Answereda year ago
What is the best way to deposit 800,000 baht into a Thai bank account for visa purposes?
Hi all, sorry this has probably been talked about a hundred times but I am still struggling trying to get my head around this depositing money into a Thai bank account, so you are one of the lucky ones that gets a bank account within the first few days of arrival, you have to deposit 800000 baht and have it in your account for 2 months before you apply for your year extension, can you bring that amount into the country, plus spending money, or would it be best to use something like wise and transfer the money but what happens if it takes to long to get all the money transferred over so you have all the money in for the 2 mouth dead line remembering you only have a mouth to sort it, sorry again if this angers some people asking this but it is a concern to me and probably a lot of people in the same situation, and please no comments about how easy it was for you when it was years ago and everything was easier, lol
Answer summary
The question discusses the process and challenges related to depositing 800,000 baht into a Thai bank account as a requirement for applying for a long-term visa (Non-O visa). The original poster is concerned about the logistics of transferring this amount from abroad, specifically the timing and methods available, including using services like Wise or traditional bank wire transfers. Commenters share personal experiences regarding the speed of transfers, recommend specific banks that are easier to work with, and advise on the regulations about the source of the funds and the timeline for maintaining the deposit.
67 repliesnewest first
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Dwayne ********
Just transfer the funds like any other bank. They’re all banks trusted by all banks in the world.
Paul ********
OPThanks for all the advice, my partner is Thai and has had a bank account over there for years , could it be possible to transfer the money into her account and then when I get there take the money out of hers and put it in mine,
Steve ********
@Paul *******
No. It needs to be shown coming to your account from overseas. If you transfer it to your partner, then they transfer it to you, that is an internal transfer, so does not fit the requirements.
Keith *******
My information is that it's 3 months prior to the application.
Neil ********
If your intention is to place the required monies into your Thai account and then remove it again then just find the best rates for conversion. Then wise is one of the good ones.
I agree money in Thai banks is dead money but dependant on your risk profile you can also invest from that account
I agree money in Thai banks is dead money but dependant on your risk profile you can also invest from that account
Bent *************
Money must be transferred from abroad
Mark *********
I just did it in September. Sounds like you want to avoid unproductive use of the money when that is the whole purpose of this system is showing the Thai government you have enough resources to not miss 800k baht for a year. There are rules that allow you to pull the money out for a few months and then put it back, of course if you are one day off they will cancel your retirement visa. The choice is yours. Call a bunch of highly rated visa agents in the city you will be returning to to for 90 day stay and annual renewals and see who has the connections to get the bank account open. I did the rest of the paperwork myself. Good luck!
Peter ********
HSBC does not have retail accounts in Thailand. So no.
Ian ********
@Peter *******
Thanks for your quick response 🙏Ian ********
Interesting post for me (thanks) which has raised 2 questions - if I open a HSBC account in Thailand does this meet the criteria for the retirement visa (I am already a customer in Qatar) plus for my and my wife I will have to transfer 2 x 800,000 (160,000) is that correct
Ralph *******
Wise can do it at minimal cost. Or you can do bank to bank using swift, but it costs more.
Marty *********
A direct wire transfer from my US bank to my Thai bank takes 1-2 business days. I can transfer any amount. I transferred the entire amount to buy my car. At the time I was using Kasikorn bank.
Anna *********
You will be able to open a bank account without issue if you get a non - O visa before you leave your country. Once you arrive in Thailand open your bank account and transfer the money ( I did it bank to bank using Swift codes) Make sure you label the funds ‘long stay’ or equivalent on the transfer
Good luck
Good luck
Doug ********
@Anna ********
I did this last week . Arrived from Laos with the non o 90 day. Was not east to find a bank that would open the account. I had every thing needed. Bangkok bank...k bank and SCB all refused. Krungsri let me and done in 30 minutes. All main branches in Udon thani....so is possible but not as easy as I thought it would be.Anna *********
@Doug *******
wow that surprises me but glad you got it sorted eventuallyAnna *********
@Doug *******
so do find that sometime banks just say that sort of thing to get rid of you but it’s hard to argue with them even when we all know non o is nota tourist visa 😀Doug ********
Anna Brodleyyeah I was surprised as well. Not sure why do difficult. I even had a letter from immigration confirm they have proof of residence TM30 ..thai girlfriend translated but didn't really need to as it was pretty much a no not interested as soon as seen ????.....Bangkok bank were adamant the 90 day non o was a tourist visa and said that is why they won't do it...
