thailand
Ask question

Why is my bank wire transfer from the USA to Thailand taking so long?

Bank Wire TransferWells FargoInternational TransfersSWIFTWiseTransfer DelaysExpat BankingThai BankMoney Transfer Services
Nov 15, 2024
a day ago
Bruce ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
I did a Bank Wire Transfer from the USA (Wells Fargo) to my friends Thailand bank account on November 8. It says arrival by November 20, & still has not arrived. I can’t understand why this transaction doesn’t take seconds, or even 1-2 days. Any ideas?
8,177
views
8
likes
192
all likes
92
replies
12
images
52
users
TLDR : Answer Summary
The user is inquiring about a bank wire transfer from Wells Fargo in the USA to a friend's bank account in Thailand, which was supposed to arrive by November 20 but has yet to be received. Community responses suggest varying experiences with wire transfers, indicating that delays can occur due to numerous factors such as banking policies, transaction size, or weekends and holidays affecting processing times. Some users recommend alternative services like Wise, while others advise patience as the transfer date has not yet arrived.
Florian ********
Remitly works great. Give it a try next time 👍
10 hours ago
Like
Reply
Lion *****************************
A wire transfer from Australia to me 15 September 23 (14 months) has not arrived... my own money... its being investigated as a scam!! Ridiculous
12 hours ago
Like
Reply
Stuart **********
I use orbit remit,most transfers within a few hrs.Not sure what countries they operate from but I find them exceptional
13 hours ago
Like
Reply
Duane *************
I use Wise, it takes seconds. Some time on weekends, it's a little longer when the bank is closed.
14 hours ago
Like
Reply
David **********
@Duane ************
 not always
12 hours ago
Like
Reply
Reply to
David **********
Reply
Andrew ********
Banks are cunts bye XRP and it will be seconds and cost very little
15 hours ago
Like
Reply
Bob **********
Always about 5 days from U.S.A.
18 hours ago
Like
Reply
Paul ******
They hold it as long as they can same as western union do if they think it’s suspicious
18 hours ago
Like
Reply
Loma ******
Seems like a good question to ask Wells Fargo? How did you initiate this SWIFT wire transfer? Double-check the Thai Bank SWIFT code, account number and account holder's name. Twelve days for a SWIFT transfer seems unusual. IME it's ~ 18 hours.
19 hours ago
Like
Reply
Vinay ********
Correct. Its not 20th yet. Previously I've cancelled and done it again in it went through in seconds
20 hours ago
Like
Reply
Tony *******
My $2,500,000 USD too only one day.
20 hours ago
Like
Reply
James ************
I use western union and it takes
***
days
21 hours ago
Like
Reply
David *********
WISE transfer is the best full exchange rate tiny fee
21 hours ago
Like
Reply
Robert *********
I’ve used WF regularly to send money from USA to a friend and his family in Cambodia. Always (with one exception) there within a few hours. No problem. The one exception involved a holiday period followed by a weekend. I think it was this one!) took about 4-5 days. I don’t think you need to worry.
a day ago
Like
Reply
Marty *********
My US bank won’t process wire transfer requests on weekends and holidays. The fastest I get wire transfers sent from the US and then deposited into my Thai bank is about 18-20 hours.
a day ago
Like
Reply
Paisano **********
Western Union, less than 24 hrs
a day ago
Like
Reply
Don ********
Wire transfer to my bank here from US is always 2 days
a day ago
Like
Reply
James ********
At the end of the day its your money. If financial institutions offer a transfer service it should be almost instant. Me and my friends have had this delay drama. All about ..government ...big corporations..bank control...money control.

