mojaco

If I choose to send dollars from my Borderless dollar account to Bangkok Bank using Wise's SWIFT "Same Currency" send instead of having Wise convert to Baht as used normally, then I am 99% assured that will show up as FTT international transfer in Bangkok Bank. Costs a little more that way but much cheaper than having my USA bank send using SWIFT.

Wise never guaranteed 100% transfers usuing Bangkok Bank, plus they have been very quick to respond to my emails, add tags, and so on. Yes, it did cause me personally spending many hours researching the situation and testing alternative SWIFT transfers to assure I have a Plan B. I might give 3-4 stars but never lower. It is very unkind and arrogant to try to get me/us to give one star. I will still use Wise, perhaps the "International" or "same Currency" SWIFT transfer.

It was 2 days later they emailed me my account was now tagged.

I just checked setting up transfers in my case. If less than $1,500 the final screen says it will go "in seconds". If more than that amount the final screen lets me "schedule" the transfer. And I had an email from Wise yesterday confirming they "tagged" my receiving account to always (if possible) us Bangkok Bank as the partner bank. And I also chose "sending for long term stay in Thailand". So, I will just have to wait and see for the next couple of weeks before I decide how to send my November 65,000 Baht . . . Wise "International", Wise SWIFT, or SWIFT from a bank in the USA.

Did you happen to notice if the final screen just before you sent the one that went via Bangkok Bank to Bangkok Bank showed a "future" time and not "in seconds" and did the one going via KBank show "in seconds"?

What I did was to set up transfers from my Borderless account at different transfer dollars, and then the last screen just before you actually approve the "send" shows when the transfer will occur, either some hours/days in the future, or "in seconds". I *think* that the "in seconds" will go by via KBank and the "future" will be via Bangkok Bank, showing as FTT. But I have not yet sent my November 65,000 Baht to be able to test that out for certain. And it is possible the "50,000 Baht" break point may depend on the funds available in each bank at that particular time/day for transferring. But the expected timing of send should be the tip off to whether Bangkok Bank or KBank will be used as the partner bank. If it shows as "in seconds" just cancel that pending transfer.

That was my guess. After all of the current confusion dies down in a week or two, I may try seeing if that apparent break point between instant transfer not using Bangkok Bank as the Partner bank, and usual one day or more transfer as in the past still occurs. Obviously Wise is doing things differently.

Thank you. I just now looked at the routing you showed as an example. So even if one specifies BKKBTHBK, the sending entity can start sending it however they want as long as it ends up at BKKBTHBK? And Bangkok Bank isn't wise enough to know that the routing initialized with BKKBTHBK as an international entity? Wonderful system of confusion that reigns in this modern world of ours. I suppose if one of my SWIFT fails, I can send another transmission using one of my other $50-$60 SWIFT options. And return funds back to the USA via Dee if necessary. But at least the current confusion with the "International" Wise transfers would not be the issue. Or I might use Fidelity (FREE send) if my test send from them shows up as International with Bangkok Bank. But "Free" sounds like they may use any number of alternate low cost systems to transfer money . . . or maybe it is a system they have just exactly like the Wise system . . . no actual transfer at all?

Thanks for the insight to all of this. I did send a test SWIFT: BKKBTHBK using Wise and it showed up as International transfer. I also used that same code from three other financial sources in the USA and they all showed up as International transfers. Three of those sources took less than one day to be in the Bangkok Bank account, whereas Wise took about three days (from Monday to Thursday). Based on what you have said, I may try one more test with Wise immediately before my November transfer for Immigration.

When I set up Wise for SWIFT transfers, I chose BKKBTHBK as the SWIFT code. Is it still possible that particular code could still end up in the BAHTNET system you talk about?

I have looked at two ways to send USD (dollar) funds for 65,000 Baht for Thai Immigration: (1) the Wise conversion to Thai Baht "International" normal transfer to my Bangkok Bank account and (2) the USD (dollar) "Same Currency" transfer which is a SWIFT transfer in dollars to my Bangkok Bank account. I fund all my transfers from my Borderless USD (dollar) account. The sending of USD $2,450 in the same currency using SWIFT costs $3.41 from Wise, a possible fee from intermediary banks, and about $6.00 (200 Thai Baht) from Bangkok Bank. Or, I could pay Wise a fee of $14.51 instead of $3.41 to cover whatever the intermediary bank charges might be. So, for about $3.41+$6.00=$9.41 or at most $14.51+$6.00=$20.51 I can send my monthly funds for Immigration via SWIFT, which is guaranteed to show up as an International Transfer by Bangkok Bank. My test transfer with the SWIFT method showed JPMorgan Chase Bank as the bank sending the funds to Bangkok Bank. So, for a fairly low SWIFT charge of about $20 or a little less, and being willing to wait 3-4 days for the transfer to finalize, in order to guarantee the transfer shows up as "International" I will be using Wise's SWIFT transfer from now own. Peace of Mind is worth it. Plus I have my transfers set up as automatic monthly scheduled transfers, so I don't have to worry I might forget some month. I will get a notice from them if my Borderless doesn't have enough funds in it some month. Also sending funds "International", Wise charges me $14.42, but no Bangkok Bank charge. So the cost differences is only $6 or so at most. And the Exchange Rate by Wise is probably only slightly higher than the TT rate Bangkok Bank gives, but they are on different days also, so Bangkok Bank TT could be better or worse than Wise's, probably a little worse.

Just found that if I plan to send USD $1,494 or more from my Borderless account to my "tagged" Bangkok Bank account it plans to arrive on October 18. If $1,493 or less it plans to arrive "in seconds". Interesting. But at least I seem to get a warning whether it will go through Bangkok Bank as my Partner Bank or not.

I imagine it is Wise that runs out of funds in their Bangkok Bank account to transfer, not the bank running out of funds.

I care. I just sent a test SWIFT transfer to my Bangkok Bank from my "borderless" account. Will take 4 - 5 days to receive it. Sent $100, cost $2.90 fixed plus $0.51 based on the amount. Other services along the way will probably take out fees including Bangkok Bank. Will report how that ended up. I also will probably send a free SWIFT transfer from my Fidelity brokerage to see if that ends up FTT.

How does that go? Something like "A doctor who treats himself has a fool for a patient."

My British friend had opportunity yesterday to sign up for Astrazeneca being supplied by the British consulate in Chiang Mai. So sad that the USA doesn't do the same.