Best Ways to Send Money to Thailand

Reviewed 2026-10-31. General independent information; check current official immigration, financial and medical guidance before acting.

Expert take — Cost of Asia editorial team If you are a Thai tax resident, what you transfer can matter more than the fee: since 1 January 2024, foreign income earned from 2024 onward is taxable in the year you bring it into Thailand. A proposed exemption for income remitted soon after it is earned had still not been published in the Royal Gazette as of 19 October 2026, according to ThaiLawOnline's tracker. Before you set up a regular transfer, keep pre-2024 savings in a separate account and keep a record of every remittance to review with a qualified tax adviser.

Commercial transparency: Cost of Asia has no contracted partner in this category. Providers are compared on published criteria, and no provider has paid for inclusion. If this changes, affiliate links will be labelled.

This guide is for anyone moving money into Thailand: remote workers paying themselves, retirees topping up a Thai account, families supporting someone locally, and buyers sending a large sum for a condo. The right route depends less on brand names than on three questions: how much you send, how often, and whether you need paperwork at the Thai end.

Every transfer costs you two things: the visible fee and the gap between the rate you get and the mid-market rate. The second is usually bigger. On 31 October 2026, Wise's comparison page showed a £1,000 transfer landing as anything from 44,885.71 THB to 42,663.42 THB, depending on the provider. That is a 2,222 THB difference for the same money on the same day.

The main trade-off: specialist apps usually deliver the most baht per pound or dollar, while banks give you a cleaner paper trail for large, documented transfers.

At a glance

How we chose

• Total cost: baht received for the same amount sent on the same day, not the headline fee.
• Limits and speed: per-transfer caps, including caps set by the receiving Thai bank.
• Paperwork: whether the route works for a stated transfer purpose, a Foreign Exchange Transaction (FET) document or a credit advice from the Thai bank.
• Published terms: fees and rules we could read on the provider's or bank's own pages.

Our main price snapshot comes from Wise's own comparison page (£1,000, paid by bank transfer, captured on 31 October 2026, mid-market rate 45.2372 THB per GBP). Wise publishes that page and ranks itself, so treat it as one data point. We used it for the other providers' rates and cross-checked fee structures against Statrys's comparison dated 8 October 2026 and Thai banks' fee schedules. Remitly and Revolut were not in the Wise snapshot. Checked on 31 October 2026.

Rates move by the minute. Run your own quote on the day you send.

1. Wise — best for regular transfers to a Thai bank account

Who it suits

Remote workers, pensioners and anyone sending a similar amount every month. Wise converts at the mid-market rate and charges a separate fee, which was £7.77 on £1,000 in our snapshot. The money arrives in baht in an ordinary Thai bank account, and the recipient does not need a Wise account. Wise says that, historically, 77% of its transfers arrive in under 20 seconds.

Trade-offs

The cap per transfer depends on the receiving bank. Wise's UK-to-Thailand page lists up to 2,000,000 THB to Kasikornbank and Bangkok Bank, up to 1,499,999 THB to Siam Commercial Bank, and up to 500,000 THB to other banks. A Wise transfer also lands as a domestic deposit, which can confuse branch staff when you later ask for proof of foreign funds.

Check before you commit

If you might need proof later, for a condo or a visa file, ask your Thai branch before you send whether it will issue an FET or a credit advice for a Wise deposit, which branch can do it, and what it charges. In an October 2025 article, Wise says the receiving Thai bank issues these documents, and that banks have been able to issue an FET for any amount since 2018.

2. Western Union — best for cash pickup

Who it suits

People sending to a relative or partner who has no Thai bank account, or anyone who needs cash collected quickly. Bangkok Bank's FAQ says it charges nothing to collect Western Union money at its branches and exchange booths. In our snapshot, Western Union charged £0.99 on £1,000 and delivered 44,051.63 THB.

Trade-offs

The fee is low, but the margin is not: that quote was 834 THB below Wise's for the same £1,000. Statrys's October 2026 comparison lists a cap of £4,150 per transaction from the UK and a £2.99 fee for cash pickup on £100.

Check before you commit

Compare the amount received, not the fee. Make sure the recipient's name matches their ID exactly, because cash pickup depends on it.

3. Remitly — best for small first transfers

Who it suits

People testing a route with a modest amount. Statrys's comparison (8 October 2026) lists a £0.99 fee for Economy delivery (three to five business days), £1.99 for Express, a free first transfer for new customers, and a promotional rate on the first £500.

Trade-offs

Introductory offers end. Remitly was not in the Wise snapshot, so we could not compare its standard rate on the same day. Economy delivery is slow if rent is due.

Check before you commit

Price your second transfer, not just the first. That is the rate you will live with.

4. Revolut — best if you already bank with it

Who it suits

UK residents who already hold a Revolut account and send moderate sums. Statrys lists a £1.50 fee on £1,000 on the Standard plan as of 8 October 2026, with no extra exchange fee on weekdays up to £1,000 a month.

Trade-offs

Above that monthly allowance, Statrys reports a 1% fair-usage fee on the Standard plan, and extra charges may apply at weekends. Larger senders need a paid plan or a different route.

Check before you commit

Send on a weekday, check how much of your monthly allowance is left, and compare the baht received with a same-day Wise quote.

