to make 1% or 3% more business with countries far away if that adds lots of headache.

My enquiry here is because I read on one website that any possible overseas buyer should check themselves for shipping options. Because the company had too many inquiries were they checked for the prices for shipping to countries far away and it was always expensive and most people didn't buy then because of the high shipping cost...

 

[Yellowtail]

2 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I just saw this definition: Delivered duty paid (DDP) is a delivery agreement whereby the seller assumes all of the responsibility, risk, and costs associated with transporting goods until the buyer receives or transfers them at the destination port. 

 

I can't imagine that many sellers will be interested in such a deal if the buyer is only one of many buyers.

If a company does i.e. good business within the USA then they won't have much motivation to make 1% or 3% more business with countries far away if that adds lots of headache.

My enquiry here is because I read on one website that any possible overseas buyer should check themselves for shipping options. Because the company had too many inquiries were they checked for the prices for shipping to countries far away and it was always expensive and most people didn't buy then because of the high shipping cost...

 

 

That's why I stipulated: If your seller is motivated and does a good bit of international trade...

 

Buyers ask for it a lot, and sometimes get it. That said, companies that do it make margin on the shipping as well as the product so it is rarely the cheapest option. 

 

In any event, if you don't ask, the answer is no...

 

 

[kwonitoy]

I got ahold of Freight Rangers Co Ltd in Bangkok to ship my desk back to Canada sometime next year 200kg 3 slabs of wood. Udon Thani to Bangkok to Vancouver for 200$. Ocean freight with no time hurry, I was verysuprised, havent got the Vancouver to Edmonton price yet. 

[Yellowtail]

be careful with your bill of lading, you call it three slabs of wood you may have to have it fumigated....

[node]

I will like to know if there is a "SkyBox" in the USA or Canada that forwards to Thailand.

 

I use Shop & Ship addresses and Thailand was once on the list, not anymore.

 

I would buy online in NY or Singapore or HK etc. and choose the Shop & Ship local country address the supplier will post the items too. Shop & Ship will then forward the items to me, once I am in another Shop & Ship country.

 

I also have a "SkyBox" with another company with a Miami, Fl. address.