London Gateway to Laem Chabang shipping route.

London Gateway to Laem Chabang is a 9,107 nautical mile shipping route via Suez Canal, heading east from the United Kingdom to Thailand. That is 16,867 km of water against 9,576 km as the crow flies. On the way the vessel passes Suez Canal, Bab-el-Mandeb, Strait of Malacca and Strait of Gibraltar, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

Shipping time depends on speed. At 14 knots, a common container ship service speed, the passage takes 27.1 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 31.6 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 21.1. Liner schedules on the lane quote 31 to 50 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 40 sailings by 3 carriers (CMA CGM, Maersk and MSC).

Red Sea security changes the sea distance on this lane. A ship sent via Cape of Good Hope sails 12,551 nm instead of 9,107 nm and spends roughly 10.2 extra days at sea. Ask your forwarder which routing the carrier uses: the booking price and the arrival date both depend on it.

2,286 nm of the route, 25% of it, lies inside North Sea ECA and Mediterranean Sea ECA. In an emission control area ships must burn fuel with no more than 0.1% sulphur or clean the exhaust with scrubbers. That fuel costs more, and carriers add it to the ocean freight bill as a low sulphur or ECA surcharge.

Recent freight rates for GBLGP to THLCH start at $1,625 for a 20GP and $2,900 for a 40GP. These are spot market prices from carriers that sail the lane; your quote will also include terminal handling, documentation and any bunker surcharge. At Laem Chabang (THLCH) carriers give about 5 free days before demurrage and detention charges start, so plan the truck or rail pickup before the box lands.

Of the 61 port to port routes from London Gateway in this directory, Laem Chabang is the 44th shortest. Closer destinations include Vancouver (8,993 nm), Seattle (8,972 nm) and Ho Chi Minh City (8,940 nm).