Using Wise to pay for things

[scubascuba3]

One way to avoid bringing money into Thailand and any subsequent tax is to use alternative methods to pay for things, i can use my UK Mastercard for online purchases but how do you use Wise to pay for Thai things?

[CharlieH]

MOVED to Banking

[CharlieH]

2 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

One way to avoid bringing money into Thailand and any subsequent tax is to use alternative methods to pay for things, i can use my UK Mastercard for online purchases but how do you use Wise to pay for Thai things?

 

You would need a Wise card which cannot be obtained whilst in Thailand, but can be sent to an alternate address. say UK, and forwarded to you. 

 

[CallumWK]

2 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

 

You would need a Wise card which cannot be obtained whilst in Thailand, but can be sent to an alternate address. say UK, and forwarded to you. 

 

 

Do you need the physical card to make purchases online, or pay for goods in shops?

[chickenslegs]

12 minutes ago, CallumWK said:

 

Do you need the physical card to make purchases online, or pay for goods in shops?

I pay for wine orders, car insurance, maintenance fees, health insurance and a few other thing using Wise, and I don't have a Wise card (not available for Thailand accounts).

 

You just need the name and bank a/c details of the vendor and add them as recipient then send the money. Wise provides a reference for the transaction, which you can copy and send to the vendor to confirm.

[scubascuba3]

5 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

I pay for wine orders, car insurance, maintenance fees, health insurance and a few other thing using Wise, and I don't have a Wise card (not available for Thailand accounts).

 

You just need the name and bank a/c details of the vendor and add them as recipient then send the money. Wise provides a reference for the transaction, which you can copy and send to the vendor to confirm.

Does that require you to have a THB balance at Wise and then do the transfer? or other way?

[scubascuba3]

20 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

 

You would need a Wise card which cannot be obtained whilst in Thailand, but can be sent to an alternate address. say UK, and forwarded to you. 

 

You can get a virtual card apparently, i was just checking their website. Not much use in google wallet/phone as not widely used in Thailand

[CharlieH]

19 minutes ago, CallumWK said:

 

Do you need the physical card to make purchases online, or pay for goods in shops?

Spmebody quoted above there is a virtual card" available for online purchases.

 

[chickenslegs]

12 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Does that require you to have a THB balance at Wise and then do the transfer? or other way?

I keep a GBP balance with Wise. I enter the amount due in THB and send it. No need to keep a THB balance. Takes a few seconds to arrive.

[chickenslegs]

20 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

I pay for wine orders, car insurance, maintenance fees, health insurance and a few other thing using Wise, and I don't have a Wise card (not available for Thailand accounts).

 

You just need the name and bank a/c details of the vendor and add them as recipient then send the money. Wise provides a reference for the transaction, which you can copy and send to the vendor to confirm.

Just to clarify. I can't use Wise to pay online shopping sites (Lazada etc) or to purchase flights, as these sites require card payment. 

[bunnydrops]

From the horse's mouth so to speak. They let you have three V-cards.

https://wise.com/gb/virtual-card/

[KannikaP]

28 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Does that require you to have a THB balance at Wise and then do the transfer? or other way?

No. Wise will automatically convert from say GBP to THB, or any other major currency, without your intervention.

Not enough THBs, then they will top it up from your GBP balance.

As a slightly off topic post, at 6am this morning I transferred GBP 1000 from Nationwide to Wise = 5 seconds, then converted to THB, another 5 seconds, and sent it to my Bkk Bank account, as long term stay purpose. As always, it arrived as an International Transfer at 14.02 this afternoon. No problems with Wise at all. 

[chickenslegs]

6 minutes ago, bunnydrops said:

From the horse's mouth so to speak. They let you have three V-cards.

https://wise.com/gb/virtual-card/

Not available if you opened your account in Thailand.

[scubascuba3]

31 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

Just to clarify. I can't use Wise to pay online shopping sites (Lazada etc) or to purchase flights, as these sites require card payment. 

you probably can with the virtual card?

[chickenslegs]

Just now, scubascuba3 said:

you probably can with the virtual card?

Not available. I was already living in Thailand when I opened my Wise account.

[scottiejohn]

1 hour ago, CharlieH said:

 

You would need a Wise card which cannot be obtained whilst in Thailand, but can be sent to an alternate address. say UK, and forwarded to you. 

 

That is how I received my physical wise card!

I use a UK Mail forwarding company for all my UK Finances etc!!

[scubascuba3]

17 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

No. Wise will automatically convert from say GBP to THB, or any other major currency, without your intervention.

Not enough THBs, then they will top it up from your GBP balance.

I'm more interested in the GBP balance, how do you transfer that in rather than THB to thai bank?

[scubascuba3]

1 minute ago, chickenslegs said:

Not available. I was already living in Thailand when I opened my Wise account.

with a UK address it should be ok

[KannikaP]

8 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

I'm more interested in the GBP balance, how do you transfer that in rather than THB to thai bank?

