Instant money transfers to just about any country is possible with a few clicks on your phone. If you are thinking of Western union or banks then you’ve got to update your information. There are many new and old ways to transfer money instantly to India, Philippines or anywhere in Europe and Americas. I’ve used these methods and here are a few ways to send money out of Thailand in a cost effective manner. I compare banks to money transfer services. If you are foreigner in Thailand, you may need a work permit to send money from a bank.
Easiest way to send money out of Thailand is Skrill and Wise (Transferwise). You can use these two services to send money instantly to most countries around the world including most of Europe, Canada and Africa. I’ve used both Skrill and Wise to send money to Philippines, Canada and Ireland. read about them in detail below. Sending money through banks is a bit more complicated, especially as a foreigner.
your options to transfer money are:
Wise – Takes about a day
To send money through wise you need to first sign up and submit your ID. Once you’re all set, transfers are done within one day. It’s pretty straightforward. In my experience, I could send most transfers within a day. In some cases, it was done in a couple of hours. The only downside is they didn’t respond to queries outside UK working hours. But very convenient overall.
Skrill – Instant money transfers
Sending money through Skrill is a breeze. you’d need a card and the bank account details of the person you’re sending the money to. The fees are very low. I was always able to send money realtime with their service. To send money to India from Thailand it was lightening fast. Certainly my favorite.
Dee Money – Takes one business day
Dee money is a Thailand based money transfer service. They send money in about a day after you’ve placed your request. They have a limit of 800,000 baht per day. which is 22,000 EUR limit. I tried to send money using their service and was sent a form through email. I had to fill it up, sign, scan and send it back! so I chose the easy way out. It has potential but they could work on their “customer experience”. It’s an effort to have to do “paper work”. Otherwise, It could be a great service. They charge about THB 250 per transaction + VAT.
Bank Transfers
Bank transfers from Thailand to countries outside ASEAN or the neighborhood could take a few days. you’d have to visit the bank unless you “set up” the international money transfers on their native app (Kasikorn bank and Bangkok bank). The experience in the branch could greatly vary depending on where you are. In my experience, I had a tough time with the banks because they were unsure of many procedures and it took a while (2 hours in the bank) to complete a transaction. There is always this uneasy interaction with foreign clients.
Recommendations
Fastest options
The fastest option is Skrill. You may also try wise. These options are also quite affordable
Alternatively, if you lack a local bank account and opt for cash payments, Western Union or MoneyGram are advantageous choices. They offer rapid cash deliveries, often within minutes. This also applies to Western Union transfers initiated from a bank account, with the recipient collecting the funds in cash.
Most affordable
In terms of cost-effectiveness, cash conversion emerges as the most economical due to its minimal service fees and currency conversion spreads. However, it’s important to acknowledge the trade-off involving the physical process and time consumption, making it preferable for non-urgent situations where you plan to travel to the destination anyway. Dee money is a good low cost option
Big amounts
For those seeking to send substantial sums exceeding 800,000 THB in a single daily transaction, bank transfers are the only route. Many banks allow transactions of up to 50,000 USD or equivalent in one go.
With a local bank account, both bank transfers and DeeMoney are excellent choices.
In cases where a local bank account is unavailable, Western Union is suitable for regular transfers, while cash conversion is preferable for irregular or one-time lump sum transfers.
Skrill is probably the best option you have, this is said based on actual transactions through this service.
If you look carefully, there are always ways to send instant money transfers out of Thailand. Revolut, xoom and instarem are not yet available in Thailand