globaltraffic.earth

Trade between South Korea and Thailand

In 2024, South Korea exported $9.1 billion to Thailand and imported $6.6 billion. South Korea ran a surplus of $2.4 billion with Thailand, compared with a surplus of $3.2 billion in 2019. Thailand was South Korea’s 18th largest trading partner (1% of its trade), and South Korea was Thailand’s 13th (2%).

Summary

South Korea → Thailand
$9.1billion
Thailand → South Korea
$6.6billion
South Korea’s balance
$2.4billion

Balance

South Korea’s trade balance with Thailand

Trade between South Korea and Thailand grew 4.4-fold since 1995

USD billions (current). South Korea’s exports and imports; bars: its balance (green surplus, red deficit).

  • Exports 9.1
  • Imports 6.6
  • Balance +2.4

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$2.6 billion$999 million$1.6 billion
1996$2.9 billion$1.3 billion$1.6 billion
1997$2.4 billion$1.4 billion$974 million
1998$1.8 billion$857 million$897 million
1999$2.1 billion$1.1 billion$1 billion
2000$2.4 billion$1.5 billion$885 million
2001$2.3 billion$1.6 billion$641 million
2002$2.9 billion$1.8 billion$1.1 billion
2003$3.1 billion$1.8 billion$1.2 billion
2004$3.8 billion$2.5 billion$1.3 billion
2005$4 billion$2.8 billion$1.2 billion
2006$5.3 billion$3.4 billion$1.9 billion
2007$5.6 billion$3.8 billion$1.7 billion
2008$6.8 billion$4.3 billion$2.5 billion
2009$5.8 billion$3.1 billion$2.7 billion
2010$7.9 billion$4.2 billion$3.7 billion
2011$9.3 billion$5.4 billion$3.9 billion
2012$9 billion$5.4 billion$3.6 billion
2013$9 billion$5.3 billion$3.8 billion
2014$8.5 billion$5.3 billion$3.2 billion
2015$7.2 billion$4.8 billion$2.3 billion
2016$7.4 billion$4.6 billion$2.8 billion
2017$8.1 billion$5.2 billion$2.9 billion
2018$9.3 billion$5.5 billion$3.8 billion
2019$8.6 billion$5.4 billion$3.2 billion
2020$7.7 billion$5.2 billion$2.5 billion
2021$9.6 billion$6.9 billion$2.7 billion
2022$9.9 billion$7.6 billion$2.3 billion
2023$8.4 billion$6.8 billion$1.7 billion
2024$9.1 billion$6.6 billion$2.4 billion

What they sell each other

What South Korea sells to Thailand

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Microchips$1.9 billion · 20.8%
    1 thousand tonnes · South Korea’s destinations
  2. Printed circuit boards$308 million · 3.4%
    2 thousand tonnes
  3. Synthetic rubber$300 million · 3.3%
    216 thousand tonnes
  4. Refined petroleum$293 million · 3.2%
    262 thousand tonnes · South Korea’s destinations
  5. Cold-rolled flat steel$278 million · 3.1%
    392 thousand tonnes
  6. Coated flat steel$231 million · 2.6%
    219 thousand tonnes
  7. Stainless steel sheet$216 million · 2.4%
    138 thousand tonnes
  8. Alloy steel sheet$174 million · 1.9%
    247 thousand tonnes
  9. Frozen fish$163 million · 1.8%
    110 thousand tonnes
  10. Makeup and skin care$155 million · 1.7%
    5 thousand tonnes · South Korea’s destinations

What Thailand sells to South Korea

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. New tires$382 million · 5.8%
    81 thousand tonnes · Thailand’s destinations
  2. Refined petroleum$382 million · 5.8%
    483 thousand tonnes · Thailand’s destinations
  3. Microchips$306 million · 4.6%
    1 thousand tonnes · Thailand’s destinations
  4. Cane and beet sugar$297 million · 4.5%
    490 thousand tonnes · Thailand’s destinations
  5. Natural rubber$213 million · 3.2%
    121 thousand tonnes · Thailand’s destinations
  6. Aluminum scrap$201 million · 3%
    111 thousand tonnes
  7. Computer and office machine parts$159 million · 2.4%
    2 thousand tonnes
  8. Air conditioners$150 million · 2.3%
    17 thousand tonnes · Thailand’s destinations
  9. Particle board and OSB$144 million · 2.2%
    763 thousand tonnes
  10. Diodes, transistors and solar cells$135 million · 2%
    472 tonnes

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Busan to Laem Chabang.

The estimated sea route between Busan and Laem Chabang is 2,544 nautical miles (4,712 km) long: ≈ 6–7.5 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

It does not cross any major canal or strait.

Sailing estimate without port calls, waiting or transshipment; not a schedule. One main reference port per country: in large countries it does not represent all of its ports.

Split by transport mode

  1. Sea$10.8 billion · 68.9%
  2. Air$4.9 billion · 31.1%

Mode estimated from value per kilo and geography; both directions together.

How much each matters to the other

Thailand was South Korea’s 18th largest trading partner (1% of its trade), and South Korea was Thailand’s 13th (2%).

Thailand in South Korea’s trade
1.1%
Thailand’s rank among South Korea’s partners
18th
South Korea in Thailand’s trade
2.4%
South Korea’s rank among Thailand’s partners
13th

Compare with

Other partners of South Korea

Other partners of Thailand

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. The sea route comes from our own network derived from World Bank shipping density (not from nautical charts), between one main reference port per country (World Port Index); days are the distance at 14 and 18 knots, without port calls or waiting. Data up to 2024.