3 minutes ago, atpeace said:

Thanks! I never try to time exchange rates so it won't impact me. I do use the debit cards often to buy things online and usually the transactions are not in Thai baht. I assume there will be a conversion fee for those transactions.

Looks like there will be a conversion fee for USD to THB then, if you use your THB balance to buy online in another currency (other than THB) there will be another conversion fee.

In my case I have my UK GBP pension paid into Wise. It will be converted to THB immediately and a fee charged. If I want to send money to my grandkids in the UK, or to my UK credit union savings account, there will be another fee to convert it back to GBP.

BTW - are you saying you have Wise debit cards? I thought they were not available in Thailand accounts.

1 minute ago, chickenslegs said:

This is how I read the changes:

When the changes take place in September your USD will be converted to THB immediately by Wise and held as THB until you transfer them to your Thai bank.

So the only difference will be that you can't hold your USD with Wise and wait for a better exchange rate.

There has already been a lengthy discussion about this elsewhere and apparently it is not so. I was under the same impression for a while. It's confusing because on your home page it shows the value of your holdings in THB. But that's only notional. It won't actually become THB until you transfer to Thailand at the prevailing exchange rate.

We'll all get used to it eventually!

This is what Wise says on their website.

'You’ll still be able to add money to any of the currencies in your Wise multi-currency account from your own foreign bank account, without any automatic conversion to THB. For example, you can still add money to your Wise account USD balance from your US bank account without any automatic conversion to THB'.  

https://wise.com/help/articles/3hVTV4OmZimsLpW0Z8LB6l/upcoming-changes-to-your-wise-account-in-thailand

7 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

There has already been a lengthy discussion about this elsewhere and apparently it is not so. I was under the same impression for a while. It's confusing because on your home page it shows the value of your holdings in THB. But that's only notional. It won't actually become THB until you transfer to Thailand at the prevailing exchange rate.

We'll all get used to it eventually!

This is what Wise says on their website.

'You’ll still be able to add money to any of the currencies in your Wise multi-currency account from your own foreign bank account, without any automatic conversion to THB. For example, you can still add money to your Wise account USD balance from your US bank account without any automatic conversion to THB'.  

https://wise.com/help/articles/3hVTV4OmZimsLpW0Z8LB6l/upcoming-changes-to-your-wise-account-in-thailand

To be clear that's for money sent by you to your Wise account, guys who have their Pension or any other income paid into their Wise account will have it automatically converted...

Receiving payments in non-THB currencies: If you receive non-THB payments from other Wise customers or into your foreign currency account details (e.g. US routing number, UK IBAN, etc.), we'll automatically convert the amount to THB and add it to the THB balance in your Wise account. Relevant currency conversion fees will apply. For example, if you receive a 1,000 USD payment from a Wise user based in the US, we'll automatically convert the 1,000 USD to THB at prevailing mid-market exchange rates, and deduct any relevant currency conversion fees. The remaining THB will then be deposited into your Wise account THB balance. 

The above only applies to payments received from others/third parties. You’ll still be able to add money to any of the currencies in your Wise multi-currency account from your own foreign bank account, without any automatic conversion to THB. For example, you can still add money to your Wise account USD balance from your US bank account without any automatic conversion to THB.  

8 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

There has already been a lengthy discussion about this elsewhere and apparently it is not so. I was under the same impression for a while. It's confusing because on your home page it shows the value of your holdings in THB. But that's only notional. It won't actually become THB until you transfer to Thailand at the prevailing exchange rate.

We'll all get used to it eventually!

This is what Wise says on their website.

'You’ll still be able to add money to any of the currencies in your Wise multi-currency account from your own foreign bank account, without any automatic conversion to THB. For example, you can still add money to your Wise account USD balance from your US bank account without any automatic conversion to THB'.  

https://wise.com/help/articles/3hVTV4OmZimsLpW0Z8LB6l/upcoming-changes-to-your-wise-account-in-thailand

Accounts opened with Thai addresses will not have multi-currency feature.

