Thailand is a long way from Castle Donington, and that distance tends to make people assume the car will need a lot of work when it gets here. Usually it doesn't. Thailand drives on the left, like the UK, so its cars are right-hand drive and the list of changes is short.
What takes the time is the journey and the paperwork either side of it. This guide walks through both, in the order they happen.
- Port
- Laem Chabang
- Guide shipping price
- From £3,575
- Transit time
- Usually 4 to 8 weeks
- Steering
- Right-hand drive
- Import tax
- 20% VAT + 10% duty
Getting the car to Laem Chabang
We collect from your address or dealer in Thailand and take the car to the port. If it is valuable, ask for enclosed transport on the quote form and we will price it in.
Our route from Thailand runs from Laem Chabang, the country's largest port, in Chonburi Province south-east of Bangkok. It has container, multi-purpose and RoRo terminals, and its Terminal A5 handles much of Thailand's vehicle exports. There is more on the port on our Laem Chabang port page.
Container or RoRo
From Thailand we ship by container or by RoRo, and transit is usually 4 to 8 weeks depending on the sailing. RoRo tends to be the quicker of the two. A container gives the car more protection, because it is sealed in for the whole voyage and unloaded by our own team at our site.
Which suits you depends on the car and how soon you need it. Our guide to container, RoRo or air sets out the differences, and we will recommend one when we quote.
How long the whole job takes
Shipping is only one part. Customs clearance takes a few days to a week, the changes take from a few days to a few weeks depending on the car, then the car is tested and registered. From a car that is ready to go in Thailand to UK plates, allow roughly 2 to 4 months, sometimes more.
-
Before it sails
Collection and export
We collect the car, take it to Laem Chabang and get it loaded, by container or RoRo.
-
4 to 8 weeks
At sea
The car sails for the UK.
-
A few days to a week
Customs
As HMRC CDS authorised agents, we make the customs entry ourselves.
-
A few days to a few weeks
Changes and testing
Our team makes the changes the car needs, then tests it on our own IVA or MOT lane.
-
Within 10 working days
Registration
Our dealer-level DVLA account lets us register the car and fit your UK plates.
Right-hand drive, so fewer changes
Because Thai cars are already right-hand drive, they skip the bigger conversion work that a left-hand drive car needs. The common changes are:
- A rear fog light, the most common change
- A speedometer converted from km/h to mph, on cars under 10 years old
A car under 10 years old then takes an IVA test. A car between 10 and 40 years old takes an MOT, with similar changes made first, generally the rear fog light. A car over 40 years old does not need an MOT, and can be delivered to your UK address before it is registered.
Shipping a Car is part of My Car Import, and we run one of only seven privately operated IVA centres in Great Britain, with the DVSA visiting weekly. Every car and manufacturer is different, so if yours is something unusual, ask us before it ships. The IVA test explained guide covers the test itself.
Moving to the UK from Thailand
If you are moving here after more than 12 months abroad, and have owned the car for more than 6, Transfer of Residence can bring it in with no import tax at all. You apply online with HMRC before the car arrives.
For a Transfer of Residence application
0 of 5 done
If HMRC approves it, you get a reference number, which goes to customs when the car lands. Our guide to moving to the UK with your car covers the rest of the move.
Import tax from Thailand
Without Transfer of Residence, a car bought in Thailand pays 20% import VAT and 10% import duty. Both are worked out on the price of the car plus the transport, with VAT on top of the duty. If the invoice is more than 3 months old, a recent valuation is used instead.
A car over 30 years old pays 5% VAT and no duty. A car that was registered in the UK before may come back tax free with its UK purchase invoice and old V5C. Our worked tax examples put the rates into pounds.
Check the history before you buy. If you are buying in Thailand rather than bringing your own car, our guide to buying a car abroad safely covers the checks worth doing before money changes hands.
What it costs
Thailand falls under our rest-of-world guide. As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, shipping starts from around £3,575. That is shipping only. It excludes registration, other services, import tax and any remedial work. Your quote prices your actual car and route.
See our shipping costs page for how the figures are built, or the Thailand country page.
Questions people ask
How long does it take to ship a car from Thailand to the UK?
Transit is usually 4 to 8 weeks. Allowing for customs, changes, testing and registration, the whole job takes roughly 2 to 4 months, sometimes more.
Which port do cars ship from in Thailand?
Laem Chabang, Thailand's largest port, in Chonburi Province south-east of Bangkok.
Does a car from Thailand need changes for the UK?
Usually only a few, because it is right-hand drive. The most common is a rear fog light, plus an mph speedometer on cars under 10 years old.
How much does it cost to ship a car from Thailand to the UK?
As a guide, built from a year of real jobs, shipping from the rest of the world starts from around £3,575. That excludes registration, other services, import tax and any remedial work.
Can I bring my car from Thailand tax free?
Yes, if you are moving to the UK after more than 12 months abroad and have owned the car for more than 6. You apply to HMRC for Transfer of Residence before the car arrives.
Send us the car's details on the quote form and we will price the whole job, from Thailand to your drive.
