Bangkok
UN/LOCODE THBKK · Thailand · Asia-Pacific · 10
Crew guide
Shore leave
Bangkok port (Klong Toey) handles lighter container and bulk traffic; the major deep-sea container terminals are at Laem Chabang. Shore leave at Bangkok port is straightforward. Welfare provision via Stella Maris Bangkok.
Walking distance + transit
Klong Toey port is in central Bangkok — minutes from MRT Khlong Toei station. This is the most convenient Thai port for shore leave.
Essentials
- ATMs: every BTS/MRT station, every 7-Eleven (Bangkok Bank, KBank, SCB)
- Money changers: Super Rich and Vasu at any major BTS junction
- Hospital: Bumrungrad International (premium), BNH Hospital, Chulalongkorn Hospital (public)
- Prayer rooms: Bangkok has many mosques; airport has prayer rooms
- Halal food: Sukhumvit Soi 3-5 (Nana area) has the principal halal cluster
- Supermarket: 24/7 7-Eleven, Big C, Tops, Lotus's everywhere
- SIM card: same Thai options as Laem Chabang
Seafarer tips
Do: use the BTS Skytrain + MRT — Bangkok's transit is excellent. Don't: take unmetered taxis. Watch for: Bangkok port is smaller than Laem Chabang and serves coastal feeder traffic; if your vessel is a major container, you'll be at Laem Chabang not Bangkok.
Last verified: 2026-06-29. Confirm with ship's agent before going ashore — local policy changes.
Bangkok (UN/LOCODE THBKK) is a designated seaport with an adjacent airport in Thailand (10) in the tropical northern Asia-Pacific region. The port operates on Asia/Bangkok, uses the Baht (THB), runs shore power at 220V/50Hz (Type A/B/C/O). Nearest major airport for crew changes is Don Mueang International Airport (DMK), 21 km from the port.
Reference
- Coordinates
- 13.75, 100.5167
- Time zone
- Asia/BangkokUTC +07:00no DST
- Local currency
- THB— Baht
- Languages
- th, en
- Nearest airport
- DMKDon Mueang International Airport~21 km
- Electricity
- 220 V50 Hzplugs A, B, C, O(country default — verify at berth)
- Climate
- AwTropical savanna (dry winter)
Country-coastal Köppen zone (most ports cluster on the coast). For port-coordinate resolution use Kottek 2006 0.5° grid.
- Function codes
- 12345---
seaport · rail terminal · road terminal · airport · postal exchange
- Port authority
- Thailand Port Authority Upgrade Five Ports
Operational details
Compiled from public port-authority and P&I-club directories. Always verify current contacts via your agent before arrival.
Pilotage / VTS
Bangkok Port Control / Chao Phraya VTS
- VHF: Ch 12 / 16
- Phone: +66 2 269 3000
- Web: www.trade.gov/market-intelligence/thailand-port-authority-upgrade-five-ports
P&I correspondents
- · Pandiman Thailand
- · Tilleke & Gibbins Marine Bangkok
- · Holman Fenwick Willan Singapore (Thailand desk)
Port agents
- · GAC Thailand Bangkok
- · Inchcape Thailand Bangkok
- · Wilhelmsen Thailand
ISPS security level (normal): 1
River port — air draft limit 29m at Phra Pinklao Bridge; draft limit 8.5m in river channel; monsoon May-Oct.
Helplines for seafarers in Thailand
Welfare, abandonment, wages, medical, mental health, harassment — 24/7 lines where available. See full helplines directory.
- ISWAN SeafarerHelpGlobal · 24/7 · en, ar, es, fr
- ISWAN Mental Health & Wellbeing helplineGlobal · 24/7 · en, es, ru, tl
- ITF SeafarersGlobal · 24/7 for emergencies · en
- ISWAN — Family helpline (for relatives of seafarers)Global · 24/7 · en, hi, tl
- ISWAN Yacht Crew HelplineGlobal · 24/7 · en
- ITF Inspectorate — Find your nearest inspectorGlobal · Varies by port · en
Other ports in Thailand
Port-state-control region: tokyo MoU · how to file a PSC complaint.
Bangkok: seafarer FAQ
- Is shore leave allowed at Bangkok?
