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Shipping By Sea To The Us


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I need to ship small amounts (a few cubic meters) to the US. I've looked into UPS and its going to be far too much when I look at it per item as the pieces I'm sending are quite heavy and large. So that leaves shipping by sea. From here to the port in California is reasonable, but then I've got the probelm of having it picked up, clearing customs and getting it to my warehouse a few hours drive away. If I ship by sea door to door, (going by what this one company tells me) it becomes extremely expensive, even more than UPS! There must be a reasonable option for door to door shipping by sea. Right? Does anyone know how it can be done affordably? (ie. significantly cheaper than what it would cost to go by UPS).

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Hi Bob,

How about sending by "surface mail" by using the good old Thai post office.

As per latest rate list a maximum weight of 30kgs per parcel is possible when shipping to the US (some countries are limited to just 20kgs)

Price for 30kgs: THB 4,610 (you drop the readily packed and labelled box at the post office or use the packing service at the main post office on Charon Krueng Road in Bangkok). You have the hassle to deliver the box to the post office yourself (UPS picks up at your place) but well, the cost saving is obvious. Usually forwarding companies charge you something like THB 1,500 when picking goods up at you place within Bangkok.

Guess THIS is might be the cheapest option although delivery takes 2 - 3 months but anyway if time is not the issue... :o

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Hi Bob,

How about sending by "surface mail" by using the good old Thai post office.

As per latest rate list a maximum weight of 30kgs per parcel is possible when shipping to the US (some countries are limited to just 20kgs)

Price for 30kgs: THB 4,610 (you drop the readily packed and labelled box at the post office or use the packing service at the main post office on Charon Krueng Road in Bangkok). You have the hassle to deliver the box to the post office yourself (UPS picks up at your place) but well, the cost saving is obvious. Usually forwarding companies charge you something like THB 1,500 when picking goods up at you place within Bangkok.

Guess THIS is might be the cheapest option although delivery takes 2 - 3 months but anyway if time is not the issue... :o

I actually need it there within one month. It might be an option if there are no size restrictions though, but I'm assuming there are. I can send 42kg's via UPS with a restriction on total size for about twice the Thai Post office 30kg price- and it arrives in 3 days. Problem is that when you ship large items through UPS, the price shoots up. Any other ideas?

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Unfortuantely, fast and low cost is something that does not match and this also goes for logistic endeavours.

Within one month means you can forget shipping by boat because just transport time to California from BKK is already 3 weeks. Now, add prep time here in BKK (loading, issuing the papers etc.) taking several day plus several days for unloading and customs clearance at the port of destination. Keep in mind you are not shipping FCL (Full Container Load) but LCL (= Less than Container Load) requiring more time for clearance. You will surely end up with more than 4 weeks.

The only options you have appear to be airfreight, airmail or private courier service companies like UPS. 30kgs by airmail to the USA is THB 15,450 (most likely also restricting measurements), airfreight will also add up to much more than THB 10.000 particulary if you require door service.

Under these circumstances the best option seems indeed to be UPS in terms of time AND price.

Otherwise, you can only ship by airfreight and have a (real good and/or favor owing) friend in the USA drive to the airport and do the customs clearance and transport from the airport to your warehouse for you.

Sorry for being unable to provide more encouraging feedback but frankly said if anyone pulls out a better solution I would be indeed impressed, call that person "master" and give him/her my best and highest waih I have on offer. :o

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Surely there must be a moving company, freight forwarder or trucking company that can take your goods, shipeed by sea, through customs in the U.S. and then on to your warehouse. My two cents, and worth less.

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Thanks for the input Richard. I think my best bet is to move up into the big time and ship containers. Door to door is reasonable and relatively quick. I don't have such a friend who will take care of logisticsd on that end. i did it once myself and it took many many hours. Not a small favour to ask...

mrmnp, I do think there must be a forwarding company, and of course there are customs brokers, but for small amounts like a few cubic meters, I think the costs would be through the roof. I will look into it a little further though just in case.

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