The introduction of bonded international trucking services, able to easily enter and leave Thailand without border inspections, could transform cost and speed options available to shippers in south-east Asia, leading logistics providers claimed.
Thomas Tieber, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding in southern Asia, said the opening of Thai borders for bonded goods and the use of cross-border RFID systems could have a similar impact on logistics planning in south-east Asia, as the removal of border tariffs and national documentation systems did in Europe in the 1980s.
"This can turn south-east Asia into a more integrated market," he said.
In separate partnerships with TNT and DHL, Thai customs authorities have run a series of trials recently to help build systems that enable international bonded loads from neighbouring countries to be shipped direct to and from inland depots.
This avoids time-consuming inspections, paperwork and tariff payments at borders.
TNT is now rolling out new bonded services to and from Thailand via its Asia Road Network.
"This has helped to expedite the movement and simplify paperwork requirements at the border areas," said Alan Miu, MD of TNT Express Worldwide (Thailand).
Tieber said DHL would offer a new crossborder bonded trucking service with RFID tags fitted to units in January.
Initially they will focus on Singapore and Malaysia, but there are plans to expand into other parts of the region including Laos.
Both integrators have opted to use the customs free-zone at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok as the hub for their new air and trucking services.
Miu told IFW that airlift capacity in Vietnam, southern China and Cambodia was limited, so bonded truck services direct to Bangkok would speed the development of Suvarnabhumi as a regional hub.
"We're seeing more and more cargo moving from southern China to Bangkok for uplift, as well as from Vietnam and Cambodia," he said.
Suvarnabhumi's bellyhold-only capacity will be boosted next year when Thai Airways starts operating two new B777200LR freighters, initially on routes to Europe and later to Australia and the US.
"If we're moving cargo between Thailand and Malaysia or Singapore we would usually have to do customs clearance at the border," said Tieber.
"Now we'll be able to do it at the airport in Bangkok, which is a lot easier.
"It will also help develop Bangkok's role as a regional hub and give us a trucking alternative to sea and air."
