Thailand Transportation and Logistics Sector Size 2026
In short
Thailand's transportation and storage sector counts 85,273 companies as of 2 July 2026. That is 4.3 percent of all classified firms. Together they reported about 2.14 trillion baht in revenue. The sector earns a 5.89 percent net margin and a 10.37 percent return on equity, one of the highest of any sector. Reported revenue grew 56.1 percent across the past decade. Thai Airways International leads the field by revenue.
How big is Thailand's transportation and logistics sector?
Thailand markets itself as the logistics hub of mainland Southeast Asia, and the company registry gives that pitch a real number. As of 2 July 2026 the transportation and storage sector holds 85,273 registered companies (DBD, 2026). That works out to 4.3 percent of the 1,986,489 firms with a classified industry. It is a mid-sized sector by count, well behind construction or retail, yet it punches far above its weight on returns. These 85,273 companies reported about 2.14 trillion baht in revenue. Thai Airways International sits at the top of the sector by revenue, the one household name in a field otherwise built from freight forwarders, hauliers, warehouse operators and port and airport services.
Return on equity by sector, transportation near the top
- Education12
- Human health11
- Transportation and storage10
- Manufacturing10
- Professional and technical10
- Electricity and gas8
- Financial and insurance8
- Mining7
- Accommodation and food service7
- Administrative and support5
- Information and communication4
- Wholesale and retail3
- Real estate3
- Construction2
Figures in percent return on equity.
Transportation and storage returns 10.37 percent on equity, behind only education and health. Capital-heavy sectors like real estate and construction sit near the floor.
The sector at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Registered companies | 85,273 |
| Share of classified firms | 4.3% |
| Reported revenue | About 2.14 trillion baht |
| Net profit margin | 5.89% |
| Return on equity | 10.37% |
| Survival rate | 51.8% |
| Revenue in 2015 | 1,006.7 billion baht |
| Revenue in 2025 | 1,571.4 billion baht |
| 10-year revenue growth | +56.1% |
| Leading firm by revenue | Thai Airways International |
Transportation and storage, section H of the industry classification, as of 2 Jul 2026.
Why this matters
Two numbers tell the real story of this sector. The first is the 10.37 percent return on equity, which lands third among the fourteen sectors ranked and beats finance, manufacturing and real estate. Logistics in Thailand is asset-light at the company level for most operators, so the equity that owners put in works hard. The second is growth. Reported sector revenue climbed from 1,006.7 billion baht in 2015 to 1,571.4 billion baht in 2025, a rise of 56.1 percent over the decade. That expansion tracks the country's steady climb up the World Bank's Logistics Performance Index, where Thailand scored 3.5 out of 5 in 2023 (World Bank, 2023). The survival rate tempers the optimism. Just 51.8 percent of companies that enter this sector are still active, a coin flip that reflects thin margins and fierce price competition beneath the strong aggregate returns. For anyone weighing a move into Thai logistics, the sector rewards capital efficiency and punishes anyone who cannot last.
Definitions
- Return on equity
- Net profit as a share of shareholders equity. A 10 percent return means 10 satang of profit for every baht of equity that owners have put into the business.
- Net profit margin
- Net profit as a share of revenue. A 5.89 percent margin means the sector keeps close to 6 satang of profit for every baht of revenue.
- Survival rate
- The share of companies registered in the sector that are still active rather than dissolved or dormant.
- Classified firms
- Registered companies that have been assigned to a specific industry section, the denominator of 1,986,489 used for the sector share.
- Aggregate
- A sector-wide total or ratio built by summing across all reporting companies, rather than averaging each company's own figure.
Assumptions
- Revenue, net margin and return on equity reflect only companies that filed a financial statement, so firms that did not file are absent from the ratios.
- The sector follows section H of the standard industry classification, covering transport by land, water and air, warehousing and support services.
- The 2015 and 2025 revenue figures and the survival rate are sector estimates that shift as late filings are processed.
- The Logistics Performance Index score is external context and does not adjust any registry figure on this page.
Methodology
Figures are drawn from the Department of Business Development registry of juristic persons and their filed financial statements, as of 2 July 2026. The sector is section H, transportation and storage, of the standard industry classification, which covers freight and passenger transport by land, water and air, warehousing and support activities. Company count covers registered juristic persons assigned to this section. Revenue, net margin and return on equity are section-wide aggregates computed only from companies that filed a financial statement, not simple averages of individual firms. The survival rate and the 2015 to 2025 revenue figures are sector aggregates and should be read as estimates that move as more filings arrive.
How we verified this
- Count share recomputed from raw values: 85,273 divided by 1,986,489 classified firms equals 0.0429, which rounds to 4.3 percent, matching the brief.
- Ten-year revenue growth recomputed: 1,571.4 minus 1,006.7 equals 564.7 billion baht, divided by 1,006.7 equals 0.561, or 56.1 percent.
- Return on equity of 10.37 percent confirmed as third highest across the fourteen sectors ranked, behind education at 12.31 percent and human health at 11.17 percent.
References
- Department of Business Development. (2026). Registered juristic persons and financial statement aggregates. Ministry of Commerce, Thailand. https://www.dbd.go.th/
- World Bank. (2023). Connecting to compete 2023: Trade logistics in the global economy. The Logistics Performance Index and its indicators. World Bank Group. https://lpi.worldbank.org/
Frequently asked questions
How many transportation and logistics companies are registered in Thailand?
There are 85,273 registered companies in the transportation and storage sector as of 2 July 2026, which is 4.3 percent of all firms with a classified industry.
How profitable is the Thai logistics sector?
The sector earns a 5.89 percent net profit margin and a 10.37 percent return on equity, the third highest return on equity of any sector.
How fast is Thai logistics revenue growing?
Reported sector revenue grew from 1,006.7 billion baht in 2015 to 1,571.4 billion baht in 2025, a rise of 56.1 percent over the decade.
Which is the largest transportation company in Thailand by revenue?
Thai Airways International leads the transportation and storage sector by reported revenue.
Cite this page
Chatpong L. (2026). Thailand Transportation and Logistics Sector Size 2026. Max Data Insights. https://maxdatathailand.com/insights/transportation-and-logistics-companies-in-thailand-2026
Data & corrections
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Written by
Chatpong L.Founder, Max Data, Max Solutions Co., Ltd.
Chatpong L. leads Max Data, a company-intelligence platform built on Thailand's official business registry. He writes about the structure of the Thai economy using primary registry data. His work covers company formation, industry concentration, and regional business activity.
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This page reports company-level and aggregate statistics only. It names no individuals and makes no claims about any person. Figures are provided for information and may be revised as source data updates.