MOL announced a major upgrade of its intra-Asia liner service in response to rising demand in the regional container shipping market.
The third loop in MOL's Japan-Thailand service, called "CBC," starts as a joint service with Singapore-based RCL Feeder Pte. Ltd. and Hong Kong-based SITC Container Lines Co. Ltd. The service will use three 1,000-TEU class containerships.
Rotation:
Laem Chabang (Tue/Tue) ' Bangkok (Wed/Thu) ' Laem Chabang (Thu/Thu) ' Ho Chi Minh City (Sat/Sun) ' Nagoya (Sat/Sat) ' Tokyo (Sun/Sun) ' Yokohama (Sun/Mon) ' Shanghai (Wed/Thu) ' Laem Chabang (Tue/Tue)
Start of Service: Ganta Bhum, arriving in Bangkok on 11 May
Impact of New Service
The addition of "CBC" to the existing two loops ("CBE" and "CBW") will improve MOL's intra-Asia service network in the following ways:
1. Top Frequency in Japan-Thailand Trade with 3 Sailings per Week
Frequency in the Japan-Thailand trade increases from two to three sailings per week.
2. Nagoya's First Rotation
The existing CBE and CBW services make their first calls in Japan at Tokyo and Osaka, providing the fastest transit time to each port (eight days and seven days, respectively). "CBC" calls at Nagoya first and significantly shortens transit time from Thailand to Nagoya.
| Laem Chabang-Nagoya | 8 days (currently 13 days by CBE) | |
| Bangkok- Nagoya | 9 days (currently 11 days by CBE) |
3. Shorter Transit Time from Tokyo/Yokohama to Thailand
The third loop also shortens transit time from Tokyo/Yokohama to Thailand.
| Tokyo/Yokohama -Laem Chabang | 9 days/8 days (currently 10 days by CBE) |
| Tokyo/Yokohama 'Bangkok | 10 days/9 days (currently 11 days by CBE) |
4. New Direct Service Linking Ho Chi Minh City and Japan The third loop now provides service from Ho Chi Minh City to Japan.
Transit time
| Ho Chi Minh City-Nagoya | 6 days |
| Ho Chi Minh City-Tokyo/Yokohama | 7 days |
5. New Direct Service from Shanghai to Thailand The third loop also provides new direct service from Shanghai to Thailand.
Transit time
| Shanghai -Laem Chabang | 5 days |
| Shanghai ' Bangkok | 6 days |
6. MOL's Intra -Asia network for Thai market continues to expand
The new service marks another expansion in MOL's intra-Asia network serving the Thai market, with three loops to Japan, as well as links to a wider range of origins and destinations throughout Southeast Asia.
| < Transit time examples: To Thailand> | |||||||
| To/From | Pusan | Shanghai | Shekou | Hong Kong | Ho Chi Minh City |
Manila | Jakarta |
| Bangkok | 7 days | 6 days | 6 days | 6 days | 2 days | 5 days | 7 days |
| Laem Chabang | 6 days | 5 days | 7 days | 7 days | 3 days | 4 days | 8 days |
