Shipping from London to Thailand
 

I'm currently exploring my options. I had intended to ride my bike from london to Thailand but the price is getting prohibitive. The carnet for Iran, Pakistan, India is looking way more than I can afford to lose as the RAC seems intent to charge 500% and then keep most of it. Anyway, I still want to take my current bike to Thailand for at least 6 months, probably longer so shipping might be the answer. Where do I start? Do I think about boats or planes? Time is not a big issue, I have plenty to do to keep me busy once I get there but I gather flying is easier and not much more expensive.
Any advice please?

Actually flying a bike into Thailand will work out cheaper when you consider how the scum at the sea-port here will rape you mercilessly. The fees are ridiculous.
They have you over a barrel and know it ever so well.

The word is DO NOT ship a bike here by sea.

In contrast air-freighting a bike into Thailand is a piece of cake.

The other option is simply buy a small bike here to tour around the country and resell when you leave. For the cost of the air freight you can buy a nice little bike.
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After looking at the frightening prices of bikes I still want to ship my own. Roughly how much would it cost and what would I have to do?

At least 3 years ago it wasn´t recommended to ship to Bangkok seaport. Don´t know, if it´s still the same. (But someone here at the HUBB was shipping a bike there right about now, so hopefully there will be fresh info soon).

Clearing was easy at Suvarnabhumi airport in Jan -08. Many people report the same.

By sea to Port Klang (Malaysia, near Kuala Lumpur) also seems to be used by many, so does KLIA, the international airport of KL. But Malaysia is officially a carnet-country, so when sending in as freight, it´s possible you´ll need that document.

For a mid-size bike in a crate, I´d expect to pay something like 1000-1500 euros from Europe by air to BKK or KL, and roughly half that, if sending by sea. But beware the costs at the receiving end, especially in that latter option. They may not get mentioned at all, until you go collect the shipment!

But more accurate prices you´ll have to ask the freight companies & agents... there are many airlines flying that way, so taking your time to contact them, and getting many quotes to compare, might save you a few hundred.

His bike finally arrived, after waiting nearly 3 months!

They ended up double charging him for the gear he had in the panniers they claimed had to be put on a separate pallet!

Between that and undisclosed port fees it was more expensive than air freight not to mention the anguish of waiting so long.

So the word remains: "do not ship into Thailand by sea"

i've just shipped my bike by air from kolkata to bangkok last saturday. it cost me 700 euro for a 530kg crate. it tooks me 2 hours and a half to clear it at the bkk airport, payng a total amount of 2,900 bath- 900 to thai cargo, 790 for custom fees and the rest to a local guy who aided me to get throug easily and quick.