Steven ******
Carrying that much dough will get you a hospital stay.
Jack ********
Luck has nothing to do with it
John *******
Bring a bank draft with you And lodge it in bkk when you get there snd have an adress.
Jason ******
Roll on XRP no fees and done in 2 seconds lol
John *********
Code for banking
David *********
@John ********
SWIFT stands for the “Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication”Chris ******
Wise:
-has very bad exchange rate and commission
-almost all Thai bank don’t welcome wise (because they can’t get the benefit/FX spread from exchange foreign currencies to tbh)
-Thai gov don’t welcome wise, as they need to proof the money is BRING from outside , not arriving in thb after wise exchanged
If you have usd account in Thai bank. Swift usd to it
-has very bad exchange rate and commission
-almost all Thai bank don’t welcome wise (because they can’t get the benefit/FX spread from exchange foreign currencies to tbh)
-Thai gov don’t welcome wise, as they need to proof the money is BRING from outside , not arriving in thb after wise exchanged
If you have usd account in Thai bank. Swift usd to it
Steve ********
@Chris *****
You’re posting rubbish. What you have written is totally incorrect.Chris ******
@Steve *******
what misleading? Is there any exchange rate better than FX broker ?Using wise, cannot issued FET for investment …
Chris ******
@Steve *******
what make you think like that ? I am keep learningSteve ********
@Chris *****
I don’t mean to be rude, but if you are learning, then learn before you post, because incorrect information can be misleading.
Julian *******
@Chris *****
absolute crap. You spout nothing but nonsenseChris ******
@Julian ******
I don’t mind that … many people don’t have idea of investment.. read the threadHave you tried using MT4, (the most common FX tools) on ICMarkets to compare your rate ?
I used IBKR last Oct exchanging 10M tbh , only pay 2.5 usd aka internet rate
Chris ******
Wise and bank need business so , be honest if you shift that mind/bias…, try find a stock/FX broken to exchange money, as they focus on the commission of FX trading, usually 2 usd regardless you change million of foreign currencies 😉
Chris ******
@Giraffe ********
it is in bot.or.th for currency exchange and the FET requirement for transferring money to invest in property and businessRalph *******
@Chris *****
Wise has a very good exchange rate and low fees on exchange. I pay into Thai bank accounts regularly using wise. ฿44.70 fee.
Paul ***********
@Chris *****
your not factoring the really bad exchange rate your home banks only allow gives you in international transfers. They also will charge you a usually large fee for doing that transfer transaction. Then the Thai bank will charge another handling fee. I advise everyone to do their own research before taking the advice of others on this platform, including mine.
Todd *********
@Chris *****
have you been day drinking?
Russell ***********
@Chris *****
what planet have you been living on ?
Rok ********
@Chris *****
what a load of tosh…. Wise does not have bad reputation and wise will always give you better rate and lower fees than a local bank. Transfers are instant to some countries and within pre-agreed time to others. Never had problems with Wise.Chris ******
@Rok *******
have you try using stock or FX broker to exchange currencies ? Mean you got the internet rate eg ex.com (I recommend you to check that rateDildil *******
I get a privilege visa and they told me better tu use wise
Dildil *******
@Chris *****
Absolutly wrong. If I transfert 1000 chf from my swiss account using swift i get *****
thb. With wise i will get *****
thbChris ******
@Dildil ******
have you try using stock or FX broker to exchange currencies ? Mean you got the internet rate eg ex.com (I recommend you to check that at the same time for the rate )
Richard ********
@Chris *****
Wise does not have a "very bad" rate. It is generally considered to be one of the best."Almost all banks" and "the Thai government" don't like Wise???
