Send money
Send money to Thailand: best ways, fees & THB payout
How to send money to Thailand - THB rails (PromptPay, BAHTNET), banks, SWIFT vs local payout, and true-cost transfer checklist. Includes mid-market FX vs boards, DCC refusal, PromptPay vs SWIFT, fee-stack anatomy, week-one calendar, and a Glide operating angle for Thailand.
Sending money to Thailand is a corridor problem: what the recipient needs (THB bank credit, wallet, or cash pickup), how fast it must arrive, and the true cost after FX - not just the sticker fee.
What recipients in Thailand usually need
- Local currency: Thai baht (THB)
- Domestic rails: PromptPay, BAHTNET
- Major banks: Bangkok Bank, Kasikornbank, Siam Commercial Bank, Krungthai
- Everyday methods they already use: cash (THB), PromptPay, Visa/Mastercard
How value should terminate
PromptPay links Thai bank accounts to mobile numbers/IDs for instant THB transfers and QR. Locals use it everywhere; visitors without Thai banking fall back to cards and cash.
- PromptPay links Thai bank accounts to mobile numbers/IDs for instant THB transfers and QR. Locals use it everywhere; visitors without Thai banking fall back to cards and cash.
- BAHTNET is a domestic Thailand payment rail for THB account-to-account value. Use it for local rent, payroll, and bills once you have a participating account — reserve classic international wires for counterparties that truly cannot receive on local rails.
Path options (speed + fee shape)
| Path | Typical arrive* | Fee shape* | When to use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local-rail payout → THB | 10 min – same day once funded | Flat or low % + FX at send | Recipient has Bangkok Bank / local account or wallet |
| Classic SWIFT wire | 1–5 business days | Often $40–$85 send + intermediary $10–$40 + FX markup | Beneficiary only accepts MT/wire instructions |
| Stablecoin leg + offramp | Minutes – hours | Network fee + conversion spread | Both ends can hold/offramp crypto-capable balances |
| Cash pickup / agent | Minutes – hours | Higher % typical | Unbanked recipient — last resort for size |
*Illustrative ranges for planning - not a live quote. Intermediary SWIFT haircuts of roughly $10-$40 are common when a correspondent sits between you and Bangkok Bank.
Worked example (illustrative — not a live quote)
Suppose the recipient in Thailand must receive exactly ฿1,000 THB (rent slice, tuition installment, or family support). Fix that delivered amount first, then compare providers on what you must fund in your home currency.
| Provider pattern | What usually inflates cost |
|---|---|
| Bank SWIFT + desk FX | Flat wire fee + 1.5–4% FX vs mid-market + intermediary lifting fees |
| Fintech local-rail payout | Transparent fee + small FX spread — compare total funded |
| Airport cash then carry | Worst FX + theft risk — never for salary-scale amounts |
True-cost checklist
- Fix the amount the recipient must receive in THB
- Compare total you must fund today (fee + FX vs mid-market)
- Confirm delivery speed against rent/tuition deadlines
- Send a small test on new beneficiaries when stakes are high
Local context
Outbound from a THB account at Bangkok Bank, domestic legs should use PromptPay / BAHTNET. The shoppable part is the cross-border hop to family or a home mortgage — compare delivered amount, not sticker fees. Recurring remittances from Bangkok get banks’ attention; keep contracts or support context ready when compliance asks. If both you and the recipient can use modern payout networks, avoid SWIFT-by-default just because the branch form still lists it first.
PromptPay QR is ubiquitous for locals; travellers without a Thai bank account still lean on cash + international cards.
Numbers that matter
| Metric | Planning band |
|---|---|
| Daily mid-range travel | USD 35–100 |
| Monthly mid living | USD 800–2,200 |
| Currency | Thai baht (THB) |
| Primary rails | PromptPay, BAHTNET |
| Major banks (ATM brands) | Bangkok Bank, Kasikornbank, Siam Commercial Bank, Krungthai |
| Cash declaration baseline | Declare THB 450,000+ (residents) / THB 50,000+ (non-residents leaving) and foreign currency above USD 20,000 equivalent when required by customs rules. |
| Best months (general) | November–February (cooler, drier high season) |
Mid-market FX vs the board you are shown
The mid-market rate is the midpoint between buy and sell on wholesale markets — the number Google and major FX feeds show for THB. Airport desks, hotel cashiers, and many bank boards price far away from that midpoint. A “0% commission” offer in Bangkok almost always hides the markup inside the rate.
Dynamic currency conversion (DCC) is the terminal prompt that offers to charge your home currency “for convenience.” In Thailand, refuse it: choose THB / local currency so your issuer converts near its published FX rules instead of the merchant’s padded rate.
| Surface | What you usually get | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Bangkok airport desk | Wide spread vs mid-market | Convert only emergency float |
| Hotel cashier | Convenience tax on THB | Pay room in local currency on card |
| Restaurant POS with DCC | Home-currency “helpful” prompt | Always select THB |
| Bank-branded ATM | Issuer FX + possible operator fee | Prefer Bangkok Bank lobbies; cover PIN |
True-cost matrix (illustrative)
Ignore “$0 fee” headlines. For money into or inside Thailand, rank options by total funded to deliver a fixed THB outcome — including FX distance from mid-market, flat fees, intermediary lifting, and time risk.
| Path | Speed* | Hidden costs* | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local rail (PromptPay) | Minutes–same day | Needs local/multi-currency balance | Rent, salary, family once banked |
| Card spend in local currency | Instant auth | Issuer FX; DCC if you accept it | Tourist day-to-day in hubs |
| SWIFT / correspondent wire | 1–5 business days | Send fee + intermediary + FX markup | Only if beneficiary cannot receive local |
| Stablecoin leg + offramp | Minutes–hours | Network + conversion spread | Crypto-capable teams & freelancers |
| Airport cash convert | Immediate notes | Worst FX + theft surface | Emergency float only |
Domestic rails worth understanding
Inside Thailand, everyday bank value usually rides PromptPay and sibling domestic systems — not SWIFT. Tourists meet these rails indirectly (hotel deposits, local contractors). Residents and long-stay expats should treat them as the default once a local account exists.