This is from AI

2. Discontinuation of Multi-Currency "Holding" Features

The biggest operational change involves how your UK pension payments are handled when they arrive:

• The Death of the GBP Balance: Under the Bank of Thailand license, Wise is classified strictly as a remittance and payment provider, not a licensed deposit-taking bank. As a result, accounts with a Thai address will no longer be permitted to indefinitely hold foreign currency cash balances (like a standard GBP wallet). [1, 2]

• Automatic Conversion: When your private and state pensions hit your account, you will no longer be able to let the GBP sit in Wise to wait for a favorable exchange rate. The funds will either need to be automatically converted to THB or immediately routed forward.

• Loss of Account Details: If Wise revokes your UK (GBP) sort code and account number due to your Thai registration, the UK Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and your private pension provider will no longer be able to deposit money into Wise directly.

19 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

Looks like there will be a conversion fee for USD to THB then, if you use your THB balance to buy online in another currency (other than THB) there will be another conversion fee.

In my case I have my UK GBP pension paid into Wise. It will be converted to THB immediately and a fee charged. If I want to send money to my grandkids in the UK, or to my UK credit union savings account, there will be another fee to convert it back to GBP.

BTW - are you saying you have Wise debit cards? I thought they were not available in Thailand accounts.

If you changed your address to a British address to get a card then changed back to Thailand the cards still work. That is what I did. Been using them for a year since reverting back to a Thai address and hopefully that doesn't change. I like that I can create cards on the fly for sketchy purchases ( VPN, seed boxes...) . Having to pay an extra conversion fee is a bummer.

Just now, atpeace said:

If you changed your address to a British address to get a card then changed back to Thailand the cards still work. That is what I did. Been using them for a year since reverting back to a Thai address and hopefully that doesn't change. I like that I can create cards on the fly for sketchy purchases ( VPN, seed boxes...) . Having to pay an extra conversion fee is a bummer.

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately I would have no way to provide evidence of being a UK resident.

On 8/1/2026 at 4:08 PM, VBF said:

For those who have accounts registered elsewhere (UK, USA, Europe) for the purpose of sending funds TO Thailand, there are no changes.

That is not true. There was a significant change that applied to existing Wise jurisdictions as a result of Wise seeking Thai regulatory approval.

Starting on 6 May 2025, the following banks will no longer be supported due to payment system upgrades in Thailand: 

• TMBThanachart Bank (011)

• Citibank (017)

• Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (018)

• Standard Chartered Bank (020)

• United Overseas Bank (024)

• HSBC (031)

• Deutsche Bank (032)

• The Government Housing Bank (033)

• Mizuho Corporate Bank (039)

• BNP Paribas (045)

• Bank Of China (052)

• Thanachart Bank (065)

• Islamic Bank Of Thailand (066)

• TISCO Bank (067)

• ICBC (070)

• The Thai Credit Retail Bank (071)

• Land And Houses Retail Bank (073)

• Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank (Thai) PCL (SMTB) (080)

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

49 minutes ago, sandyf said:

That is not true. There was a significant change that applied to existing Wise jurisdictions as a result of Wise seeking Thai regulatory approval.

Starting on 6 May 2025, the following banks will no longer be supported due to payment system upgrades in Thailand: 

• TMBThanachart Bank (011)

• Citibank (017)

• Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (018)

• Standard Chartered Bank (020)

• United Overseas Bank (024)

• HSBC (031)

• Deutsche Bank (032)

• The Government Housing Bank (033)

• Mizuho Corporate Bank (039)

• BNP Paribas (045)

• Bank Of China (052)

• Thanachart Bank (065)

• Islamic Bank Of Thailand (066)

• TISCO Bank (067)

• ICBC (070)

• The Thai Credit Retail Bank (071)

• Land And Houses Retail Bank (073)

• Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank (Thai) PCL (SMTB) (080)

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

Thanks - sort of.

I was correct in saying that there are no changes to the regulations and "MO" using, say a UK Wise account - i was unaware that those Thai banks were excluded. It's an interesting cross-section of banks, too.

