USA Bank Transfer

[Brn2Trvl]

Hi all.

I hope to find a USA bank, West coast, Oregon specifically that I can transfer funds to from my existing Credit Union in Oregon and then transfer that money to here in my Thailand, Bangkok Bank savings account.

I have a Credit Union bank account in the usa. I have had many other different bank accounts prio, but only have this one now. 

Question; What is your bank in the USA that does International money transfers to Bangkok Bank and is it difficult and you'd wish you had an easier bank to work with?

Please use bank names in any answer . Thank you and happy holidays.

 

[Yellowtail]

I use Chase (previously WaMu) and make online transfers to my Thai banks without any difficulties. 

 

 

[CharlieH]

MOVED to Banking forum

[Celsius]

Most people here use Wise to transfer money

[timendres]

I opened an account with Capital One called the "360 Savings Account". I was able to open that account online from here in Thailand. Now I can use ACH transfers to and from Capital One, and use wire transfers to and from Thailand via the Capital One account. As others have noted, Wise is a popular choice, but I have no experience with Wise. I have been happy with Capital One. The interest paid is slightly better than my other banks, and the online experience is excellent. However, you need to note one thing: for some time now, I have needed to receive a code via SMS (phone call is also possible) to login, and this is only doable for me because I have a Skype account with a US phone number to receive those texts.

[Brn2Trvl]

timendres, tyvm. I'm not familiar with WISE but know of it. The Capitol one option is what I'm looking into now.

[Yellowtail]

Wise is generally better for small transfers (<$10-15K) but a bank/SWIFT is better for large transfers. 

 

 

[KannikaP]

5 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

I use Chase (previously WaMu) and make online transfers to my Thai banks without any difficulties. 

 

 

No, WaMu, Washington Mutual went bust and was bought by JPM Chase in 2008. Chase has been going for centuries.

[Yellowtail]

4 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

No, WaMu, Washington Mutual went bust and was bought by JPM Chase in 2008. Chase has been going for centuries.

Yes. I was a WaMu customer when they went bust. MY bank was WaMu before was Chase, and it was Home Savings before it was WaMu. 

 

[Yellowtail]

Correction, it was American Savings before it was WaMu. 

[KannikaP]

6 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

I use Chase (previously WaMu) and make online transfers to my Thai banks without any difficulties. 

 

 

Do they arrive as International Transfers in order to satisfy the IO?

 

[Yellowtail]

10 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Do they arrive as International Transfers in order to satisfy the IO?

 

I assume they do, but I do not use the monthly income method. 

 

I do know I specify what the funds are for from a drop-down menu (I always select real estate purchase) and that the transfers arrive in dollars and the bank calls and asked me to approve the exchange rate before they convert it to baht. 

 

For small monthly transfers I'm sure Wise is cheaper.

[KannikaP]

1 minute ago, Yellowtail said:

I assume they do, but I do not use the monthly income method. 

 

I do know I specify what the funds are for from a drop-down menu (I always select real estate purchase) and that the transfers arrive in dollars and the bank calls and asked me to approve the exchange rate before they convert it to baht. 

 

For small monthly transfers I'm sure Wise is cheaper.

Yes thanks, I use Wise with no problems. I convert to Baht in Wise as & when the rate is good and then send Baht to my Bkk Bank.

Glad for you that 65k is a 'small' monthly transfer. 555

 

[Yellowtail]

15 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Yes thanks, I use Wise with no problems. I convert to Baht in Wise as & when the rate is good and then send Baht to my Bkk Bank.

Glad for you that 65k is a 'small' monthly transfer. 555

 

 

As I said in a previous post: Wise is generally better for small transfers (<$10-15K) but a bank/SWIFT is better for large transfers.  

 

 

It has less to do with the amount than it does with the frequency. B65K ~ $2K so small. The same amount but once a year is ~$24K so it would be large.

 

I generally only transfer money once a year after I estimate my taxes, 

[BKKKevin]

5 hours ago, timendres said:

Now I can use ACH transfers to and from Capital One, and use wire transfers to and from Thailand via the Capital One account.

You can make the foreign transfer from US to Thailand online?… I have a  360 Performance Saving account and see no way to initiate a foreign transfer online?… It says to contact a branch office to transfer…

[Jingthing]

An option that many use (including me) is State Department Federal Credit Union.

You can join based on a small fee to a consumer organization although obviously their core audience is state department employees. 

With that account you can very easily do online SWIFT wires that do cost 35.

You can open an account there from Thailand. Thai address and passport ID are OK. If you have a valid US driver's license they probably prefer that though. 

As they serve embassy staff internationally, they are about as expat friendly as it gets.

[Yellowtail]

2 hours ago, BKKKevin said:

You can make the foreign transfer from US to Thailand online?… I have a  360 Performance Saving account and see no way to initiate a foreign transfer online?… It says to contact a branch office to transfer…

I can with Chase, but I did have to set it up when I was in the US. Though once it's set up, it is easy to make transfers and add accounts and whatnot online. 

