Sending money to a Thai bank account: what it costs and how long it takes
Article updated: 2026-09-17
Best rate USD · Bangkok: 33.24 — Superrich Thailand — Headquarter Rajdamri 1 · Sep 20, 08:58 → Details
Sending money into Thailand is one of those tasks where the advertised price and the real price are different numbers, and the gap is almost always in the exchange rate rather than the fee. Before comparing providers, it helps to know what you are comparing.
The three costs, in order of size
The exchange rate margin. Your money leaves in one currency and arrives in baht, and somebody sets the rate for that conversion. This is where most of the cost sits. A high-street bank commonly converts several percent away from the mid-market rate; a specialist transfer service converts close to it and charges a visible fee instead. The advertised “no fee” transfer is usually the expensive one, because the margin is buried in the rate. The reference point you should be measuring against is explained in what the mid-market rate is.
The sending fee. A flat charge, or a percentage, applied at the origin. This one is on the screen and easy to compare.
Fees on the way and at the end. A traditional bank wire can pass through a correspondent bank that takes a cut, and the Thai receiving bank may also charge the beneficiary for an incoming foreign transfer. Neither shows up in the sender’s quote. This is the reason a transfer can arrive smaller than the figure the sender was shown, and it is the single most common complaint about bank wires.
Ask any provider one question: what amount in baht will land in the account? If the answer is a guaranteed figure, the three costs have already been resolved for you. If the answer is a quote plus “recipient bank charges may apply”, they have not.
The routes, and what each is good for
A bank wire from your own bank. Universally available, works for large amounts, and generates the paper trail that Thai institutions want for property purchases and visa-related deposits. It is typically the slowest and the most expensive on small amounts, and it is the route most exposed to correspondent charges. Expect one to five working days.
A transfer app or specialist remitter. The category that includes services such as WiseAd. These convert near the mid-market rate, charge a stated fee, and pay out into Thai accounts through a domestic clearing arrangement, which is why they are often same-day. For everyday amounts this is usually the cheapest option and the easiest to verify, because the app tells you the exact baht figure before you confirm. Limits per transfer apply and vary by country, so check yours against the amount you actually need to send.
Cash pickup agents. Money goes in as cash or card at one end and comes out as cash over a counter in Thailand. Fast, no bank account needed at the receiving end, and priced accordingly — the margin on these is usually wide. Sensible for an emergency, poor value as a routine method.
Card to account. Some services let you fund the transfer with a credit card. Convenient and fast, but your card issuer will often treat it as a cash advance, which means a fee plus interest from the day it posts. Fund from a bank balance or a debit card where you can.
How long it actually takes
Timing is set by three things: how the money leaves you, what the currency corridor is, and whether the transfer is flagged for a compliance check.
- Same day is normal for an app-based transfer funded from a balance, sent on a Thai working day, for a routine amount.
- One to three working days is normal for a bank wire from a major currency.
- Longer happens when the transfer is large or unusual for your account, when the name on the transfer does not exactly match the name on the Thai account, or when it crosses a weekend or a Thai public holiday. Thailand has more public holidays than most Western countries, and banks close on them.
The name mismatch is worth repeating because it causes most delays and returns. The beneficiary name must match the Thai bank account exactly, in the same order and the same romanisation as the account was opened with. A middle name that appears on your passport but not on the Thai account is enough to hold the money.
What the receiving side needs
To receive an international transfer, a Thai account holder supplies the account number, the account name as registered, the bank’s name and branch, and the bank’s SWIFT code. Some banks also want the purpose of the transfer stated, and larger incoming amounts may prompt the bank to ask the recipient what it is for before releasing it. That is routine, not a problem, but it means the recipient should be reachable by phone on the day.
If the money is going towards a property purchase or a visa-related deposit, tell the recipient before you send. Thai banks can issue a foreign exchange transaction document evidencing that funds arrived from abroad in foreign currency and were converted in Thailand, and that document is frequently required later. It is straightforward to obtain at the time and awkward to reconstruct months afterwards, and it usually depends on the transfer having been sent in foreign currency rather than pre-converted to baht — which is one of the rare cases where the cheapest route is not the right one.
Sending money out of Thailand
The reverse direction is more regulated than the inbound one. Outbound transfers from a Thai account generally require a stated purpose, and some purposes need supporting documents. This is normal and not an obstacle for ordinary amounts, but it is not the two-tap experience that sending money in can be. Plan for a branch visit if the amount is significant.
When not to bother
Skip the transfer entirely in these cases.
- You are a tourist funding your own trip. You do not need a Thai bank account to spend money in Thailand. Bringing notes to change at a competitive counter, or using a card, is cheaper and simpler than any transfer. Compare the options in Wise, Revolut or a plain debit card.
- The amount is small and you will be there soon. Under a few hundred dollars, the fixed costs of any route dominate. Carry it.
- You need cash today and you are here. Changing notes at a city counter sits within roughly 1% of the mid-market rate, which no emergency transfer will beat. Today’s ranking is on the Bangkok rates page and the shop list.
- You are paying a Thai business. Ask whether they accept a card or a QR payment before arranging a wire. Many do, and it removes the whole exercise.
The case for actually sending money is narrow and specific: you are paying rent or a deposit, supporting someone locally, funding a long stay, or moving a sum large enough that carrying it is unwise. In those cases, price the route on the guaranteed baht amount, send well before the money is needed, and make sure the name matches.