I don't think you can. The GBP must be converted to THB somewhere along the line, so I do it myself, bit by bit over the month when the rates seem good, and make sure there is enough THB on the 1st of the month to transfer to satisfy Mr IO.

[scubascuba3]

41 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

I don't think you can. The GBP must be converted to THB somewhere along the line, so I do it myself, bit by bit over the month when the rates seem good, and make sure there is enough THB on the 1st of the month to transfer to satisfy Mr IO.

I think i just did it, "add money" GBP500, followed the usual transfer process and now 500 is sitting there ready for me to spend as i want either by transferring a currency or use of a virtual debit card.

 

So for bigger items pay using Wise to minimise the transfers into a thai Bank account 

[LespaulAN]

1 hour ago, chickenslegs said:

Just to clarify. I can't use Wise to pay online shopping sites (Lazada etc) or to purchase flights, as these sites require card payment. 

Strange for your case. I use WISE for shopee online no problem.  I have physical card and on my apple wallet. I use WISE just like any other credit/debit card. 

[chickenslegs]

2 hours ago, LespaulAN said:

Strange for your case. I use WISE for shopee online no problem.  I have physical card and on my apple wallet. I use WISE just like any other credit/debit card. 

As I've said before - I opened my Wise account whilst living in Thailand. Wise will not issue cards, physical or virtual for Thai accounts.

I wish they would, it would be a great convenience for me.

[oldcpu]

7 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

One way to avoid bringing money into Thailand and any subsequent tax is to use alternative methods to pay for things, i can use my UK Mastercard for online purchases but how do you use Wise to pay for Thai things?

 

I am not convinced that using a Mastercard or Wise card for Thailand purchases will legally allow one to manage paying less tax in Thailand,  ... but I guess the 'jury is still out' on that topic.  I've read both sides of the 'debate' on this topic - so I guess time will tell.

 

I use my Wise card globally.  Typically before I travel , when I speculate I can get a good price for buying a foreign currency, I will buy the amount I think I will need for the next month or so, using the 'strongest' currency I have to buy such foreign currency.

 

The Thai baht is still pretty strong, so its a bit difficult to adopt that (above) strategy with Thailand.

 

The Wise card being a debit card means it can't be used for everything that a credit card can be used for, but it can still be used for a lot.  I suspect it can be used for most Thailand purchases where a Thai bank debit or credit card can also be used.

 

I have a Thai bank credit card (earns me points) that I use instead (of a Wise debit card) in Thailand.

 

 

 

 

[Scouse123]

13 hours ago, CallumWK said:

 

Do you need the physical card to make purchases online, or pay for goods in shops?

 

 

I have Wise from the UK, I have a green physical card and a pink digital card to use online with a different number.

 

I have never used it online TBH, but it's straightforward.

[Scouse123]

5 hours ago, oldcpu said:

 

I am not convinced that using a Mastercard or Wise card for Thailand purchases will legally allow one to manage paying less tax in Thailand,  ... but I guess the 'jury is still out' on that topic.  I've read both sides of the 'debate' on this topic - so I guess time will tell.

 

I use my Wise card globally.  Typically before I travel , when I speculate I can get a good price for buying a foreign currency, I will buy the amount I think I will need for the next month or so, using the 'strongest' currency I have to buy such foreign currency.

 

The Thai baht is still pretty strong, so its a bit difficult to adopt that (above) strategy with Thailand.

 

The Wise card being a debit card means it can't be used for everything that a credit card can be used for, but it can still be used for a lot.  I suspect it can be used for most Thailand purchases where a Thai bank debit or credit card can also be used.

 

I have a Thai bank credit card (earns me points) that I use instead (of a Wise debit card) in Thailand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My understanding is that with Wise, you are purely using the ATM service, which you pay for, and the money is not going through the Thai banking system into an account that is linked to a card.

 

I read this when researching.

[Nemises]

15 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

any subsequent tax

What tax? 

[topt]

1 hour ago, Nemises said:

What tax? 

Are you serious or taking the proverbial?

If in doubt I would suggest you read any of the tax threads in this same forum.

[Upnotover]

17 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

You can get a virtual card apparently, i was just checking their website. Not much use in google wallet/phone as not widely used in Thailand

7-11 it works fine.  Supermarkets and most shops in malls.  Only issue is a relatively low limit for a "tap" payment - I think it's THB 1500.

[Nemises]

46 minutes ago, topt said:

Are you serious or taking the proverbial?

If in doubt I would suggest you read any of the tax threads in this same forum.

When does this tax commence please? 

[KannikaP]

4 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

I have never used it online TBH, but it's straightforward.

How do you know that it works then please?

I can confirm that it can be used on Lazada, Shopee and Amazon.