Currently I'm with Bangkok Bank and their transfer time over the last 6 months at least appears to have slowed down a bit. It's probably not a huge issue but I thought I'd open an account with Krungsri because transfers to them seem almost immediate most of the time. 

 

Happy to hear any opinions and recommendations as part of this. Pitfalls accounts or possibly other options that might be better suited. Thanks

Just send  money to yourself every month or two with WU or Money Gram.  Cash is king. Why fool around with the fools?

A safer bet, if you require faster wise transfers, is Kasikorn bank as that is still the partner bank with Wise. Transfers to there with wise arrives in minutes (more often seconds)

1 hour ago, MJCM said:

A safer bet, if you require faster wise transfers, is Kasikorn bank as that is still the partner bank with Wise. Transfers to there with wise arrives in minutes (more often seconds)

Actually, thanks for mentioning that. I had defaulted to Krungsri because that's the other account that I send to and because it was so quick I just assumed that was the one that was mentioned in the blurb when you send money but you're right, it's Kasikorn bank.

 

I'm only looking for the short transfers trying to get in front of a problem I haven't had yet.

1 hour ago, Daves not here said:

Just send  money to yourself every month or two with WU or Money Gram.  Cash is king. Why fool around with the fools?

Yeah, I don't really agree with your sentiments about cash is King and Banks. 

I prefer the better rates offered with Wise.

Thanks 

The following thread illustrates perfectly why new accounts with Krungsri should now IMHO be avoided like the plague. I agree with @MJCM that Kasikorn is probably a safer bet.

 

 

Just bear in mind that the maximum transfer to Krung Sri is very low (50,000 baht).  For Bangkok Bank it's 2 million.

3 minutes ago, Zaphod Priest said:

Just bear in mind that the maximum transfer to Krung Sri is very low (50,000 baht).  For Bangkok Bank it's 2 million.

That has changed.  It's now 500,000.

 

47 minutes ago, Zaphod Priest said:

Just bear in mind that the maximum transfer to Krung Sri is very low (50,000 baht).  For Bangkok Bank it's 2 million.

You were faster.

(although relaxed now)

And Kasikorn is the best alternative.

 

BB transfer became slow.

How slow?

I regularly do transfers for visa extension. Arrive next working day. Ok for me.

 

Sure it's nice to the few seconds transfer to Kasikorn but is it worth the hassle to open an account?

 

BB is the only Bank that was able to implement facial recognition. Kbank also limits use of mobile banking to 50k per transaction.

Both BB and Kbank (still) have website/browser banking (PC).

43 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

That has changed.  It's now 500,000

Forgot about it.

That should serve most purposes 

2 hours ago, Upnotover said:

That has changed.  It's now 500,000.

 

 

The Wise website still says:

Bangkok Bank Public Company: 2,000,000 Thai baht (THB).
Kasikorn Bank: 2,000,000 Thai baht (THB).
Siam Commercial Bank: 1,499,999 Thai baht (THB).
Other recipient banks: 49,999 Thai baht (THB).

https://wise.com/gb/send-money/send-money-to-thailand

12 hours ago, OJAS said:

The following thread illustrates perfectly why new accounts with Krungsri should now IMHO be avoided like the plague. I agree with @MJCM that Kasikorn is probably a safer bet.

 

 

Personally I do not see this as an inhibiting factor. I rarely use their online service anyway The mobile app covers all contingencies.

 

Krungsri is not the first bank to close their online facility and I suspect they won't be the last. You never know, Kasikorn might be next.

 

To answer @1,s question, I've been transferring regular monthly payments from Wise into my Krungsri account for the last 7 years without any problems.

 

And since I stopped using the 'Funds for Long Term Stay' option  3 years ago, over 90% of my transfers have arrived within seconds.

27 minutes ago, Zaphod Priest said:

 

The Wise website still says:

Bangkok Bank Public Company: 2,000,000 Thai baht (THB).
Kasikorn Bank: 2,000,000 Thai baht (THB).
Siam Commercial Bank: 1,499,999 Thai baht (THB).
Other recipient banks: 49,999 Thai baht (THB).

https://wise.com/gb/send-money/send-money-to-thailand

As posted earlier:

 

How much can I send?

The maximum amount that you can send per transfer depends on the recipient's bank.

