Seattle to Laem Chabang shipping route.

Seattle to Laem Chabang is a 7,221 nautical mile shipping route on a direct course, heading north west from the United States to Thailand. That is 13,373 km of water against 12,026 km as the crow flies. No canals or major straits on this leg, the ship stays close to the direct line.

Shipping time depends on speed. At 14 knots, a common container ship service speed, the passage takes 21.5 days at sea. Slow steaming at 12 knots stretches it to 25.1 days, while 18 knots brings it down to 16.7. Liner schedules on the lane quote 28 days port to port, because the services call at other ports and some transship. Over the last 30 days we counted 2 sailings by 1 carrier (CMA CGM).

548 nm of the route, 8% of it, lies inside North American 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 USSEA to THLCH start at $6,990 for a 20GP and $9,700 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 64 port to port routes from Seattle in this directory, Laem Chabang is the 29th shortest. Closer destinations include Singapore (7,171 nm), Sydney (6,897 nm) and Ho Chi Minh City (6,683 nm).