Thailand’s average online yearly spend is the highest amongst Southeast Asian countries.
High-ticket items, like consumer electronics, apparel, and furniture, are popular online purchases.
Also, cross-border spending (especially from China, Japan, and the USA) makes up for more than 50% of the nation’s ecommerce spending.
All these factors indicate an immense market potential to justify plans by US merchants to profitably grow their reach to Thailand.
Want to buy from a seller in the US, because you can’t find what you need in Thailand’s domestic market? Or are you a US-based seller looking to break into this emerging ecommerce market?
This guide provides information on how to ship a package from the US to Thailand, plus tips on how ecommerce brands can better plan international shipping logistics with ShipBob.
Cost & delivery speeds for shipping to Thailand from the US
When shipping from the US to Thailand, there are so many timeline and rate options to pick from, depending on your parcel size. This section will help demystify the most popular parcel services offered by top shipping companies.
Note: These are general options for consumers shipping orders. To know what ShipBob offers when shipping to other countries like Thailand, please request a quote here.
ShipBob’s exact rates for customers will vary as we charge an all-in ‘total fulfilment cost’ that includes picking, packing, and shipping, among other factors
| Service | Price* | Delivery Time | |
| USPS | Global Express Guaranteed (GXG) | $67.80 | 1-3 business days |
| USPS** | Priority Mail Express International | $45.95 | 3-5 business days |
| USPS | Priority Mail International | $37.60 | 6-10 business days |
| UPS | Worldwide Expedited | $36.65 | 3-5 business days |
| UPS | Worldwide Saver | $39.86 | 3-4 business days |
| FedEx | International Priority | $72.41 | 1-3 business days |
| FedEx | International Economy | $109.52 | 3-4 business days |
| DHL | Express Worldwide | $34.11 | 2-3 business days |
*Only USPS offers flat rates to ship from the US to Thailand. All other prices were calculated using the respective courier’s pricing calculators for a 2 kg package in November 2021. Exact prices are subject to change.
**As of Nov. 2021, USPS temporarily suspended their Priority Mail Express International option for shipping to Thailand (including other countries). For the latest USPS service alerts, click here.
How to choose a shipping courier
Choosing a shipping courier to send a parcel from the US to Thailand, for the first time, can be a daunting exercise. After all, there are so many factors to take into consideration.
The top questions that pop to mind are:
- What’s the shipping speed and rate?
- Does the courier offer shipping insurance and customs support?
- How convenient are parcel drop-offs and pick-ups?
- How are fragile item shipped?
To make this decision a little easier, in this section, we have deep-dived into the benefits and demerits of the top four shipping couriers
Couriers | Pros | Cons |
| USPS |
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| FedEx |
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| UPS |
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| DHL |
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Shipping to Thailand from the US with USPS
USPS is a government agency that offers postal services in the United States. Established in 1971, it is one of the most convenient and affordable shipping options from the US to Thailand.
When to use USPS to ship from the US to Thailand
The top reason to use USPS is its flat rate shipping service, which brings down the cost of shipping heavy parcels to Thailand.
An example of this service is the Priority Mail International® Large Flat Rate Box. This might take a little longer but makes your shipments more affordable.
Shipping to Thailand from the US with UPS
Founded in 1907, United Parcel Service (UPS) is one of the world’s largest shipping couriers.
Headquartered in Atlanta, it is a preferred vendor for overseas shipments owing to features such as free customs support and a last-mile tracking service.
When to use UPS to ship from the US to Thailand
UPS is a more expensive option than USPS, but owing to its significant local presence drop-offs of parcels are much more convenient. That’s not all, it offers far more reliable service in terms of on-time delivery and secure transport of fragile items to Thailand.
Shipping to Thailand from the US with FedEx
FedEx Corporation is a multinational transport company headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. It is well-known for its air freight services.
When to use FedEx to ship from the US to Thailand
If you wish to enjoy real-time tracking, customs support, and global customer care service when shipping overseas then FedEx is a great option. And although pricey, its International Priority service lets you deliver parcels to Thailand in just 2 days.
Shipping to Thailand from the US with DHL
You must have heard of DHL International GmbH, an international courier, package delivery, and express mail service. It ships to over 220 countries, including Thailand, and is known for its reliable services.
When to use DHL to ship from the US to Thailand
With DHL, you can choose to ship parcels in temperature-controlled settings, with insurance and customs clearance support.
It is also a great option for businesses that want to reduce their carbon footprint when shipping overseas.
Duties & taxes when shipping to Thailand
Thailand’s customs levies a 7% value-added tax on imports from the US. And it has a tax threshold of 1500 THB.
This means, if you ship goods of declared value that is equal to 1600 THB at the Thailand port, you will need to shell out an additional 112 THB to release the shipment.
Also, here is a snapshot of the duties imposed on certain imported goods:
| Fees | Description |
| 20% | Bags and luggage |
| 0% | Computers and laptops |
| 30% | Fashion |
| 20% | Home decor |
Note: Some of the highest tariff rates (up to 80%) are imposed on imports that compete with local Thai industries including tea, textiles, and apparel.