Recipient bankMaximum per transfer (THB)

Bangkok Bank Public Company2,000,000

Kasikorn Bank2,000,000

Siam Commercial Bank1,499,999

Other recipient banks 500,000

 

https://wise.com/help/articles/2932335/guide-to-thb-transfers

47 minutes ago, Zaphod Priest said:

 

The Wise website still says:

Bangkok Bank Public Company: 2,000,000 Thai baht (THB).
Kasikorn Bank: 2,000,000 Thai baht (THB).
Siam Commercial Bank: 1,499,999 Thai baht (THB).
Other recipient banks: 49,999 Thai baht (THB).

https://wise.com/gb/send-money/send-money-to-thailand

Yes it does.  It's not correct.

2 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Sure it's nice to the few seconds transfer to Kasikorn but is it worth the hassle to open an account?

 

It's a fair point you make though I see the effort of opening a bank account as a trivial matter. So setting up something in the unlikely event that waiting a day for the transfer is a problem I see as worthwhile.

 

Also giving me different banking options may produce other benefits. Though it's a secondary consideration in this case.

3 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

You were faster.

(although relaxed now)

And Kasikorn is the best alternative.

 

BB transfer became slow.

How slow?

I regularly do transfers for visa extension. Arrive next working day. Ok for me.

 

Sure it's nice to the few seconds transfer to Kasikorn but is it worth the hassle to open an account?

 

BB is the only Bank that was able to implement facial recognition. Kbank also limits use of mobile banking to 50k per transaction.

Both BB and Kbank (still) have website/browser banking (PC).

I recently did a k-bank qr payment at Bumrungrad for around 1.3m baht. No problem at all except I had to adjust my limits in the app.

3 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

You were faster.

(although relaxed now)

And Kasikorn is the best alternative.

 

BB transfer became slow.

How slow?

I regularly do transfers for visa extension. Arrive next working day. Ok for me.

 

Sure it's nice to the few seconds transfer to Kasikorn but is it worth the hassle to open an account?

 

BB is the only Bank that was able to implement facial recognition. Kbank also limits use of mobile banking to 50k per transaction.

Both BB and Kbank (still) have website/browser banking (PC).

BB facial (farcical) recognition doesn't work. Sooner they recognize this and revert to 2 factor authentication the better. BB instructs you to take of glasses and then blink and turn head when instructed visually which of course I cannot see because I have taken of my glasses!

I always wanted to ask, why do some people need ultra-fast Wise transfers to their Thai bank accts? I'm just trying to understand why some say they need money from overseas in seconds vs. next day arrival. One could simply use their Thai bank ATM card to get money, and when their balance starts to get low, they could just send more money. Is it because some people let their bank balances get too low before sending money? Just asking...

3 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

 

BB is the only Bank that was able to implement facial recognition.

Krungsri, TTB and LH Bank all have working facial recognition

 

3 hours ago, KhunBENQ said:

Kbank also limits use of mobile banking to 50k per transaction.

 

There is no limit per transaction for foreigners because facial recognition with Kbank is for Thais only

1 hour ago, JohnnyBD said:

I always wanted to ask, why do some people need ultra-fast Wise transfers to their Thai bank accts? I'm just trying to understand why some say they need money from overseas in seconds vs. next day arrival. One could simply use their Thai bank ATM card to get money, and when their balance starts to get low, they could just send more money. Is it because some people let their bank balances get too low before sending money? Just asking.

Unforeseen circumstances like possibly a hospital visit or my girlfriend's Buffalo getting sick! 

 

But I think in reality in a modern world money should move around immediately if it's transferred electronically. The banking sector in Australia just went through a massive overhaul a few years ago to facilitate this.

 

Personally, I don't know when or if I'll need it, but I'd rather have it than not have it. I don't like to keep a lot of money in Thailand not working for me so I top up as the bank account gets low. Of course there are other ways to manage that, but I'm taking this action because this is my preferred option.

2 hours ago, JohnnyBD said:

I always wanted to ask, why do some people need ultra-fast Wise transfers to their Thai bank accts? I'm just trying to understand why some say they need money from overseas in seconds vs. next day arrival. One could simply use their Thai bank ATM card to get money, and when their balance starts to get low, they could just send more money. Is it because some people let their bank balances get too low before sending money? Just asking...

Prior to Wise coming along, one had 2 choices in getting ones pension paid. Paid directly into a Thai account or paid into a 'home country' account and then transfer it via SWIFT. (or whatever)

 

Both methods had built in delays which could be up to 4 or 5 days. That can be somewhat irksome when you know you've been paid' but can't get your hands on it. 

