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What method is best to bring 800,000 THB for a retirement visa in Thailand: cash, money order, bank check, or travelers check?

Thai Visa Retirement Visa Non-O Visa Currency Transfer Banking in Thailand Expat Tips International Transfer Money Management

Oct 6, 2025

2 days ago

ORIGINAL POSTER

Hey all, thanks for all the good advice from a few weeks ago. l am now set to travel on 11 October via Singapore and into Jomtien Monday 12. Just 1 last question for the group....

Is it easier to bring a money order, bank check or travellers check to the  value of 800,000thb? Can't take that much cash, approx $au38,000 and without an account to transfer into, cannot do an EFT.

Any help will be gratefully accepted.

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TLDR : Answer Summary

A user inquired about the best way to bring 800,000 THB (approximately AU$38,000) without carrying cash for their travel to Thailand for a retirement visa application. They considered using a money order, bank check, or travelers check. Comments revealed that opening a Thai bank account is necessary to deposit the funds for a Non-O visa, which requires the funds to be seasoned (held in the account) for 3 months prior to application. Suggestions included using services like Wise or Revolut for transferring money, as well as the possibility of carrying cash, since declaring amounts over USD 20,000 is allowed.

NON-O RETIREMENT VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES

Go to the Retirement Visa Section for information on requirements, including age restrictions, financial requirements, and necessary documentation.
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Greg ***********

currency in or out of Thailand

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Martyn ***********

Who says you can't bring cash? The rule is 20k USD without declaring. So declare it... When.. Or if.. You need to take out again, declaring makes the process of proving it came from abroad easier.

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Alan **********

Because my cb account is usd i withdraw to my usd revolut account and wait for a more favourable exchange rate i also transfer between accounts in app to make money but revolut has high fees especially on crypto

Ps if anybody uses cb be aware that the fees are a lot lower if you trade advanced and not on the basic account settings just look for the advanced toggle button

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Alan **********

Contact revolut. I kno they have accounts where you can hold multi currencies they do this by having local accounts to the currency you hold for example I have usd gbp jpy thb cny zar sgd hkd so if i want a payment to my usd account i give the acc details for my usd acc which is held in the us etc. Maybe you could do this then if in the future you want to change to thb bank you could just transfer it to a thai bank technically if you transfer from your revolut uk account to your revolut thb account this should be an international transfer because your thb account has a thai address

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Howard *******

Not sure why you say you can't bring that much cash? I always take cash to Thailand and get the best exchange rate from the money changer at Central, Lad Prao. If you do transfer from Aus bank to Thai bank, you will probably get the best exchange rate by transferring AUD, not THB.

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Bob **********

he would have to declare it when he arrives

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Christer *****

And also when leaving Australia if over 10 000

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Christer *****

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Donald **********

Why would you want to risk losing/having stolen AUD $37,500+ with the additional issues with it being in excess of the allowable amount and then having to pay it into a Thai bank account, maybe even after going to the additional issues of converting it into Thai baht? It is the 21st century!

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Howard *******

Hi Donald. You were the one that said you can't carry cash, implying it was an option for you. Anyway, I guess it is how you carry it and your assessment of the risk. As to the allowable amount, there is no limit on how much you can take out of Australia but maybe there is a limit on how much you can take into Thailand? With conversion of AUD37,500 to THB there will be a very large difference between converting it at a currency converter in Thailand and the other ways you mentioned: it is even significant when I have carried AUD5,000. Finally, I understand it is the 21st Century but that does not mean you throw away a significant amount if not necessary.

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Howard *******

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Kevin *********

you are legally allowed to bring in usd20k (or equivalent) or 500k thb. Anything more you'll have to declare and perhaps be taxed?

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Howard *******

That's a very generous amount without having to declare - most countries limit undeclared to about AUD10,000 but if you declare there is no penalty or tax. Given USD is about AUD31,000 it would give a better exchange rate to bring in AUD30,000 and the balance by SWIFT .

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Howard *******

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Brian **********

Just for the record, Monday is the 13th.

Check your dates/days for travelling.

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Nick *******

@Brian *********

Also Monday 13th is a Thai Holiday. Banks will be closed except in shopping malls.

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Graham ******

ORIGINAL POSTER

@Brian *********

Yes thanks Brian, only after l posted did l notice l posted incorrect dates.....

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Graham ******

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Donald **********

Once you open a Thai bank account and get the details of it, you can transfer the money directly to it from your home bank by Swift/BACS international money transfer. Wise and Revolut (amongst others) also offer this service if you open accounts with them, if they operate in Australia? Check out who will give you the best deal, bearing in mind the exchange rate offered and the transaction fee. I recently transferred 800,000 baht with Revolut and was very happy with the price and service. Took about 1-½ banking days to clear in my K-Bank account. The money for the Non-O extension has to be in the Thai bank account for two months (not 8 weeks) ‘seasoning’ prior to applying at immigration for the 1 year extension.

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Donald **********

The receiving bank will also charge a small receiving fee so you can try a couple of small transfers from a couple of different sources to cover this, prior to making the big transfer.