As mentioned , its your money , why should the fuc$% do this to average joe ????
a day ago
Like
Reply
Robert *********
Wells Fargo to Western Union to Bangkok Bank, 12-36 hours, $1.99
a day ago
Like
Reply
Phil ******
Wire transfer. Use Wise
@Bruce *******
a day ago
Like
Reply
David **********
@Phil *****
 Nope
a day ago
Like
Reply
Reply to
David **********
Reply
Michael ******
Do not wake him until Nov. 20
a day ago
Like
Reply
Kree ****************
Patience grasshopper.....
a day ago
Like
Reply
Will ************
All subject to Anti Money Laundering and fraud checks these days. Won’t get any better
a day ago
Like
Reply
Charles *********
Don't send to bank, send to person pick up anywhere in minutes
a day ago
Like
Reply
Nicholas ******
Well it's not November 20th ffs
a day ago
Like
Reply
William ***********
It says the 20th. It won’t arrive until then. They want to make a little interest on your money. They are a business trying to make money on your money.
a day ago
Like
Reply
Dava ***********
Well it is not Nov. 20th yet…..
a day ago
Like
Reply
Michael ********
Depends on Sending bank, i get paid from UK company in bank couple of hours. Get paid through Singapore company takes 5 days
a day ago
Like
Reply
Matt **********
I use Western Union. Time depends on transfer from bank or debit card. A few days max.
a day ago
Like
Reply
Joe ******
Western union there next day in bank account 1 pound charge
a day ago
Like
Reply
Myles *******
Maybe because its 15th November?
a day ago
Like
Reply
Dawn **********
B of A is able to do the transfer 24-48 hours
a day ago
Like
Reply
Joe *********
Wise takes seconds to minutes.
a day ago
Like
Reply
David **********
@Joe ********
 Nope
a day ago
Like
Reply
David *********
@Joe ********
 and up to 5 days. Rarely in seconds in my experience. Any more than $1000 and wise is not fast but definitely cheaper.
a day ago
Like
Reply
Reply to
David *********
Reply
Gabriel ********
I do it w Wells Fargo-kbank twice a month and it always takes 48 hours…the reverse is instantaneous…the USA tax code for foreigners abroad is the issue I’m told
a day ago
Like
Reply
Marco ***********
Wise matter of seconds
a day ago
Like
Reply
David **********
@Marco **********
 Nope
a day ago
Like
Reply
Craig ********
@David *********
 I use wise all the time and this happened a couple of times. No reason why.
13 hours ago
Like
Reply
Von ******
@David *********
 have you EVEN bothered to read the terms of transfer???

Now you just look like the village idiot…
a day ago
Like
Reply
David **********
@Von *****
 In other words, WISE is only fast if you don't do a bank transfer. Since the OP is about bank transfers, I guess you are the Village Idiot.
16 hours ago
Like
Reply
Von ******
@David *********
 clown 🤡 it works in seconds for me!

I don’t have a USA bank account! Stop stepping on your own dick!!! You are embarrassing yourself on this thread
15 hours ago
Like
Reply
David **********
@Von *****
 The OP clearly specified he is sending from the US. Why are you giving advice if you have no experience sending from the US?
13 hours ago
Like
Reply
Von ******
@David *********
 you say it is slow when if you look at the WISE terms it CLEARLY says it takes 4 days… so it isn’t slow, it is exactly what they say it is Sherlock!

You saying it is slow, well it isn’t!!!

I don’t have the patience or crayons to explain it any simpler for the likes of YOU who don’t process the information that is provided by the company and service you are using.
13 hours ago
Like
Reply
Reply to
Von ******
Reply
Jon ********
Today is the 15th, they said arrival by the 20th, relax.i have used wells for many wire transfers. Some take a day, some take 2 weeks. Banks often sit on money to collect interest.
a day ago
Like
Reply
Jay ******
Mine took 7 business days for International… sucks !!!
a day ago
Like
Reply
Peter ********
It's not Nov 20th yet
a day ago
Like
Reply
Kim *********
@Peter *******
 that's not relevant to the question
10 hours ago
Like
Reply
Reply to
Kim *********
Reply
Matty ****
How big of a transfer are you talking??

If it's larger than 1.5 million you may need to remittance forms from the government of Thailand.

If you don't have fet authorization from the Thai Bank you may have just been denied

Wise will block you unless it's a small money as well
a day ago
Like
Reply
Graham ******
@Matty ***
 Wise only has a 50k cap for certain banks but not the 3 main ones
a day ago
Like
Reply
Matty ****
@Graham *****
 wise will block you for far less than that. I've been blocked by both wise , Western Union, and PayPal.

PayPal let me get 10 million through during covid

Wise was less than $25,000 and they blocked me.

And this is with major Banks

Direct Bank wires are the only way to do it ..just plan ahead
a day ago
Like
Reply
Declan **********
@Matty ***
 I transfer over 100k a month into thailand without issue and have for nearly 3 years. I had one issue where it took over a week to arrive as they requested proof of where the money came from (I didn't see the email and the notification didnt push through) a year and a half ago and since then the money is in my account every transfer within 3 days. WU blocked me and returned ฿15k to my UK bank 4 weeks after the initial transfer and all 3 of my UK banks can take anywhere from 3 days to 4 weeks to complete the transfer.
a day ago
Like
Reply
Graham ******
@Matty ***
 50,000B
a day ago
Like
Reply
Reply to
Graham ******
Reply
Joann ********************
I’ve never had a problem transferring SWIFT using Bank of America
a day ago
Like
Reply
Marty *********
@Joann *******************
 I typically get BofA in 24 hours. A fair amount of that time is waiting for my Thai bank to process the transfer and deposit it into my account.