 

With Wise you can more or less guarantee that you will get your pension on day that it's paid out and there's something rather reassuring about that.

 

It's phycological I guess but it does generate a 'feel good' factor which, I for one, rather like.

27 minutes ago, 1 said:

Unforeseen circumstances like possibly a hospital visit or my girlfriend's Buffalo getting sick! 

 

But I think in reality in a modern world money should move around immediately if it's transferred electronically. The banking sector in Australia just went through a massive overhaul a few years ago to facilitate this.

 

Personally, I don't know when or if I'll need it, but I'd rather have it than not have it. I don't like to keep a lot of money in Thailand not working for me so I top up as the bank account gets low. Of course there are other ways to manage that, but I'm taking this action because this is my preferred option.

I must have hit a sore nerve for someone who down thumbed my question. I still don't understand why someone cannot keep enough in their Thai bank to use for every day use, then send more money with a next day arrival. I guess I will never understand how some people manage their money where they need to get it from overseas in seconds.

1 hour ago, Moonlover said:

Prior to Wise coming along, one had 2 choices in getting ones pension paid. Paid directly into a Thai account or paid into a 'home country' account and then transfer it via SWIFT. (or whatever)

 

Both methods had built in delays which could be up to 4 or 5 days. That can be somewhat irksome when you know you've been paid' but can't get your hands on it. 

 

With Wise you can more or less guarantee that you will get your pension on day that it's paid out and there's something rather reassuring about that.

 

It's phycological I guess but it does generate a 'feel good' factor which, I for one, rather like.

I can understand why those sending their pension every month may need it quickly when they are counting on it for living expenses. I have never needed money in seconds, so I guess that's why I didn't understand. I have never experienced a 4 to 5 day delay in wire transfers either. For example, I recently made two wire transfers, one to Bangkok Bank for $2,400 minus $6.00 incoming fee, it arrived the next day, and the other was to SCB for $3,700 minus $9.25 incoming fee, it arrived the same day. My US bank doesn't change me an outgoing fee, so I find it just as cost effective to use wire transfers and send to my USD accts, then convert whenever I want.

21 minutes ago, JohnnyBD said:

I can understand why those sending their pension every month may need it quickly when they are counting on it for living expenses. I have never needed money in seconds, so I guess that's whey I didn't understand. I have never experienced a 4 to 5 day delay in wire transfers either. For example, I recently made two wire transfers, one to Bangkok Bank for $2,400 minus $6.00 incoming fee, it arrived the next day, and the other was to SCB for $3,700 minus $9.25 incoming fee, it arrived the same day. My US bank doesn't change me an outgoing fee, so I find it just as cost effective to use wire transfers and send to my USD accts, then convert whenever I want.

As the old saying goes, 'different strokes for different blokes'. 

On 6/20/2025 at 6:04 AM, gargamon said:

I recently did a k-bank qr payment at Bumrungrad for around 1.3m baht. No problem at all except I had to adjust my limits in the app.

An expensive treatment at Bumrungrad hospital...

On 6/19/2025 at 1:41 PM, MJCM said:

A safer bet, if you require faster wise transfers, is Kasikorn bank as that is still the partner bank with Wise. Transfers to there with wise arrives in minutes (more often seconds)

Yes this correct statement, Kasikorn is the money hub for WISE and offers instant transfers.

On 6/20/2025 at 11:23 AM, CallumWK said:

Krungsri, TTB and LH Bank all have working facial recognition

 

 

There is no limit per transaction for foreigners because facial recognition with Kbank is for Thais only

K Bank has now added facial recognition for foreigners, I added mine on Friday the 20th. Of my accounts only SCB has yet to sort it out.

Wise says the most I can send to krungsri is a measly 2k baht

1 hour ago, Red Phoenix said:

An expensive treatment at Bumrungrad hospital...

I liked it so much I had it done twice. All in about 2.8m.

On 6/19/2025 at 1:41 PM, MJCM said:

A safer bet, if you require faster wise transfers, is Kasikorn bank as that is still the partner bank with Wise. Transfers to there with wise arrives in minutes (more often seconds)

Agreed, I Do U.K State PITTANCE through Wise & Kasikorn & It's Usually in my account in about 6 SECONDS.....