Charter-Party & Bill of Lading Disputes

ข้อพิพาทสัญญาเช่าเรือและใบตราส่ง (Charter Party / B/L) · § CrossBorder
Quick Answer
Litigate/arbitrate cargo damage, short delivery, demurrage/detention, off-hire, safe-berth · pre-signing charter advisory · Thai IP&IT Court and LMAA/SIAC/HKIAC.
Timeline: Damage notice 3 days · 1-year time bar (Hague-Visby) · LMAA arbitration 12–18 months · IP&IT Court 8–14 months.
Official fee: IP&IT Court fee 2% of claim · LMAA appointment fee GBP 2,500/arbitrator · SIAC filing SGD 2,000.
Legal Basis
Carriage of Goods by Sea Act B.E. 2534 · IP & International Trade Court Act B.E. 2539 · Hague-Visby Rules · Hamburg Rules · Rotterdam Rules (not in force) · BIMCO forms (GENCON 94, NYPE 2015, SHELLTIME 4) · York-Antwerp Rules 2016 (general average) · LMAA Arbitration Terms 2021.
Who Needs This
Shippers, consignees, shipowners, voyage/time charterers, P&I Clubs, freight forwarders, NVOCCs.
Required Documents
- Charter party (GENCON/NYPE) or original B/L
- Statement of Facts (SOF) + NOR + Time Sheet
- Cargo survey report (Lloyd's Agent/SGS) preliminary + final
- Mate's receipt + tally sheet + stowage plan
- Master's protest + logbook extract + weather routing report
- P&I Club correspondence + LOU.
Common Pitfalls
- 1-year Hague-Visby time bar from delivery · missing it extinguishes rights · secure written time extension.
- Himalaya clause protects stevedores/terminals · suing wrong party wastes demurrage claim.
- Arbitration clause binding · filing in IP&IT despite LMAA clause = stay + adverse costs.
- General Average must be declared timely · post salvage security before releasing cargo or shipowner keeps lien.
Typical Use-cases
- Rice exporter BKK→Nigeria · USD 1.2M wet damage · P&I settled 68% after LMAA notice.
- Steel importer · 45-day demurrage at Laem Chabang · defended on congestion + unsafe berth · won.
- Container shipping · 3-TEU short delivery · Himalaya extended to NVOCC · claim redirected.
- Chemical tanker · off-hire main-engine breakdown · owner recovered USD 380K hire.
FAQ
- Thai court or LMAA?
- Check arbitration clause · GENCON defaults London · NYPE NY or London · absent → IP&IT Court.
- What does P&I cover?
- Cargo liability, pollution, crew injury · not hull (H&M) or war risk (separate).
- Does demurrage include weekends?
- SHINC vs SHEX — check charter · GENCON default SHINC.
- Lost original B/L?
- Provide indemnity + 200% bank guarantee · carrier may release at risk-adjusted terms.
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Official sources — legal services
The information on this page follows the official sources below. Always check the latest version before you file.
- สำนักงานศาลยุติธรรม— Office of the Judiciary
- กระทรวงยุติธรรม— Ministry of Justice
- สภาทนายความในพระบรมราชูปถัมภ์ — ทนายความผู้ทำคำรับรองลายมือชื่อและเอกสาร— Lawyers Council of Thailand
- สำนักงานคณะกรรมการกฤษฎีกา — ฐานข้อมูลกฎหมายไทย— Office of the Council of State
- ราชกิจจานุเบกษา — ประกาศและกฎหมายที่มีผลบังคับ— Royal Thai Government Gazette
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Frequently asked questions
- Can a foreigner own 100% of a Thai company?
- Generally no for activities listed in the Foreign Business Act, where majority foreign ownership requires a Foreign Business Licence, a BOI promotion, or treaty rights such as the US–Thailand Treaty of Amity. Manufacturing and certain export activities are largely open, and BOI-promoted activities can permit full foreign ownership together with land-holding and visa privileges, so the right structure depends on the specific activity.
- What is the minimum registered capital for a Thai company?
- There is no general statutory minimum for a Thai-majority company, but practical thresholds apply: THB 2 million of paid-up registered capital per foreign work permit, or THB 1 million if the foreigner is married to a Thai national, and THB 3 million per foreign shareholder for a Foreign Business Licence. Capital should therefore be planned around the visa and work-permit outcome you need, not the incorporation minimum.
- How long does company registration take?
- Registration at the Department of Business Development can be completed within one to three working days once the name reservation, shareholder documents and company objectives are ready, and the VAT registration and social security registration follow afterwards. The realistic end-to-end timeline including bank account opening is two to six weeks, with the bank account usually being the slowest step for foreign directors.
- What ongoing accounting obligations does a Thai company have?
- Every Thai company must keep statutory accounts, file monthly withholding tax (PND 1, 3, 53) and VAT (PP 30) returns by the middle of the following month, file the half-year corporate income tax return (PND 51) and the annual return (PND 50), and have its financial statements audited by a Thai CPA and filed with the DBD each year. Dormant companies are not exempt — nil returns and an audited statement are still required.






