Transferring cash from Thailand to own bank account

[kirkieb]

Tried sending cash today back to Australia.

4 banks and Westerm Union all claim you cant transfer your own cash to your own bank account in my own country.

Can transfer to a third party via Western Union. Just not to your own bank account via direct debit

Anyone have any ideas why.

Seems from comments whispered was bank balances of so many farangs btwn 400 and 800k totalling many hundreds of billions baht with it so high against major currencies.

Imagine if farangs with drew funds on the same day.

Its our money why cant we do with what we want?

Edited October 26, 2019 by kirkieb
Bad spelling

[CharlieH]

MOVED to banking

[timendres]

Thailand limits outgoing transfers based on the concept of "where did you get the money?"

Working illegally, or otherwise acquiring money illegally, is the primary concern.

If you can show the source of the money - e.g., work permit, receipt for sale of condo, or receipt of a foreign funds transfer of the money into Thailand - then most banks will allow the transfer of the money.

[allane]

To the OP: What is your Immigration status ?

[kirkieb]

Hi allane,

Ive been on a Retirement Visa for 5 years live hear permanently. Prior to was on Marriage Visa

Thing is have never tried to transfer money out always transferred into Thailand.

It seems to beg to ask a series of other questions.

With so many Retirees (Non - Working) returning to their home countries due to the high Baht how do they get their money back home say from the deposit we all keep in the bank if we dont want do a Embassy run.

My money has been in the same bank for 5 years so nothing dodgey about it was. 

Also I get an Aussie Pension paid into the same account and Bank so they can see where the money comes from including regular savings yet they want me to prove the pension they have had deposited for 7 years with Australian Government Source.

Surely its clear.

 

 

[sandyf]

34 minutes ago, kirkieb said:

Hi allane,

Ive been on a Retirement Visa for 5 years live hear permanently. Prior to was on Marriage Visa

Thing is have never tried to transfer money out always transferred into Thailand.

It seems to beg to ask a series of other questions.

With so many Retirees (Non - Working) returning to their home countries due to the high Baht how do they get their money back home say from the deposit we all keep in the bank if we dont want do a Embassy run.

My money has been in the same bank for 5 years so nothing dodgey about it was. 

Also I get an Aussie Pension paid into the same account and Bank so they can see where the money comes from including regular savings yet they want me to prove the pension they have had deposited for 7 years with Australian Government Source.

Surely its clear.

 

 

I am with TMB and I have transferred money back to my account a few times. The first time I tried they said it couldn't be done. I asked to see the manager and he said it couldn't be done because they couldn't prove where the funds came from. I explained I had my pension paid into my TMB account from the pension provider and if they had no record of the transactions then there was a failing in their banking system. I asked him if I needed to get the Swift transaction details from my bank in the UK. He disappeared for some minutes, I suspect to make a phone call, and then said if I brought in details of my pension payments and UK account details he would see what could be done.

I went straight home and came back with all the details. I never saw the manager again, the staff took the documents and then came back with a form to fill in. The transfer was done there and then, and in my UK account by the time I got home. 

Each time I have gone back it has been the same initial response but I just show the form from the previous transfer and the argument goes away.

The bottom line is they do not want to do it as they have to justify the transaction to the BOT and as most are inexperienced in international transactions they are scared of getting it wrong. Good luck.

 

PS The form they used was titled "Application for Outward Money Transfer", not sure if that is common among the different banks.

Edited October 27, 2019 by sandyf

[Sheryl]

Yes as above. It can be done but you may need to show proof you brought the money in from abroad to begin with.

Go in person with said proof and insidt on talking to a manager.

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Sheryl]

Yes as above. It can be done but you may need to show proof you brought the money in from abroad to begin with.

Go in person with said proof and insist on talking to a manager.

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Tim K]

In 2018, I just showed my bankbook with a foreign incoming transfer remark, and asked "Can I transfer it back to my homecountry"?

This was at Bangkok bank, chentalay, Phuket.

And the staff said sure, the fee will be around 300+-100b any sum of money (i had only 400k).

They didn't even ask about taxes - I asked them, do I need to prove something? They just looked at me like I'm crazy.

 

But I've never done it, just asking to have my plan-b.

 

If the sum is under 20000$, I prefer buying 100$ dollar bills. Russia's customs has almost no limits for import of cash.

Thailand's limit for export is 20k.

Also tried bitcoin, doable in under 1h.

Edited October 27, 2019 by Tim K

[kirkieb]

Excellent advice Thanks everyone will try tomorrow Cheers Kirky

[impulse]

Just a heads up...  The OP is on a resident status (retirement).  If you're on tourist status, my bank told me you can't wire money from a Thai bank. 

 

I went from WP to tourist status when my contract ended and tried to wire a few thousand $$$USD to a Chinese vendor, and ran up against this.  Got the bank manager involved, and they connected me to some central office which told me it's Thai law, and not a bank policy.  I had cash USD with me, and many times that much in THB in my 7 year old bank account...  Still, no go because of my visa status.

 

I ended up draining my Thai bank account using my ATM card in the USA, leaving a few thousand baht to keep the account open in case I need it later.  It was too much to carry it in cash without reporting it to customs.

 

Edited October 28, 2019 by impulse