5. Bangkok Bank's overseas branches — best for funding your own Bangkok Bank account from the US or UK

Who it suits

Account holders who want to pay from a US or UK bank without paying for a SWIFT wire. From the US, Bangkok Bank's New York branch accepts International ACH Transaction (IAT) payments. Its published fees include USD 5 plus 100 THB for USD 100.01 to 2,000, and USD 10 plus 100 THB for USD 2,000.01 to 10,000, with credit usually within one to two working days. From the UK, its London branch accepts Faster Payments or BACS in baht or pounds.

Trade-offs

You get Bangkok Bank's telegraphic transfer (TT) buying rate, not the mid-market rate. Not every US bank can send IAT payments, and the account name must match Bangkok Bank's records exactly. The London overview page does not list fees.

Check before you commit

Compare that day's TT buying rate with the mid-market rate, and ask your US bank whether it supports IAT before you rely on this route.

6. Your home bank's SWIFT wire — best for very large sums that need a paper trail

Who it suits

Condo buyers and anyone moving a large one-off sum who wants a single, bank-to-bank transfer. Bangkok Bank says there is no maximum incoming amount. It says every incoming transfer needs a stated purpose under Bank of Thailand rules, and that condo buyers should use "To purchase a condominium" and then ask the branch for the land office documents.

Trade-offs

Banks often take a wider margin. In our snapshot, HSBC charged no fee but delivered 252 THB less than Wise, while Santander charged £25 and delivered 2,222 THB less. Thai banks also charge to receive. Bangkok Bank, Krungsri and Kasikornbank all publish 0.25% of the amount, with a 200 THB minimum and a 500 THB maximum. Intermediary banks may take their own fee.

Check before you commit

Ask your bank for its exact rate on the amount, and whether you can send in pounds or dollars and let the Thai bank convert. Then compare both options against the mid-market rate.

What to check before you decide

• Run a same-day quote for your real amount with two or three providers and compare baht received.
• Check your receiving bank's caps. Wise's per-transfer limit is four times higher to Bangkok Bank or Kasikornbank than to most smaller banks.
• State the purpose correctly on every transfer, especially for property.
• Ask the Thai branch about FET or credit advice before you send, not after.
• Keep a remittance log (date, amount, source of funds, year earned) for tax questions.
• For a retirement extension, the government portal says 800,000 THB must sit in a Thai bank two months before you apply and three months after approval, and never drop below 400,000 THB. Plan transfers around those dates.

FAQ

What is the cheapest way to send money to Thailand?

For most amounts, a specialist provider paying into a Thai bank account. In our 31 October 2026 snapshot, Wise delivered the most baht on £1,000, but rankings change with the amount and the day, so compare a live quote.

Can I use Wise to send money for a condo purchase?

Wise says yes, provided the receiving Thai bank issues an FET or credit advice for the deposit. Confirm with your branch, and check the per-transfer cap for your bank, before you send a large sum.

Do I pay tax on money I transfer to Thailand?

Possibly. Under Revenue Department orders Por. 161/2566 and 162/2566, Thai tax residents (180 days or more in a calendar year) can be taxed on foreign income earned from 2024 when it is brought into Thailand. Income earned before 2024 is excluded. Ask a qualified adviser how this applies to your pension, salary or savings.

How much can I send to Thailand at once?

Bangkok Bank says there is no maximum on incoming transfers, but providers set their own caps. Wise lists 2,000,000 THB per transfer to Bangkok Bank and Kasikornbank. Statrys lists £4,150 per transaction for Western Union from the UK.

Can someone in Thailand receive money through PayPal?

It is hard for most foreigners. Expatica reports that since December 2022, registering a personal PayPal account in Thailand requires a Thai national ID number. PayPal also delivered the second-lowest amount in our snapshot.

Related guides

• Cost of living in Thailand
• Money services
• Best banks for expats in Thailand
• Tax mistakes expats make in Thailand
• Thailand retirement visa
• Budget calculator

Sources

• Wise — Compare GBP to THB — £1,000 snapshot captured 31 October 2026: fees, rates, amounts received, mid-market rate
• Statrys — Send money to Thailand from the UK (8 October 2026) — Remitly, Revolut and Western Union fee structures and limits
• Wise — Send money to Thailand from the UK — per-bank THB limits, arrival statistics
• Wise — Using Wise for property purchases and long-stay visas in Thailand (15 October 2025) — FET and credit advice issued by the receiving bank, 2018 change
• Bangkok Bank — FAQs on transferring funds into Thailand — incoming fee, transfer purpose, condo procedure, Western Union collection, no maximum
• Bangkok Bank — Transfers from the US via the New York branch — IAT fees, timing, TT buying rate
• Bangkok Bank — Transfers from the UK via the London branch — Faster Payments and BACS, THB or GBP
• Krungsri — International payment fees (effective 1 July 2026) — inward remittance fee
• Kasikornbank — FCD and remittance fees — inward remittance fee
• PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Thailand, significant developments — Por. 161/2566 and 162/2566, 180-day residence
• ThaiLawOnline — Remittance exemption tracker — proposed exemption unpublished as of 19 October 2026
• ThaiLawOnline — Thailand foreign income tax 2026: what applies — record keeping, mixed funds
• Thai Government portal — Retirement extension requirements — 800,000 THB timing and 400,000 THB floor
• Expatica — International money transfers in Thailand (28 May 2025) — PayPal Thai ID requirement, purpose codes