Shipments done by Travellers

*** Summary ***
This covers the procedure of exporting a bike out when you've entered Thailand using the Thailand-specific temporary vehicle import form titled "Simplified customs declaration form (for motor car and and motor cycle temporarily imported or exported)".

You need:
* The temporary vehicle import document you received when you imported into Thailand
* Passport (preferably with a visa for your next destination already inside)
* [A CPD (Carnet de Passage Douanes) is not technically required for Thailand, but it's very helpful.]

Important documents that will be created in the process:
* Air Waybill

I do not recommend the agent I used, Kittima at Transair Cargo. Bad communication was the rule. I wasted exactly one week whilst she tried to do something that I didn't request and correctly guessed wasn't possible. I proceeded to do it myself in one day. In the end things get done because you figure them out, not her.

N.B. "TAC" is an acronym using by Transair Cargo. It does not mean Thai Air Cargo.

*** Thailand-side ***

On the firt meeting of the shipping agent took out a new AWB (Air Waybill) form, which had a new serial number on it.
I filled out a form stating that I was entrusting the cargo, "1 Used motorcycle" to Transair Cargo, and another form where I stated where I was going to (i.e. hotel in Nepal). The AWB number was attached to both.

The shipping agent will photocopy your passport, and take the original temporary vehicle import document. My agent also requested my CPD, even though it was not used for import, and was handed back to me later unmarked.

The agent will proceed to make a booking with the airline (Thai Air Cargo, probably). I'm not sure how many days this take. I suspect it's three at most. A "shipping mark" will be obtained for you at some stage parallel to booking the shipment.

I required a crate for the bike- Transair Cargo recommended a crew called "Pro Packers". The reason I mention them is to warn you not to use them if you can avoid it. V. quick, but bad quality and they make it notably oversized.

When the shipment has been booked with the airline, the crated bike needs to be taken to the Customs Free Zone at the international airport. If you're arranging the truck to do this yourself, you agent will give you a "shipping list" which is necessary to bring the crate into the customs-free zone.

After that, you return to your agent who will give you a copy of the air waybill. You make pickup at the remote airport merely by presenting your passport at the (cargo) office of the airline that was used (e.g. Thai Air Cargo).

Of the information you supply, the air waybill should state you as the consignee (including the address of your hotel in Nepal), you again as the shipper (including your passport no.). In my case they added the CPD number ("CAD 182104") in the item list which is amusing as the CPD was never used as a customs document itself in Thailand. I guess this is about the third time that I noticed that CPD has been a valuable reference document for the customs/agents, even though it's not an official part of the processing in Thailand.

(P.S. I was able to check the shipment status by tracking the airwaybill no on www.thaiaircargo.com.- very useful as I didn't have to pay for my own ticket until I was able to confirm my bike had really left.)

*** Nepal side ***

N.B. Sat is the national weekly holiday in Nepal. Sunday is a regular working day.

At the Thai Air Cargo office (in a building called "Operations" or something like that directly next to the passenger terminal (left, if outside in the parking area looking back towards the terminal) I presented my passport. I signed that I was receiving the cargo somewhere, and was given the air waybill, or rather the remaining layers of carbon copies (2 of them?). (GPS co-ords of the operations building are 27

I was very happy with the service from Varig both in Brasil and the US. After providing weight and dimension information, I received an e-mail quote from Varig and an Air Way Bill (AWB) number with instructions to deliver the motorcycle to Varig at the Rio Air Cargo Terminal - Terminal De Carga, Ilha Do Governador, Base Aerea, Vehlo Galeao. Note that Rio air cargo is located at the old Galeao (GIG) passenger terminal location. It is easy to miss the exit (just past the big hospital building) and end up on the bridge to the new passenger terminal. Varig offices are just past the Cores building and easy to find. Varig staff were very helpful and produced the documents required to get Brasilian customs exit clearance. Be sure to have a copy of your airline e-ticket or paper ticket. Customs is a short walk from Varig. Paperwork completed customs at Varigs terminal will inspect the motorcycle.
My bike, a BMW 650 Dakar weighed in at 235kg complete with panniers and a bag containing helmet and riding gear. The fuel level was on reserve - no need to drain all fuel because not carbureted vehicle. I was advised it was not necessary to disconnect the battery. The bike was strapped to an aluminum pallet.
I arrived at JFK, New York took AirTrain (free) to Station C. From there a free bus circles the cargo buildings. Varig is at Bldg 261. They use Cargo Air Services (CAS) for warehousing. They open at 8:00AM. You need to take the AWB to US Customs. Take the bus to the FedEx building and customs is on the 2nd floor. They did not want to inspect the bike. By 10:30AM I rode out of JFK on my motorcycle.

Cost about $2000 US for two bikes including comprehensive insurance. Pretty straight forward. Got both the bikes to Busan, Korea, for about $450 US. Needed to put them on a bonded truck to Sokcho, Korea, this was about $350 US. Bonded truck was to avoid paying Korean import duty. Loaded the bikes onto the Dong Chun ferry for about $700 US. Remaining costs in port documentation and insurance. Richard at www.ocenbridge.co.nz was fantastic. Used Annie at goldway logistics in Korea. She was fantastic at the Korean end. Highly recomended.