BofA won’t send on weekends and holidays in my experience. You have to time it right to get it in a day.
a day ago
Like
Reply
Brian *******
@Joann *******************
 i had a horrible time on my 2nd transfer. but after it was all fixed i havent had a problem since.. but now i just use charles schwab and get free international atm withdrawls and its instant instead of the 2 to 3 to 3 days from boa
a day ago
Like
Reply
Gil *********
@Joann *******************
 I HAD HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE with B of A.

Glad it worked for you
a day ago
Like
Reply
Joann ********************
@Gil ********
 works like a charm every month
a day ago
Like
Reply
Reply to
Joann ********************
Reply
Peter *********
Use Wise. A whole lot cheaper with less commission and a lot cheaper
a day ago
Like
Reply
David **********
@Peter ********
 WISE is slow
a day ago
Like
Reply
Peter *********
@David *********
 not for me. It has been instantaneous
21 hours ago
Like
Reply
JJ **********
@David *********
 maybe for you my transfers usually get their in minutes from usa
a day ago
Like
Reply
Reply to
JJ **********
Reply
Nigel *********
American banks are just horrible to deal with.

Its likely been cancelled and on the way back to the original bank
a day ago
Like
Reply
Christine *******
@Nigel ********
 happens many times global with European banks is it just the same. There are many different possibility’s why that’s happens.
a day ago
Like
Reply
Robert ********
a day ago
Like
Reply
Robert ********
@Nigel ********
 doesn't matter how big it is at my bank .. day and a half it's there
a day ago
Like
Reply
David **********
@Nigel ********
 They don’t want to let you have your money. More lost deposits and they don’t have the money and use your funds during that time to make money
a day ago
Like
Reply
Jon ********
@David *********
 when you use banks that use the SWIFT system your transfers are guided guaranteed…..more bogus advice.
a day ago
Like
Reply
Reply to
Jon ********
Reply
Jon ********
@Nigel ********
 while wells is a crappy bank that has been fined many times by the government, if the transfer did not go through they would post the detail online. Your comment not valid.
a day ago
Like
Reply
Nigel *********
@Jon *******
 believe what you want. You know them better than me. American banks are terrible to deal with.
a day ago
Like
Reply
Jon ********
@Nigel ********
 I have had that experience with Wells. They rejected a transfer because the person in the wire department typed in the account information incorrectly. So it was sent back to Wells and then transferred again. If you don’t know what your talking about it’s best not to advise
a day ago
Like
Reply
Chang ******
@Jon *******
 its happn to me same
a day ago
Like
Reply
Reply to
Chang ******
Reply
Richard ********
Use Wise next time
a day ago
Like
Reply
David **********
@Richard *******
 WISE is slow
a day ago
Like
Reply
Wayne ********
@David *********
 based on the timeline you sent it’s not wise that it’s slow. It is your bank sending them the money that is slow. Why don’t you call your bank and find out what’s up with them?
17 hours ago
Like
Reply
Brandon ************
@David *********
 You're not giving any context. The speed of wise depends on your funding method, amount of the transfer, and many other factors.
20 hours ago
Like
Reply
David **********
@Brandon ***********
 the OP asks about bank transfers. My WISE experience shows them to be slow.
16 hours ago
Like
Reply
Brandon ************
@David *********
 you are giving ZERO context so your experience means nothing. Which funding method did you use for your transfer? Which transfer reason did you use? Which Thai bank do you have? How big was your transfer?

There are a ton of things that you can do to ensure your transfer is fast and there's many things you can do that will cause it to be slow. Since you don't give any details then we'll just assume you did everything the worst way possible that most people won't do.
16 hours ago
Like
Reply
David **********
@Brandon ***********
 Strangely enough, the multiple posts claiming that WISE is quick also provide zero context.