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Greg ***********

@Donald *********

this receiving fee for a foreign remittance normally is around 400 THB fixed fee. If you use WISE, the transfer is an inner-Thailand transfer and there will be no receiving fee

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Donald **********

@Greg **********

OK thanks. Graham can factor that in too should he choose to go down that route. I myself transferred the money from a Thai baht account but from outwith Thailand.

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Donald **********

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Robert *****

If you want a non immigrant O type of visa then first you will need a Thai bank account in your name, and second the 800K needs to be on deposit for 3 months prior and 3 months post. 6 months total. Most people apply for the initial 90 day visa before they enter and then use that visa as a basis for opening an account. Once the account is open you can make the transfer and continue with the 1 year extension process.

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Jim *******

Where did "3 months post" come from? Never heard of that. Even 3 months prior is known as 2 months (not 3) prior to extension renewal.

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Greg ***********

3-months prior was the old rule. It used to be 2 months prior only for the FIRST application to the extension, and from then on always 3 months prior. . . . . . This rule got discontinued by January 2019, in favour of 2 months prior, regardless if a first extension or a follow-up one

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Jim *******

@Greg **********

Then, you are right. I left Thai 5. January 2020. and a few weeks later, the pandemic was declared. Took me 3.5 years to get back. I lost the track.

That time, 2020, I was still 4 years from retirement, did not really pay attention. Until now.

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Jim *******

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Robert *****

ok 2 months

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Robert *****

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Bob **********

it’s 2 months prior

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Robert *****

ok 2 months, whatever. Even 1 day is too long.

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Robert *****

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Greg ***********

you are WRONG (unless you quote these "special rules" which Jomtien Immigration has pulled out of their corrupt noses ) . . . According to the police order the rule is: Yes, you need an already existing Thai bank account to apply for the "change of visa type" from a touristic entry to a 90-days Non-Imm-O Retirement Visa, however the 800,000 THB just have to sit in it on the day you apply, there is NO seasoning requirement at this point. Only when you apply from the 90-days to the "1-year Extension of Temporary Stay Permit based on Retirement", the money needs to have seasoned for TWO MONTHS (not for 3 months!). After been issued the Extension, the 800,000 THB have to remain for 3 more months. In the rest of the year the deposit may not fall below 400,000 THB, and then again for the application to the next "1-year Extension", the money needs to be in the account for 2 months

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Robert *****

@Greg **********

ok guy your the expert. Why would anybody who intends to stay long term waste time converting a 60 day visa exempt entry to a 90 day when they easily get the 90 day ahead of time and convert directly to a 1 year. And why would anybody commit that amount of money for any length of time to a non interest bearing foreign bank account when it's not necessary.

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Greg ***********

agreed, you are right. I would always recommend to get the 90-days Non-Imm-O visa issued before flying to Thailand. Regarding the 800,000 THB deposit, there is no other way for the first year extension for citizens from UK, USA, Canada, Australia and Norway, because their embassies don't issue income affidavits anymore. If you are content to throw away 32,000 THB to an agent to bribe Immigration, feel free to do it. However I hope you are aware that it got more difficult since February 2025. Have you noticed all the frozen Bangkok Bank accounts that agents opened on people's tourist visas? While I don't think the corruption can be rooted out, I am witnessing a price hike for these "faked" extensions. Soon they will match up with the interest you claim to be able to acrue if you keep 800,000 THB in your home country

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Robert *****

@Greg **********

only paid 14K and it was done in 2 days.

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Greg ***********

😂 😎 not for the complete first time package! (bank account, 90-days Visa and 12-months extension). You pay 14,000 for the yearly repeated extension . . . . . If you have arrived on a tourist visa, there is only one agent in Bangkok who will circumvent the rules, they service you only if you buy the complete package, it costs 60,000 THB (and you need to have own funds, without own funds it is something like 75,000 THB)

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Robert *****

@Greg **********

well yeah...you don't need an agent for all that prelim stuff, just to avoid the 800K and 90 day reports and standing in line with 20 copies of nonsense

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Greg ***********

😂😂😂😂😂 since 17 years, I manage to get my yearly Extension, a 90-days report and the purchase of a single re-entry permit, all & everything, done on my Immigration within 20-25 (twenty!!) minutes. I don't even need to fill out any forms, the Immigration officer does it in my place. Wonder over wonder! 😂😂😂😂😂

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Kevin *********

too many conflicting accounts. Which is the right one?

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Robert *****

@Kevin ********

hire an agent and forget about all that conflicting nonsense. You'll have your visa back in 48 hours.

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Sylvia ********

48 hrs i think not and at what cost?

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Kevin *********

hahaha your advice should replace this forum's title and there won't be a need for us to ask questions or respond to them 😂😂😂

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Kevin *********

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Soren **********

Open a Wise account in Oz, then transfer on opening of the bank account

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Maitin *******

@Soren *********

or swift

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Soren **********

SWIFT goes through New York, and is opaque during the transfer, with correspondent bank fees on top of exchange fees.

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Maitin *******

@Soren *********

I tend to get a slightly better rate with swift and it's very very fast. Sometimes wise can take days.

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Maitin *******

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Stuart *********

A money order or cheque isn’t going to help you. You need a Thai bank account with an 800k balance to get a retirement visa/extension. Depending on the office this may have to be seen as an international transfer.

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Stuart *********

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