Nepal - Thailand Air freight (Jan 2024)
 

Shipping two motorbikes by Air
Origin: Kathmandu, Nepal
Destination: Bangkok, Thailand
When: January 2024

At Kathmandu:

• We contracted Teamwork Cargo. They handled everything professionally, and took everything out of our hands. Four days after we arrived in Kathmandu we were able to crate the bikes and do the customs process.
• From Kathmandu to BKK there are two options for operators: the “cheap” option cost around 700 EUR per motorbike, but doesn’t have a fixed schedule. The “expensive” option cost around 1200 EURO per motorbike, and leaves every week on scheduled times.
• The first 7 days of storage after customs are free of charge, after that there is a fee to be paid.
• We could transfer the money to Teamwork Cargo via Wise App. So no need for expensive ATM withdrawal fees.

At Bangkok Airport:

• Getting there: We took the metro to BKK Airport, and then a bus to “Free Zone” (5 mins), which is the Cargo area of the airport.
• The process of obtaining your cargo can only start four hours after landing time. We arrived just after landing (in the evening) and were told to come back the next day.
• Insurance: we arranged via email with AA Insurance (<info@aainsure.net>), all done within 24 hours, 645 Baht per motorbike for one year compulsory insurance.
• We decided to reuse the boxes for shipping the bikes back to The Netherlands from BKK. We contacted Boonma in Bangkok (<chai@boonma.com>), who offered a pretty good deal for picking up the boxes at the airport, storage, and delivery of the boxes to a specified address.
• The first 24 hours of storage at the airport are free of charge, so in case of weekends you may end up paying storage fees.
• The lunch break is between 12-13h, when all offices close. There are some pretty good lunch cafes at the premises.

At BKK Free Zone (see next page for the map and buildings):

1. AOT Badge: In building BF-Z, required to get to the secured area. Cost 30 Baht, valid for 24 hours. Will be arranged by an assistant.
2. Security clearance: Exit BF-Z through the rear, and go through security clearance by showing the AOT badge. Photocamera or laptop need to be registered.
3. DO Office: Walk to the TG Building, and ask around for the DO Office. It is somewhere in the middle, reached by staircase to the second floor. Here you receive the updated airway bill.
4. Customs registration: With the updated airway bill, go back to building BC-1. Ask for help from an official in the building for the customs registration. There are also people outside willing to “help” but they will ask for money in return. Someone will guide you through the process. You need a copy of your passport and Thai visa.
5. Temporary Import Permit: After registration, go through security clearance again to the CI Building 2nd floor for the TIP (on map CE-New Building). Take the Carnet with you as they use that for all the info for the TIP.
6. Back to DO Office cashier for payment: With all documents, head back to the DO Office, and pay the airport fees at the cashier. At this point we got help from someone working at the docks who eventually picked up our boxes.
7. Dock 51 Custom Inspection office: Again an office difficult to spot, but near Dock 51 is the custom inspection office. Here you need to talk to an officer, who assigns you a person to pick up your cargo.
8. Wait for vehicle and performance of inspection: Once the cargo is picked up, the officer will do the inspection.
9. Assemble the motorbike and drive off to 11, or:
10. Move boxes from platform to truck: As we wanted to reuse the boxes for shipping the bikes back to NL from BKK, we contracted a logistics company to pick up the boxes and bring them to a warehouse. The 5m moving of the boxes to the platform was pretty expensive (in our case 1500 baht).
11. Exit of free zone at final gate: Show the documents at the final gate and you are good to go!

Total process for us took 4-5 hours as we had to go back and forth many times to find the right buildings.