Don't you think they should explain the context as well: "WISE is quick, if you use a special secure bank account, list expenses as 'For Thai girlfriend', and send between $600 and $700 on a Tuesday".
13 hours ago
Like
Reply
Reply to
David **********
Reply
Gregg ************
@David *********
 the speed of a wise transfer can vary with the reason you select. when I choose “personal expenses”, transfers from the US to Kasikorn Bank are almost always completed in less than 30 seconds.
a day ago
Like
Reply
David **********
I just tried "personal expenses". Still slow.
16 hours ago
Like
Reply
Gregg ************
@David *********
 one of the banks in your transfers may not support the fastest transfer methods. Or you may need to do something to enable the faster transfers. I would contact wise support and ask what you can do to speed up transfers.
16 hours ago
Like
Reply
David **********
@Gregg ***********
 My transfer exceeded $10,000, so I thought that might be the reason for the delay. But I tried a smaller amount, and that was slow, too.
13 hours ago
Like
Reply
David **********
@Gregg ***********
 I use JP Morgan CHASE bank, one of the biggest in the US.
13 hours ago
Like
Reply
David **********
@Gregg ***********
16 hours ago
Like
Reply
Bruce ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
It always says that it is waiting for the recipient to verify & confirm that this is her account.
a day ago
Like
Reply
Reply to
Bruce ********
Reply
Richard ********
@David *********
 Wise is transferred in seconds
a day ago
Like
Reply
John **********
@David *********
 this Wise transaction took one minute. Also with Wells Fargo
a day ago
Like
Reply
John **********
@David *********
 one minute; using Wise and Wells Fargo. Not slow at all.
a day ago
Like
Reply
Kim *********
@John *********
 it should be obvious from the example you saw that wise can indeed be slow - very slow
10 hours ago
Like
Reply
Uwe *********
@John *********
After, very fast!!
a day ago
Like
Reply
Reply to
Uwe *********
Reply
Thai Visa Advice and Everything Else
... members · 60% approval rate
The Thai Visa Advice And Everything Else group allows for a broad range of discussions on life in Thailand, beyond just visa inquiries.
Join the Group
Thai Visa Advice and Everything Else
View the Conversation
Thai Visa Advice and Everything Else
Why is Wise taking longer for my long-term stay transfers to Thailand?
76 comments
2 months ago
What are the best methods to transfer money from the US to Thailand without losing too much on exchange rates?
102 comments
3 months ago
What are the best methods for transferring money from a Thai bank to a US bank?
15 comments
5 months ago
What are the best methods to transfer money to Thailand while avoiding high fees?
74 comments
6 months ago
What are the pros and cons of using Wise for transferring money to Thailand compared to bank transfers?
55 comments
8 months ago
Why is my ACH transfer using Wise taking longer than expected?
66 comments
8 months ago
Is it safe and easy to transfer $30k to my Thai bank account using Wise as a US citizen?
64 comments
9 months ago
Are there common delays with Wise payments, and what can cause them?
25 comments
a year ago
What is the fastest method to transfer large amounts of money from the EU or US to Thailand?
33 comments
a year ago
How long does it take to transfer 100,000 baht from Wise to Bangkok Bank?
34 comments
a year ago
Will there be issues with receiving bank wires in Thailand if I use Cash App and Regions Bank?
6 comments
a year ago
Why is my WISE money transfer on hold, and how can I expedite it?
33 comments
a year ago
What are the best alternatives to Wise for transferring money between the US and Thailand?
95 comments
a year ago
Should I use Wise or Bangkok Bank for transferring money to my account in Thailand?
39 comments
a year ago
What is the best way to transfer funds to Thailand for visa purposes and minimize costs?
290 comments
2 years ago
What issues have expats faced when receiving bank transfers from the US to Thailand using SWIFT?
8 comments
2 years ago
What are the best options for transferring money from the US to a Thai bank account?
14 comments
2 years ago
What issues are people experiencing with money transfers to Thailand using Wise this week?
26 comments
2 years ago
What are the best alternatives to Wise for sending money from Thailand to a US bank account?
20 comments
2 years ago
How do bank transfers from the US to Bangkok Bank using Wise work in terms of speed and labeling?
5 comments
3 years ago
How does Wise work for international transfers to Thailand, and will it be accepted for the NON-O visa requirements?
36 comments
3 years ago
Is it cheaper to transfer money to Thailand using Wise or a bank wire transfer?
62 comments
3 years ago
What are the common issues faced by users of Wise (TransferWise) when transferring money to Thailand?
22 comments
3 years ago
Why are Wise money transfers from the UK to Thailand currently experiencing delays?
52 comments
4 years ago
What are the best methods to transfer funds internationally for a 90-day Non-Immigrant O Visa in Thailand?
47 comments
6 years ago
Data protection policyTerms and conditionsDisclaimerPrivacy policyRefund policy
The asq:thailand community, consisting of multiple Q/A groups with over 100,000 members, powers this platform. It is not an official government resource. Our members actively contribute to this resource, and while we strive for accuracy, we cannot guarantee its complete reliability. Assistance to travelers is provided as a community service.