Thailand customs information
In general, Thailand’s customs procedures are much like it is in most other countries.
You will need to ensure that relevant paperwork is submitted to the Customs Department, acquire import license (if required), and pay up duties, landing and storage charges, and VAT.
And for expedited clearance, you could also file all the paperwork before the goods reach the Thai port.
To find out more about Thailand’s customs processes visit their official website here.
Prohibited items when shipping to Thailand
You must familiarize yourself with Thailand’s import restrictions and prohibitions. After all, ignorance of the law is no excuse. And importing illegal substances into the country can have serious repercussions in the form of fines, jail terms, and confiscated shipments.
Some goods, such as ceramic ware, potato, coffee, and tobacco have restricted entry.
To be able to import these items into Thailand you will need to obtain permits from related government agencies. Around 50 classes of goods require such import licenses.
Here is a list of the items that are prohibited from being imported into Thailand:
Items you can’t ship to Thailand from the US |
| Narcotics |
| Pornographic materials |
| Counterfeit or IPR infringing goods |
| Fake notes or coins |
| Reserved animals or CITES-listed wildlife |
Be sure to check with the official Thailand customs website before sending your goods, as the list of restricted and banned items tends to evolve with time.
What ecommerce businesses need to know about shipping to Thailand
If you’re looking to serve customers in Thailand, here is overview of what you need to know:
1. Boost business with festive sales
It’s important to leverage Thailand’s tradition of always-on ecommerce promotions to maximise sales opportunities. Be sure to run promotions even for international ecommerce events such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday to attract Thai customers.
2. Build an intuitive mobile app
Around 52% of ecommerce transactions happen via mobile phones in Thailand. Therefore, you must build a mobile app that offers personalised shopping experiences to this mobile-first nation.
3. Harness social commerce portals
The amount of online shoppers in Thailand are expected to reach 43.5 million by 2025.
Thai shoppers use social media, especially Facebook, heavily when researching products before making a purchase. Hence, building your social ecommerce presence is non-negotiable.
4. Offer flexible payment options
Cards are the most commonly used mode of payment in Thailand. Also quite popular are bank transfers and digital wallets. So, when expanding to Thailand make sure that you offer multiple ways for customers to pay for the order.
5. Reassure shopper of portal security
Online shoppers in Thailand are quite wary of new merchants since payment fraud is quite a big issue in the nation.
To attract these customers, you should clearly display and promote your platform’s security credentials.
Partner with ShipBob: a best-in-class international 3PL
International shipping is a complicated, time-consuming process. It often takes on an entirely separate and complex shipping strategy than domestic shipping.
ShipBob is an international 3PL that offers global shipping solutions for fast-growing brands.
With ShipBob, you can expand your geographic footprint, provide international shipping rates, and offer best-in-class ecommerce fulfilment and shipping services.
“International shipping is very important to us — not only in terms of costs but also the customer experience. When I found out ShipBob was expanding into both Canada and Europe, I knew we wanted to expand our physical footprint with them.
This offers us the ability to reduce taxes and tariffs that come with international shipping. Now, our Canadian-based orders see a large reduction in shipping costs. We want everyone to get our products in a few days or less with no duties at delivery. Our goal is to remove the barriers to purchase.
Now, our customers can get their packages without spending an extra 25 euros or Canadian dollars on duties and taxes after purchasing. ShipBob has helped us extensively throughout the process and we look forward to accelerating our growth outside of North America.”
Nikolai Paloni, Co-Founder of Ombraz Sunglasses
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Shipping to Thailand FAQs
Here are answers to the top questions people have about shipping packages to Thailand from the US.
What’s the cheapest way to ship to Thailand from the US?
If you are looking for the cheapest way to ship from the Us to Thailand then, you will find that UPS Worldwide Saver and Worldwide Expedited offer some great deals. And for smaller packages, USPS’s Priority Mail International® Small Flat Rate Box is also quite affordable.
What’s the cheapest way to ship large packages to Thailand from the US?
USPS offers a flat rate for shipments of different dimensions. No matter what the weight of the parcel, you will need to pay only a fixed rate. USPS Priority Mail International® Large Flat Rate Box is a good example of the flat rate service on offer.
What’s the fastest way to ship a package to Thailand from the US?
USPS GXG Envelopes, UPS Worldwide Express, FedEx international Priority deliver parcels within 1 to 3 days.
Do I have to pay customs duties and fees when shipping to Thailand from the US?
Thai customs authorities charge a 7% VAT and product-specific customs duty on imports. And there is a duty threshold of 1500 THB.
What’s the easiest way to ship something to Thailand from the US?
The easiest way to ship to Thailand would be UPS Worldwide Express and UPS Worldwide Saver. Thanks to the courier’s US footprint, you can conveniently drop off your parcels for shipment.
