Thailand’s new Multimodal Transport Act

John Sze and Sue Ann Gan, of the firm of Joseph Tan Jude Benny, Advocates and Solicitors, Singapore

Thailand’s new Multimodal Transport Act (MTA) came into force on 23 December 2005. The MTA affects all multimodal transport operators (MTO), both local and overseas, who wish to provide multimodal transport in Thailand. The legislation will also apply to all international multimodal transport contracts in which the place for taking charge of the goods or the place for delivery of the goods (as provided for in the multimodal transport contract) is located in Thailand. The MTA requires Thai and International MTOs to register in Thailand before they can operate multimodal transport there and failure to do so may result in severe penalties.