 

 

[timendres]

4 hours ago, BKKKevin said:

You can make the foreign transfer from US to Thailand online?… I have a  360 Performance Saving account and see no way to initiate a foreign transfer online?… It says to contact a branch office to transfer…

 

Now that you ask specifically, I realize that I have only received transfers from Thailand to the CapitalOne 360 account.

My credit union has online provisions to wire money to Thailand, and that is how I transferred to Thailand the previous two times.

I thought I had tested 360 to Thailand, but now realize I never got around to it.

[BKKKevin]

2 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

I can with Chase, but I did have to set it up when I was in the US. Though once it's set up, it is easy to make transfers and add accounts and whatnot online. 

 

 

Chase seems to only charge $5 for an online transfer and $0 for transfers above $5k.. I guess they make money on the exchange rate... Do you know if they use the daily midmarket rate or lower?...

[yankee99]

citibank and etrade can swift transfer on your phone 

[mamypoko]

Charles Schwab. Wire transfers cost around US$5.00. If sent on a business day in the US and the following day is a business day in Thailand, I will receive the transfer that following day. Also, their Visa debit card refunds any/all fees from any ATM. 

[Crazy Noobie]

My bank account is in Oregon at Chase Bank and I transfer money every month online to Bangkok Bank here. There is a flat rate of $40 to transfer any amount. The money arrives in Thailand within 24 hours. There were other banks I could use. but to be able to transfer money I had to have an American cell to be able to receive their security code, whereas Chase Bank didn't have that requirement. Very easy at Chase Bank, it takes me about 3 minutes or less to do the global transfer.

[fittobethaied]

I recently discovered that I could use Wise.com to transfer USD's to my Foreign Currency Deposit Savings account at Bangkok Bank. Just choose "same currency" USD's to USD's and choose the SWIFT option for the transfer. I sent a low 5 figure transfer for only a $52 fee, and my credit union in the US would have charged me $80 for the same transfer. Had it done within 5 minutes with no hassle at all. 

[maxx58]

I've been using Citi Bank for over ten years without any problems.

 

About once a year I make a transfer to my Bangkok Bank account.

 

I send it in $US and Bangkok Bank converts it at the TT Buying Rate, which changes a couple of times during the day.

 

Cost is $35 to Citi and 500THB to Bangkok Bank

 

Might be cheaper using other methods but it's hassle free for me.

[KannikaP]

11 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

 

As I said in a previous post: Wise is generally better for small transfers (<$10-15K) but a bank/SWIFT is better for large transfers.  

 

 

It has less to do with the amount than it does with the frequency. B65K ~ $2K so small. The same amount but once a year is ~$24K so it would be large.

 

I generally only transfer money once a year after I estimate my taxes, 

That's OK unless you need to do 65k per month for your retirement extension as many of us do.

[Yellowtail]

6 hours ago, BKKKevin said:

Chase seems to only charge $5 for an online transfer and $0 for transfers above $5k.. I guess they make money on the exchange rate... Do you know if they use the daily midmarket rate or lower?...

 

I always transfer in USD and let the bank here do the exchange. I think the fee is $45. 

 

Last time I ran the numbers, at $45 for the transfer, Wise was cheaper up to about $10K.

 

 

[Yellowtail]

6 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

That's OK unless you need to do 65k per month for your retirement extension as many of us do.

In that case I think using Wise or some-such is likely your cheapest option. 

[edwardflory]

I just transfered Thursday, via my US MASTER CARD DEBIT CARD, $643 - 21,000THB,  to my Thai Bank account, total charges ( bank & exchange ) was $3.26USD ( Total of $646.26USD)  I transfer ( DEPOSIT ) straight to my Thai Bank account - don't touch the money and use a TELLER....NOT SERVICE DESK. After transfer completed I go to banks ATM to withdraw monies.

( Thai bank is not Bangkok Bank )

 

NOTES: I have a ""senior checking account"" in US, and am only charged for NSF checks. I have a FREE to use VOIP US phone number that works in Thailand ( via WiFi or mobile data ) to do telephone banking and call / receive calls from the US

[KannikaP]

8 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

In that case I think using Wise or some-such is likely your cheapest option. 

Which is what I, and many others use. Thanks.

Remember to tick the Long Stay or Buying Property option or it will arrive instantly as a Local Transfer.

[Yellowtail]

4 minutes ago, edwardflory said:

I just transfered Thursday, via my US MASTER CARD DEBIT CARD, $643 - 21,000THB,  to my Thai Bank account, total charges ( bank & exchange ) was $3.26USD ( Total of $646.26USD)  I transfer ( DEPOSIT ) straight to my Thai Bank account - don't touch the money and use a TELLER....NOT SERVICE DESK. After transfer completed I go to banks ATM to withdraw monies.

( Thai bank is not Bangkok Bank )

 

NOTES: I have a ""senior checking account"" in US, and am only charged for NSF checks. I have a VOIP US phone number that works in Thailand ( via WiFi or mobile data ) to do telephone banking and call / receive calls from the US

How do you come up with the total charges of $3.26??