I have my US based Wise connected to 6 different US checking accounts, and transfers from them to my Bangkok Bank account are showing transfer times that are all over the place, from seconds to minutes to 6 days, and when i deselect and come back to an account it’s changed. Wells Fargo went from 6 days to seconds.

It’s all very strange.

4 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I stopped using WISE after they required multifactor authentication using face recognition.

Since when is face recognition be mandatory with Wise.

Multifactor authentication can be satisfied in many ways. I have Google Authenticator installed on my phone, so Wise get the multifactor authentication from Google.

Never seen any app, other than the silly Thai bank apps, that require facial recognition.

Wise has also several other options for multifactor authentication, including sending a code to your email, phone number or WhatsApp.

It required facial recognition only because you selected that option

Edited May 6May 6 by CallumWK

6 hours ago, CallumWK said:

Since when is face recognition be mandatory with Wise.

Multifactor authentication can be satisfied in many ways. I have Google Authenticator installed on my phone, so Wise get the multifactor authentication from Google.

Never seen any app, other than the silly Thai bank apps, that require facial recognition.

Wise has also several other options for multifactor authentication, including sending a code to your email, phone number or WhatsApp.

It required facial recognition only because you selected that option

I have had no offers of alternative methods of identity verification from WISE.

For my age, I have quite steady hands without tremor, but I have failed to satisfy facial recognition requirements multiple times.

I now transfer funds to Thailand via another forex company, which has the sensible MFA option of sending an OTP to my phone.

It may be the primary method, IME it's a long way from the fastest.

On 5/5/2026 at 12:25 AM, scubascuba3 said:

For those registered with a Thai address

It's always a mistake to let anyone know you are living outside your home country. I don't know why this should be, but our home countries seem to want to make our lives difficult, or maybe punish us for daring to leave.

6 hours ago, CallumWK said:

Since when is face recognition be mandatory with Wise.

Multifactor authentication can be satisfied in many ways. I have Google Authenticator installed on my phone, so Wise get the multifactor authentication from Google.

Never seen any app, other than the silly Thai bank apps, that require facial recognition.

Wise has also several other options for multifactor authentication, including sending a code to your email, phone number or WhatsApp.

It required facial recognition only because you selected that option

Not true,

Both Natwest and Wise (UK) forced me to do facial recognition in order to continue using my accounts with them. Natwest actually froze my account until I complied.

I just deleted my account

39 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

It's always a mistake to let anyone know you are living outside your home country. I don't know why this should be, but our home countries seem to want to make our lives difficult, or maybe punish us for daring to leave.

This is so true. I was going to update my accounts to a Thai address when I got here, but didn't due to laziness and after a year I realized how lucky I was.

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

Not true,

Both Natwest and Wise (UK) forced me to do facial recognition in order to continue using my accounts with them. Natwest actually froze my account until I complied.

Well I'm not British so don't deal with Natwest, and this topic is about Wise only.

The options are in the app settings.

Edited May 7May 7 by CallumWK

17 hours ago, statman78 said:

Good comment!

Also, since the money moves through Thailand there is a chance that it could be considered “remitted” to Thailand therefore subject to Thai tax even though it doesn’t stay in Thailand.

17 hours ago, statman78 said:

Good comment!

Also, since the money moves through Thailand there is a chance that it could be considered “remitted” to Thailand therefore subject to Thai tax even though it doesn’t stay in Thailand.

17 hours ago, statman78 said:

Good comment!

Also, since the money moves through Thailand there is a chance that it could be considered “remitted” to Thailand therefore subject to Thai tax even though it doesn’t stay in Thailand.

I don't see that this could affect me, I transfer Euros from my German account to the Wise account in Belgium using SEPA (an inter European transfer system) Wise then credits my Thai account with Baht, I can't see how any interference from the Thai banking system is possible.

15 hours ago, QPRFC said:

What documentation did you need to provide to open a Remitly account?

And are you suggesting that they don't require a wet signature on any documents to open and activate an account on the sane day / immediately?

I started with an initial transfer. I needed only to have a US address. A US phone (provided to me in Thailand via Freetone), to which they send a code. A US bank account. You go through the Plaid system to login to your US bank to enable an ACH pull and two seconds later I got my money. It was the same process I used at Wise years ago--except my residential and phone info was for Thailand.