- PromptPay links Thai bank accounts to mobile numbers/IDs for instant THB transfers and QR. Locals use it everywhere; visitors without Thai banking fall back to cards and cash.
- BAHTNET is a domestic Thailand payment rail for THB account-to-account value. Use it for local rent, payroll, and bills once you have a participating account — reserve classic international wires for counterparties that truly cannot receive on local rails.
Week-one money calendar
- Before you fly: enable issuer travel/security controls; order a backup card; save Bangkok Bank ATM brands on a map around Bangkok
- Landing day: skip full-budget airport FX; keep a tiny THB float if you already hold near-mid-market notes
- Day 1–2: test a small card purchase in THB; refuse DCC; confirm your backup card also works
- Day 3+: map where cash is still required (markets, tips, intercity desks) and refill only at bank lobby ATMs
- If staying 30+ days: start local-account checklist early — tourist KYC often fails at Bangkok Bank
Fee stack anatomy (read this before any big transfer)
Every cross-border move into or out of Thailand is a stack of (1) FX distance from mid-market, (2) explicit send fees, (3) intermediary or network fees, and (4) time risk if the payment misses a payroll or rent cut-off. Marketing that highlights only one of the four is incomplete.
| Layer | What it is | How to pressure-test it |
|---|---|---|
| FX | Distance from mid-market THB | Ask for all-in funded amount for a fixed receive |
| Send fee | Flat or % charged by the sender product | Confirm whether fee is in send or receive currency |
| Intermediary / network | SWIFT lifting fees, ATM operator fees, chain gas | Ask who can debit intermediate banks |
| Time risk | Missed cut-offs, weekends, compliance holds | Plan 1–2 buffer days for rent-critical moves |
If a card freezes in Thailand
- Freeze the failed card in your issuer app; do not keep retrying and burning authorizations
- Switch to the backup card on a different network/issuer — test a small purchase first
- Withdraw a modest THB float from a Bangkok Bank lobby ATM if cash is required
- Use a pre-arranged emergency top-up (partner, multi-currency balance, or stablecoin offramp) — not airport desks for large amounts
- If both cards fail, contact issuer travel support with merchant name + city; document every fee for dispute
Decision checklist before you commit
- Write the outcome first: “Recipient holds ฿X THB by date Y.”
- Quote at least two paths (local-rail fintech vs bank SWIFT vs card-funded cash) using the same outcome sentence
- Confirm the beneficiary can actually receive on PromptPay — if not, SWIFT may be forced
- Refuse DCC on every terminal; screenshot rate screens when amounts are large
- Document fees for expense reports and future disputes
What good looks like
- You can explain the mid-market THB rate vs the board in front of you
- You never accept DCC on POS or ATM prompts in Thailand
- Local outcomes ride PromptPay when the counterparty can receive them
- Emergency funding does not depend on a single card or airport cash
- Teams use approval controls (multisig) for treasury-scale balances
- You know which Bangkok Bank (or peer) ATMs you will actually use in Bangkok
Next step
Move money for Thailand without the wire tax
Hold multi-currency or stablecoin balances, convert at transparent rates, and pay out on modern rails - built for travel, living abroad, and cross-border work. Compare every quote to mid-market THB, refuse DCC, and prefer PromptPay when the counterparty can receive them.
Open GlideFrequently asked questions
What is the best way to send money to Thailand?+
Prefer paths that terminate on PromptPay in THB. Avoid SWIFT-by-default when local payout exists.
How long do transfers to Thailand take?+
Local-rail payouts often settle in 10 minutes-same day once funded. Classic SWIFT to banks like Bangkok Bank commonly takes 1-3 business days (up to ~5 with holds), sometimes with $10-$40 intermediary fees.
What details do I need?+
Recipient legal name, THB account details or IBAN/CLABE/local ID as required, bank name (e.g. Bangkok Bank), and sometimes address/purpose of payment.
How do I avoid hidden fees?+
Fix the delivered local amount, then compare total funded cost vs mid-market. Ask who pays intermediary fees on SWIFT.
How do I avoid bad FX in Thailand?+
Compare every rate to mid-market THB, refuse DCC, and avoid converting large amounts at Bangkok airport desks or hotel cashiers.
When should I use SWIFT into Thailand?+
Only when the beneficiary cannot receive on PromptPay. For rent, salary, and family support once banked, domestic rails beat correspondent wires on fee and speed.
Glide · Borderless banking
Money for Thailand without the wire tax
Hold multi-currency or USDC balances, convert near mid-market, decline DCC habits, and pay out on local rails - solo or with multisig for teams.
Keep reading
Sending money from Thailand: remittances & transfers
Send money from Thailand - remittance paths, SWIFT vs local payouts, stablecoin options, Bangkok Bank starting point, compliance tips.
Travel to Thailand: complete money guide (THB)
Complete travel money overview for Thailand: THB, budgets, declaration baseline, payment culture in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, and links to specialist card/ATM/FX guides.
Money in Thailand: banks, PromptPay & THB
Banks and payment rails in Thailand - Bangkok Bank, Kasikornbank, Siam Commercial Bank, how PromptPay / BAHTNET work, and when tourists need a local account.