Hi.

Does anyone have any suggestions for reliable and cheap ways to regularly transfer money FROM Thailand to the UK?

Thanks
Kevin

I used to use western union, can't remember the costs involved but it was too much, also very safe and reliable. Thai post offices are a western union agent and also quite a few banks.

I would have thought an interbank or bacs transfer, if you're talking about a large amount.


Nick

quote:

I would have thought an interbank or bacs transfer, if you're talking about a large amount.

Getting money out of Thailand via that route is not that easy. You will need to prove that the funds originated outside of Thailand in the first place.

It's not a huge amount... a couple of grand... but it will be regular, every month, so that's why I was looking for a cheap option.

Or even the Thai equivalent of the Nationwide solution?

I also need to send money from LOS to the UK every month (to meet blimming debt repayments) and - like you - it's a couple of thousand baht a month.

The only way I've got round this is to have someone pay the money into my account from England and I save the equivalent amount of money for them here in Thailand until such time as they come out on holiday.

Of course, if you mean a couple of thousand pounds and not Baht, well I have no idea and no suggestions. Sorry!

But, there's a lot of expertise on this forum and someone will know.

quote:

Of course, if you mean a couple of thousand pounds and not Baht, well I have no idea and no suggestions.

Yes, it is actually pounds... about £2000/month that I'll need to transfer to the UK as I'm going to be moving to Thailand to work for a while.

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. However, it seems as though there is no Nationwide equivalent, where I could open an account in Thailand and have someone withdraw the money in the UK via an ATM whilst receiving good/interbank rates?

JKMPLE, if you open an account with Kasikorn bank you can get a flexi account with ATM card that you can use i England dont know what the charges are though I think cheaper than western union.

not only are u likely to receive good interbank exchange rates on an atm withdrawal in the uk (although there is normally a fixed fee for withdrawals), but the exchange logically ought to take place at an offshore rate (about 10% more pounds for ur baht). don't know if this happens in practice though.

ian.

"about £2000/month that I'll need to transfer to the UK as I'm going to be moving to Thailand to work for a while."

If you are working with permit and paying tax,it is possible to transfer from a local (Thai) bank back to UK.I've got a Bangkok Bank account with internet banking enabled and a UK bank account in my own name authorised.This is permitted by the Bank of Thailand as 'working foreigner repatriating funds' or something similar.A transaction limit (@ 9 grand stirling I think) and annual total limit (assessed from your decared Thai taxed income)apply,but it is nice to run your own transfers from your own computer.Set transaction fee of 400 Baht regardless of transfer size,seems to take about 4 hours to clear.

Is it not possible to use a SWIFT transfer as we do from Uk-Bkk?