- Shore leave at Bangkok is governed by Thailand immigration rules, the flag administration's policy, and the port authority's local rules. Seafarers normally need their seaman's book + a shore-leave permit issued by the agent. Confirm with your agent before going ashore — local policy changes frequently.
- What visa or shore-pass do I need for Bangkok?
- Seafarers calling at Bangkok on a vessel are generally exempt from regular tourist visas under Convention 108 / 185 (Seafarers' Identity Documents) if their flag administration has ratified the convention and they hold an SID. The standard document is the seaman's book + ship's crew list. Thailand may also require a shore pass issued by the agent. Confirm before you board the vessel — visa rules vary by nationality and by recent immigration-policy changes.
- Is there a seafarer welfare centre at Bangkok?
- Yes — 1 seafarer welfare centre is listed for Bangkok in our directory. The centres are typically run by the Mission to Seafarers, Stella Maris (Apostleship of the Sea), or a regional ministry, and offer wifi, transport, shop, chaplaincy, and advocacy. Walk-in is normal; no appointment needed.
- Is there a crisis or welfare helpline I can call from Bangkok?
- Yes — 6 helplines are listed for Thailand in our directory, plus ISWAN's 24-hour multilingual SeafarerHelp (+44 20 7323 2737) and the ITF Helpline. Helplines handle crisis support, abandonment, wage theft, mental health, and bereavement.
- What's the nearest hospital to Bangkok?
- Most major ports have a port-area hospital with seafarer-accustomed admissions; the welfare centre and the ship's agent can both advise. For serious cases, the nearest international hospital is normally in the same city or the next major city. The nearest major airport is Don Mueang International Airport (DMK), about 21 km away — useful for medevac planning.
- Is Bangkok a recognised crew-change port?
- Yes — Bangkok is listed in our directory of recognised crew-change hubs, consolidated from IMO MSC.1/Circ.1636, ICS/IFSMA briefings, and ITF priority-port reports. Recognised hubs typically have better port-state and immigration facilitation for crew-change operations, faster visa processing for seafarers, and more welfare-centre presence.
For the arriving crew
- Pilot ladder (SOLAS V/23) — rigging + inspection + Master's duty of care.
- Pre-arrival checklist — the standard bridge + engine + agent workflow before entering port.
- Ships' agent — role + documentation + interface with pilotage + tug + immigration.
- Currency at port — cash-carrying limits + declaration + safe practices.
- Hours of rest — STCW VIII/1 + MLC A2.3 rest rules during port operations.
Sources & verification (14)
- country_iso3 · ISO 3166-1 (TH)retrieved 2026-05-06
- country_name · ISO 3166-1 (TH)retrieved 2026-05-06
- currency_code · ISO 4217:2015 (THB)retrieved 2026-05-06
- currency_name · ISO 4217:2015 (THB)retrieved 2026-05-06
- languages · CIA World Factbook (public domain), national-language listing (TH)retrieved 2026-05-06
- timezone_iana · IANA tz database (Asia/Bangkok)retrieved 2026-05-06
- timezone_utc_offset · ECMA-402 Intl.DateTimeFormat (computed) (Asia/Bangkok)retrieved 2026-05-06
- timezone_dst · ECMA-402 Intl.DateTimeFormat (computed) (Asia/Bangkok)retrieved 2026-05-06
- electricity · IEC TR 60083 plug-and-socket standard list (TH)retrieved 2026-05-06
- function_codes_expanded · UNECE Rec. 16 — UN/LOCODE function-code mask (12345---)retrieved 2026-05-06
- nearest_major_airport · OurAirports (CC0) — davidmegginson.github.io/ourairports-data (DMK)retrieved 2026-05-07
- wikidata_qid · Wikidata SPARQL (P1937 UN/LOCODE join) (Q1861)retrieved 2026-05-07
- osm_relation_id · Wikidata SPARQL (P1937 UN/LOCODE join) (Q1861)retrieved 2026-05-07
- climate_classification · Kottek et al. 2006 / Beck et al. 2018 — country-coastal Köppen zone (TH)retrieved 2026-05-07
Last verified
High confidenceEditorial confidence: how we grade. Data sources and methodology: /sources.