Send Money from UK to Thailand 2026

The quick answer

Wise is the cheapest way to send money from the UK to Thailand for most people. They give you the real exchange rate — the same rate you see on Google — and charge a small, clear fee. Your bank uses a much worse rate and charges a wire fee on top. The difference on a £5,000 transfer is typically over £200.

For regular living expenses, sending money home, or funding a Thai bank account: Wise wins on cost. Read on if you need your transfer to count as "coming from abroad" for a Thai visa — this is where most guides go wrong.

How much Thai Baht will you actually receive?

On a £1,000 transfer, April 2026:

*Rates indicative, April 2026. Verify on provider's site before transferring. Affiliate links on this page — see disclaimer.

Wise and Thai visa documentation — who actually needs to care

Most expats using Wise to transfer money to Thailand have no problem at all. Whether Wise documentation matters to you depends entirely on how you hold your Thai retirement visa.

Why Wise sometimes shows as a local transfer — and when it matters

Wise does not physically move pounds across a border. They collect your pounds in the UK and have a local Thai banking partner pay the baht equivalent into your account from within Thailand. For the vast majority of uses this makes no difference at all. But if you are on the monthly income method for your retirement visa, immigration needs evidence the money came from abroad — and transfers that appear as domestic credits rather than international ones can cause a problem at the documentation stage.

This became a specific issue in August 2025 when Wise changed their main Thai banking partner. A small number of expats on the income method, particularly those banking with SCB, found that Wise transfers were showing as domestic credits rather than international ones. Most Wise users in Thailand — particularly those on the 800,000 Baht bank deposit method — were unaffected and have continued to use Wise without any issue.

Credit Advice — what it is and when you need one

A Credit Advice is an official letter from your Thai bank confirming that money arrived in your account from overseas. It is what proves to immigration a transfer was international rather than local. If you are on the income method, ask your Thai bank for a Credit Advice after each significant Wise transfer. If you are on the 800,000 Baht deposit method, you do not need this for your visa renewal.

A separate document — the Foreign Exchange Transaction certificate (Tor Tor 3 or FET) — is issued automatically by your Thai bank when foreign currency arrives and is converted into Baht. This is a Bank of Thailand regulatory record, not a visa document and not a tax document. It becomes important if you purchase a condominium in Thailand: the Land Department requires it as proof that the purchase funds originated outside Thailand, which is a legal requirement for foreign nationals buying under the Condominium Act. It is worth keeping these certificates for any large transfer, but it has no bearing on your visa renewal and no direct relationship to your Thai income tax position — the question of whether remitted funds are assessable for PIT is a separate matter that depends on the nature of the funds, not on the FET certificate itself.

Which Thai bank should you use?

✅ Kasikorn Bank (KBank) — currently best for UK transfers

Since August 2025, Wise routes most Thailand transfers through Kasikorn Bank. This means KBank transfers arrive faster (often same-day or instant) and KBank is better placed to issue the Credit Advice documentation you need for visa purposes. If you are opening a Thai bank account now, or considering switching, Kasikorn is the current best choice for receiving UK money.

⚠️ Bangkok Bank — more complicated than it used to be

Bangkok Bank was Wise's partner for many years and is very well known in the expat community. Since Wise switched partners, Bangkok Bank transfers take longer (up to 24 hours) and some users have had difficulty getting correct visa documentation from them. Not impossible, but more work than it was. If you already bank with Bangkok Bank, it can still work — just be aware of the potential complications and start the documentation process early.

⚠️ SCB (Siam Commercial Bank) — known issues since 2025

Several users have reported their Wise transfers showing as domestic rather than international in SCB accounts since the banking partner switch. Until this is fully resolved, we suggest Kasikorn as the safer option if visa documentation matters to you.

Opening a Thai bank account in 2026

Thai banks tightened their requirements for foreign account holders significantly in 2025, following enhanced compliance standards issued by the Bank of Thailand. Bangkok Bank, Kasikorn Bank and SCB all updated their policies — the most significant change being that tourist visa holders and visa-exempt arrivals can no longer open accounts at major Thai banks. Bangkok Bank had historically been the most foreigner-friendly and allowed tourist-visa openings for years; it reversed that policy in early 2025 after account abuse by short-stay visitors. You now need a non-immigrant visa — retirement, marriage, LTR, work permit or similar long-stay visa — to open an account at any of the major banks. If you are planning your move to Thailand and do not yet have an account, you need your long-term visa in place first.

Thai retirement visa — how much money do you need?

As of 2026, the general requirement for a Thai retirement visa extension is one of these:

• 800,000 Thai Baht (roughly £18,000) sitting in a Thai bank account. Immigration verifies the balance — the source of funds is not examined at renewal under this method.
• Monthly income of at least 65,000 Thai Baht (roughly £1,450/month) transferred from abroad, shown over 12 months of bank statements
• A combination of savings and income that reaches 800,000 Baht in total for the year

The "coming from abroad" requirement applies to the monthly income method only. If you use the 800,000 Baht deposit method, you do not need Credit Advice documentation for your visa renewal.

What is changing with Wise in Thailand from May 2026

Wise has just been licensed by the Bank of Thailand. These are the practical changes in plain English:

Step by step — how to send money from UK to Thailand

1. Open a free Wise account at wise.com — takes 5–10 minutes. You will need to verify your identity with a passport or driving licence.
2. Add your Thai bank details — for Kasikorn Bank you need your 10-digit account number and your name exactly as it appears on the account. Wise walks you through this.
3. Enter the amount in GBP — Wise shows you exactly what Thai Baht the recipient will receive and the fee before you confirm. No surprises.
4. Pay Wise from your UK bank using Wise's UK bank account details — this is a normal UK bank transfer, not an international wire, so your UK bank does not charge international fees.
5. Wise converts and sends to your Thai bank — Kasikorn Bank usually receives it the same day.
6. If you need visa documentation: after the transfer arrives, contact Kasikorn Bank and ask for a Credit Advice for that transfer. Keep this document safe.