Car Shipping to Laem Chabang, Thailand
In Chonburi Province on the eastern shore of the Gulf of Thailand, about 130 km south-east of Bangkok. UK Vehicle Exporters Ltd ships vehicles from the UK to Laem Chabang, handling the whole UK side for you: car sourcing, tax-free supply where the car qualifies, buying on your behalf, inspections, collection and delivery to the UK port, UK customs clearance and loading onto the ship.
About Laem Chabang Port
Thailand's largest port, owned by the Port Authority of Thailand and opened in 1991, with terminals leased to private operators. It handled more than 10 million TEU in 2025. A third phase, with 18-metre berths for the largest container ships, is under construction.
Area served: Bangkok and central and eastern Thailand, including the Eastern Seaboard industrial and car-making zones.
How Vehicles Are Handled at Laem Chabang
Cars are handled at the dedicated A5 RoRo terminal, operated by Namyong Terminal, which has three wharves of about 697 metres, about 78 hectares of storage (space for about 49,000 vehicles) and capacity for about 1.2 million vehicles a year. Namyong's concession expired on 30 April 2026 and it is running the terminal on a temporary basis while the Port Authority of Thailand selects a new operator. Containerised cars go through the container terminals in Basins 1 and 2.
- Port authority
- Port Authority of Thailand
- Vehicle terminal
- A5 RoRo terminal (Namyong Terminal, temporary operation since May 2026)
- RoRo capacity
- About 1.2 million vehicles a year
- Water depth
- 14 m (Basin 1), 16 m (Basin 2)
- Opened
- 1991
Shipping a Car from the UK to Laem Chabang
We handle the whole UK side of an export to Laem Chabang: sourcing the vehicle, tax-free supply from the selling dealer where the car qualifies, collection from any UK address, UK customs clearance and export documentation, and loading onto the ship by RoRo or container. Current carrier schedules show 4-9 weeks port to port, sailing from Southampton, Felixstowe, London Gateway and Liverpool. Lines on the route include MSC.
Any import duty and taxes are paid by the importer, whoever clears the car. We can arrange customs clearance, registration and delivery to your door through a local agent, quoted separately, or work with an agent of your choice. For costs, the full sailing schedule and everything else about exporting to Thailand, see our Thailand shipping guide.
Upcoming Sailings to Laem Chabang
Dates are carrier estimates and must be reconfirmed before booking.
| Departs | From | Arrives | Vessel | Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Oct 2026 | Southampton | 17 Nov 2026 | MSC Aldi III | MSC |
| 9 Oct 2026 | Felixstowe | 22 Nov 2026 | MSC Manya | MSC |
| 9 Oct 2026 | Southampton | 15 Nov 2026 | YM Totality | MSC |
| 12 Oct 2026 | London Gateway | 17 Nov 2026 | MSC Leanne | MSC |
| 15 Oct 2026 | Liverpool | 1 Dec 2026 | MSC Amsterdam | MSC |
| 19 Oct 2026 | Felixstowe | 17 Nov 2026 | MSC Aldi III | MSC |
| 20 Oct 2026 | Southampton | 4 Dec 2026 | MSC Celine III | MSC |
| 20 Oct 2026 | London Gateway | 24 Nov 2026 | MSC Ingy | MSC |
Our Other Services
UK Car Sourcing & Supply
We source any new or used vehicle from any manufacturer in the UK, through our network of franchised dealers, car auctions, classified listings and private sellers, then inspect, purchase and export it to your country.
Buy a Car in the UK on Your Behalf
We check, view and buy the UK car you've found, from a dealer or a private seller, then ship it to you, protecting you from the pitfalls of paying an unknown seller from overseas.
Tax-Free & VAT-Free Vehicle Supply
We find new and VAT-qualifying used cars from VAT-registered dealers who will sell them free of UK VAT for export, which takes a sixth off a VAT-inclusive price. The saving comes from the dealer, not as a refund from us: we are not VAT registered. We arrange the export and give the dealer the proof it needs.
New / Used Car Export
We export new and used cars from the UK every week, sourced from our dealer, auction and trade network or supplied by you, given a multi-point inspection before shipment and shipped worldwide by RoRo or container.
Pre-Purchase Inspections
Before you commit to a car, we check its DVLA, MOT and recall records and run a paid UK history check, then view it, compare it with its logbook and send you photos and a video. A full mechanical inspection by an independent inspector can be added, quoted separately.
Government Pre-Shipping Inspection
Where the destination country requires a pre-export roadworthiness inspection, we arrange it with the approved inspection agency before the sailing so the vehicle is not held up on arrival. Quoted separately from the shipping price.
UK Vehicle Collection & Delivery
We collect any vehicle from any UK address and deliver it to the departure port at £1 per mile, driven on DVLA plates or moved on a carrier, timed to meet the booked sailing.
Secure Vehicle Storage
Vehicles wait with us in a secure compound between purchase and sailing, so there is no rush to move a car the day you buy it and nothing accumulating in storage charges at the port. Quoted separately from the shipping price.
Paintwork Reconditioning
Where a car would arrive the better for it, we can recondition the paintwork before it ships — worth doing while the vehicle is with us rather than paying to sort it out after it lands. Quoted separately from the shipping price.
UK Vehicle Customs Clearance
We make export declarations directly on the UK customs system and prepare every document needed at the UK port of exit, including the Bill of Lading, export certificate and DVLA export documentation.