FLYING A MOTORBIKE:

* HOW MUCH IS IT:

There is two price for sending a box, we have to take the higher one:

1- Volumetric weight depending of the dimension of the box (in cm: volumetric
weight= height x width x lenght / 6000 )
2- Real weight of the box

The scale for the price depends on the weigth: the heavier the box is, the less
expensive it becomes per kilo. (200 to 300kg, 300 to 500kg, more than
500kg...)Sometimes, il is beter to take the price of 500kg (if the motorbike
weight 350 kg, with the crate, it should be around 450kg) so it is possible to
make a bigger crate, there is less work to do with the motorbike.

The price is composed of:
- Air fret (weight x (rate of flight+ fuel surchage))
- The crate with fugmigated wood (depends on the destination) (170 us$)
- Manutention
- Dangerous Goods (50$)
- Airway bill (50$)
- Fees for the doll
- Agency fees.

* CRATING THE MOTORBIKE:
- You need to buy everything to attach and protect the motorbike
- Empty the tires
- Empty the tank (it is possible to let 2 L with Thai Airways)
- Disconect the battry
- No external tank (oil or gasoline)

warning: on my motorbike R1150 GS Adv, The oil from the transmission had leak:
at the top of the transmission, there is an air pressure system, and a bit of
oil as left the rear bearing. Be carreful, this kind of thing may block the
motorbike in a airport. You will have to go there and clear the things. For me,
I had something under to the oil was absorbed.

* KATHMANDU TO BANGKOK

CARGO AGENCY IN KTM (Katmandou)
eagles eyes cargo
eagl...@hotmail.com
or eagl...@wlink.com.np
(977-1-4262233 ou 977-1-4268236)

From KTM to BKK, we had to pay 652 US$ everything included.

In BKK, the first two days of warehouse are free. It is better to take a flight
just after the motorbike ones. But you have to be careful, if you need to cancel
your flight because the motorbike has not left the country, you will have to pay
100 US$/ tickets...

At first, we wanted to send te motorbike to Lima from Katmandu but the plane
from Indian airline was too small so we had to change our mind: Send it via Thai
airways to Bangkok and there, send it to Lima. Thai airways is the only company
which can handle big crates from KTM!!!!

THERE IS NO CONECTION BETWEEN COMPANIES..... So if you need to go from A to B,
you will have to find a company wich goes to A and B.... From KTM to Lima, it is
impossible... So we had to fly the motorbike to BKK. From here, we found a
company wich as imported the motorbike to fugmigate the crate, then they did the
paperwork and AirWayBill to send the crate to Lima. Air France or Lufthansa can
do it from BKK to LIM.

In BKK, to get your crate, you have to go to the free zone( ask for a map and
take free autobus). To get the crate throw the customs, you can ask to a fret
agency (half a day) or yourself, but you have to take a whole day to do it.

* BANGKOK TO PERU (LIMA)

We paid 3360 US$ and 220 US$in Lima to get the crate.
In Lima, we filled the "Carnet de passage en douane" and had the motorbike in one full day.
The motorbike flew with Air France: BKK-PARIS-LIMA

It is better to speak spanish, it is not so easy to clear the motorbike.

* BRAZIL (RIO DE JANAIRO) TO SENEGAL (DAKAR)

It is really difficult to find an agency in Brazil to fret the motorbike abroad.
It is almost impossible.
We had two choice: By sea with Grimaldi, or by air.

Grimaldi wanted to charge us 3100 US$ without the port fees in Rio and Dakar...
A motorbike take the place of a container so they charge us the price of this
space.... This is really crazy....

So we asked for the rate by air. and we did it by air.

In Rio, there is an agency which did a great job:
Perseus
Rua dos Andradas 96 SL 304 e 305
Centro - Rio de Janeiro
(Marcos Soares (55) 21 2108-4859)
www.perseus1.com.br

Crating the motorbike, fugmigation, delivery to the airport and agency fees :
1158 US$

Air freight: rate (3.85+fuel surcharge 0.6), 460 kilos : 2047US$
handling, Airway bill and dangerous good: 190 US$

The total cost is around 3400 US$ everything included. It should be less
expensive than by boat with the port taxes.

The motorbike will fly tomorrow, I hope we will not have any surprise.

If you need to contact me for more information, do not hesitate:
http://tdmenbaroudeuse.free.fr

We phoned Mike and he came to meet us in our hotel. Having airfreighted from Kathmandu to Bangkok we knew what size crates we wanted and so Mike arranged for these to be made. Two days later they were ready and again Mike came to our hotel so we could follow him to his warehouse.
The crates had solid bases and the guys had plenty of Kling Wrap and corrugated cardboard for wrapping screens, crash helmets etc. Mike took our Carnets, arranged customs clearance, insurance and all the other relevant paperwork. Once he had done this he drove into KL to return our Carnets.
We left the country a few days before the ship sailed and so Mike arranged for the Ocean Bill of Lading and the insurance documents to be couriered to his contact in New Zealand.
Mike was/is a top bloke. Everything he said he