18 hours ago, StarOfLight said:

Assuming you can do bank wires not in person or some such nonsense.

I can do bank wires via internet banking.

To do the USD to THB FX transactions I have to go in person to my Thai bank. I am not aware of any bank in Thailand that allows FX transactions via their website or banking app. Maybe there are some but none of my Thai banks offer it at the moment.

12 hours ago, Celsius said:

How are you treating this in Thailand?

I don't have Parkinson's.

IMO it's a problem with the sensitivity settings in the software. My hands are quite steady, I gave up after about ten attempts.

22 hours ago, Coota said:

I don't really understand what they are trying to implement. I have my address as Thailand because I live here, will I be financially worse off due to the changes or will nothing change? I currently send my monthly pension from an Australian bank to Wise then transfer it to my Thai bank account.

Wise are changing the way their Thai subsidiary is regulated.

How it affects you depends on how you use Wise. For the use case you mention, nothing should change.

I posted a summary on page 1 of this thread.

My summary of the bad points is:

1. Wise Thailand becomes more expensive if you ever need to convert from XYZ to ABC, where XYZ and ABC are not THB (if that makes sense!). That is because under the new rules, converting XYZ to ABC will go like this:
   
   XYZ -> THB -> ABC
   
   and so two transfers take place and thus you pay two sets of commissions. I expect the charges will be the same Wise charges, except applied twice. In which case it's not a big hit percentage-wise compared to a normal Thai bank FX usury unit.
   

2. You won't be able to hold anything but THB in the account. Any incoming fiat will be auto-converted to THB. To my understanding, any non-THB balances held when the rules kick in will remain unchanged.

Edited May 7May 7 by BeastOfBodmin

ExPatThai are doing a webinar about WISE changes on 20th May 4pm …think anyone can register

9 minutes ago, BeastOfBodmin said:

You won't be able to hold anything but THB in the account. Any incoming fiat will be auto-converted to THB. To my understanding, any non-THB balances held when the rules kick in will remain unchanged.

Their initial statement of new terms did indicate this, but this statement was quickly withdrawn.

According to the recently released statement by Wise:
Adding money to your Wise account: You'll be able to add money to your Wise Account using a local Thai bank account. Once added, you can convert and hold that amount in over 40 currencies. You’ll still be able to add money to your Wise account from a foreign bank account. For example, you can add money to your Wise account USD balance from your US bank account.

As Wise will be recognised as a Thai entity now for Thailand-registered customers, surely this new statement implies that you can remit, for example, GBP to a GBP-holding account, provided the source is your primary bank registered with Wise?

3 minutes ago, Madgee said:

According to the recently released statement by Wise:
Adding money to your Wise account: You'll be able to add money to your Wise Account using a local Thai bank account. Once added, you can convert and hold that amount in over 40 currencies. You’ll still be able to add money to your Wise account from a foreign bank account. For example, you can add money to your Wise account USD balance from your US bank account.

Well spotted. The above is different than what they posted a few months ago (which was taken down later). Do you agree that means this paragraph is now invalid?

25 minutes ago, BeastOfBodmin said:

2. You won't be able to hold anything but THB in the account. Any incoming fiat will be auto-converted to THB. To my understanding, any non-THB balances held when the rules kick in will remain unchanged.

I suppose that means you can still remit non-THB as THB. It remains as non-THB, but if you want to convert it it has to go ABC -> THB -> XYZ or just ABC -> THB.

19 minutes ago, JAS21 said:

ExPatThai are doing a webinar about WISE changes on 20th May 4pm …think anyone can register

Can you give details on how to register? A quick search pointed me to @expatthai on Instagram. I don't use Instagram.

6 minutes ago, BeastOfBodmin said:

Can you give details on how to register? A quick search pointed me to @expatthai on Instagram. I don't use Instagram.

I think he meant ExpatTaxThailand

https://www.expattaxthailand.com/expat-tax-videos/

My nightmare with Wise this week continues. After setting up a transfer on Monday morning, Wise did an ACH pull on my US bank. The money was withdrawn from the bank Monday afternoon. As of last night Wise told me they were still "waiting for my money." Went to check in today and there was a pause on the transfer. They wanted more ID. I was able to give them a picture of my Social Security card, but when they wanted my passport, which I gave to them a year or so ago, they would not accept it. Called and talked. Could not get the webcam to read the passport either. They "escalated" they issue and are trying to initiate a video call. But it may take another three days. This does it. I'm going 100 percent with Remitly. Anybody in the US would be crazy not to make the same change.