You are just making up drivel.
Chris ******
@Richard *******
I have put my comment on other sub thread , regards
Dennis *********
@Chris *****
may be a stupid question but can you explain Swift ?? I’ll need to do this in October.
Bill *******
@Dennis ********
swift is the international interbank codes used to transfer bank to bank. Also called a BIC bank identification Code. It allows you to send from one bank to another. With out using a non bank provider. Wise, Remitly, Western Union are not banks. Swift is the system a bank will use to transfer international funds. When the money arrives its seen as being international. Money transfer companies look like a local deposit.
Receiving banks will charge a fee on a international transfer. Siam bank is 600 baht.
The advantage of swift is It's bank to bank. There fore governed by local and international law. It does give local tax authority a lot of visibility about the source. Money transfer companies tend to obscure that.
Most banks will have there SWIFT or BIC info on line. Works everywhere except Russia as they where kicked out when invading Ukraine
Bill *******
@Dennis ********
you would need to check with your bank. I would assume so. It's just a bank to bank payment.
Sally *******
@Bill ******
Wise use a BIC code. There is transparency it shows its from UK for example even when tf baht. When I use wise to pay Euri bills in Spain, I still get charged the Brexit tax. So they obviously can see it's coming from the uk.Dennis *********
@Bill ******
nice — thanks for the information!! Perhaps you know whether or not you can set up automatic transfers using this?
Nick ************
Do you have a Thai Bank account. If so which one as transfer limits apply as previous comment and its max of
*****
baht to all other banks using Wise. 16+ transfers in a few days might raise questions. Have you applied for the 90 day non O in your home country? If so you have more time to get things sorted.
Wannikea *********
@Nick ***********
the Wise 50,000 baht limit has been raised to 500,000 for qualifying banks, the big 3 remain at 2 million and 1.49 million Kasikorn, Bangkok Bank, SCB respectively.Nick ************
@Wannikea ********
when did that happen? I had not heard about it before.Wannikea *********
@Greg **********
I reckon those few people aren't up to date as of May 6th
Greg ***********
@Wannikea ********
I reckon when the WISE webpage got updated, the web-designer added one "zero" too much, making 500,000 out of the 50,000. I asked a few people and they confirmed the 50,000 limit is still up and standingNick ************
@Wannikea ********
I'm in the uk so I missed that one!Wannikea *********
@Nick ***********
Few or a month ago
Graham ******
@Nick ***********
The limit of 50,000 Baht in international transfers is ONLY for people who use WISE to transfer the money and ONLY for people using a bank OTHER THAN Bangkok Bank, Siam Commercial Bank or Kasikorn Bank.Nick ************
@Graham *****
that is what I said.
Stephen ********
I did a bank transfer from U.K. 800,000 x 2 for two people . 24 hours max
Jesper *******
Using Wise I transfered 800k in 3 transactions in 2days the daily limit for wise to bkk bank and kbank is 2mil baht per day SCB is 1.49mil baht so you will have more than enough time to season your 800k
Peter **********
@Jesper ******
why split it up into 3 when limit is so much higher ??Jesper *******
@Peter *********
1st transaction was to test out wise with small amount after which I did 2 other transfer as my local bank have out going limit which I do not want to increase for safety reason
Dava ***********
@Jesper ******
I did that too!Dildil *******
@Jesper ******
Not complety true. The limit is per transfer not per day. You can do many transfer per day. Read the transfer limit on the wise web page .Paul ***********
@Dildil ******
some home banks only allow a limited amount to be transferred per dayDildil *******
@Paul **********
I was talking about Wise not hone bank. But your right can depend of your home bank.
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