ExpatTax Thailand have produced an update on the Wise changes and arranged a Webinar for 20th May...

https://www.expattaxthailand.com/wise-thailand-tax-update-2026/

23 minutes ago, SamSpade said:

ExpatTax Thailand have produced an update on the Wise changes and arranged a Webinar for 20th May...

https://www.expattaxthailand.com/wise-thailand-tax-update-2026/

All very clear, except why is Wise accepting DTVs as a long term visa as opposed to Thai Immigration and Thai banks which do not. I hope this move by Wise flops and they not only lose their expat customers but Thais don't use them either.

30 minutes ago, John Drake said:

All very clear, except why is Wise accepting DTVs as a long term visa as opposed to Thai Immigration and Thai banks which do not. I hope this move by Wise flops and they not only lose their expat customers but Thais don't use them either.

Possibly because Wise isn't being licensed as a bank.

36 minutes ago, John Drake said:

.... but Thais don't use them either.

In general perhaps, but not 100% always the case.

My Thai wife uses Wise (with Thai address). It very handy for her to transfer funds from Thailand to equipment suppliers outside of Thailand for the business she on occasion supports.

On 5/6/2026 at 11:54 AM, Isaan sailor said:

The problem as I see it, Wise has recently changed to sending ACH money transfers to one major Thai bank. From their account in Thailand, it then deposits into your local bank. This makes it a domestic money transfer—instead of an FTT foreign money transfer. This creates an issue at Thai Immigration, if you use the Income Method for visa qualification. So now Wise suggests you go to your local bank and apply/request Credit Advice or a Letter of Confirmation of Foreign Source Income. This will take some time.

Alternatively, Wise suggests you wire money directly bank to bank—to get the FTT marker on your account. But the cost is usually steep—14% or more.

Wise have always done this, so they created a reason for the transfer 'funds for a long-term stay in Thailand'. It is the last option on the list. This transfer may take a little longer, but it is recorded as an international transfer. They also offer proof of a foreign exchange transaction receipt.

Edited May 7May 7 by Jaggg88
insert image

2 hours ago, John Drake said:

All very clear, except why is Wise accepting DTVs as a long term visa as opposed to Thai Immigration and Thai banks which do not. I hope this move by Wise flops and they not only lose their expat customers but Thais don't use them either.

The table was AI generated. I suspect it’s hallucinating and only people with active NON-IMMIGRANT visas with one year extensions will be allowed to have Wise Thailand accounts.

I don’t know that for sure of course.

12 hours ago, davb said:

This is so true. I was going to update my accounts to a Thai address when I got here, but didn't due to laziness and after a year I realized how lucky I was.

I've taken some flak from my wife over this Wise change, since I insisted we re-register with our Thailand address.

4 hours ago, John Drake said:

All very clear, except why is Wise accepting DTVs as a long term visa as opposed to Thai Immigration and Thai banks which do not. I hope this move by Wise flops and they not only lose their expat customers but Thais don't use them either.

What is a DTV?

14 minutes ago, BeastOfBodmin said:

What is a DTV?

The Destination Thailand Visa that Immigration is giving out, good for five years, for things like attending muay Thai schools, cooking schools (after five years someone ought to really be able to make great Pad Thai), and being a digital nomad. Thai Immigration says it doesn't qualify as a long term visa and Thai banks will not let anyone get a bank account with that visa. But Wise says it qualifies them for a Thai Wise account.

On 5/6/2026 at 9:52 PM, scottiejohn said:

If you have a Wise account registered in your home country and have a Thai bank account why not transfer from home country bank account to your wise account and then to the Thai bank account and skip the foreign ATM card fee?

That is what I do as a matter of course, but I mentioned the Wise Card as an option for others. I use the Wise Visa Pre Loaded card for hotels/flights etc. as I don't possess or use any Credit Cards.

23 hours ago, soalbundy said:

I don't see that this could affect me, I transfer Euros from my German account to the Wise account in Belgium using SEPA (an inter European transfer system) Wise then credits my Thai account with Baht, I can't see how any interference from the Thai banking system is possible.

Correct. It should not affect you.