HOWEVER that change is over a year old so people who were using those banks in the past must by now be aware and either are no longer using Wise or have opened new accounts elsewhere.

My comment remains correct as this thread is discussing Upcoming changes - see the OP

Edited yesterday at 10:24 AM1 day by VBF

1 hour ago, chickenslegs said:

Accounts opened with Thai addresses will not have multi-currency feature.

This is from AI

2. Discontinuation of Multi-Currency "Holding" Features

The biggest operational change involves how your UK pension payments are handled when they arrive:

• The Death of the GBP Balance: Under the Bank of Thailand license, Wise is classified strictly as a remittance and payment provider, not a licensed deposit-taking bank. As a result, accounts with a Thai address will no longer be permitted to indefinitely hold foreign currency cash balances (like a standard GBP wallet). [1, 2]

• Automatic Conversion: When your private and state pensions hit your account, you will no longer be able to let the GBP sit in Wise to wait for a favorable exchange rate. The funds will either need to be automatically converted to THB or immediately routed forward.

• Loss of Account Details: If Wise revokes your UK (GBP) sort code and account number due to your Thai registration, the UK Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and your private pension provider will no longer be able to deposit money into Wise directly.

I think it's best to stick to what Wise has to say on its own website, rather than AI interpretations.

2 hours ago, Moonlover said:

I think it's best to stick to what Wise has to say on its own website, rather than AI interpretations.

From the Wise website (apropos Thailand accounts):

Receiving payments in non-THB currencies: If you receive non-THB payments from other Wise customers or into your foreign currency account details (e.g. US routing number, UK IBAN, etc.), we'll automatically convert the amount to THB and add it to the THB balance in your Wise account. Relevant currency conversion fees will apply. For example, if you receive a 1,000 USD payment from a Wise user based in the US, we'll automatically convert the 1,000 USD to THB at prevailing mid-market exchange rates, and deduct any relevant currency conversion fees. The remaining THB will then be deposited into your Wise account THB balance. 

AND

Transfers between non-Thai bank accounts: There will be 2 conversions involved (to Thai baht first, then to destination currency), and you might notice an increase in fees as a result. For example, when you use Wise to transfer money from a US bank account (USD) to a Singapore bank account (SGD), there will be two conversions — from USD to THB, then THB to SGD.  

AND

Sending money overseas in non-THB currencies from your Wise multi-currency account: There will be 2 conversions involved (to Thai baht first, then to destination currency) and you might notice an increase in fees as a result. For example, if you send USD from your Wise account to a bank account in the US, there will be two conversions — from USD to THB, then THB back to USD. 

https://wise.com/help/articles/3hVTV4OmZimsLpW0Z8LB6l/upcoming-changes-to-your-wise-account-in-thailand?origin=search-changes+to+Thailand+accounts

9 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

From the Wise website (apropos Thailand accounts):

Receiving payments in non-THB currencies: If you receive non-THB payments from other Wise customers or into your foreign currency account details (e.g. US routing number, UK IBAN, etc.), we'll automatically convert the amount to THB and add it to the THB balance in your Wise account. Relevant currency conversion fees will apply. For example, if you receive a 1,000 USD payment from a Wise user based in the US, we'll automatically convert the 1,000 USD to THB at prevailing mid-market exchange rates, and deduct any relevant currency conversion fees. The remaining THB will then be deposited into your Wise account THB balance. 

AND

Transfers between non-Thai bank accounts: There will be 2 conversions involved (to Thai baht first, then to destination currency), and you might notice an increase in fees as a result. For example, when you use Wise to transfer money from a US bank account (USD) to a Singapore bank account (SGD), there will be two conversions — from USD to THB, then THB to SGD.  

AND

Sending money overseas in non-THB currencies from your Wise multi-currency account: There will be 2 conversions involved (to Thai baht first, then to destination currency) and you might notice an increase in fees as a result. For example, if you send USD from your Wise account to a bank account in the US, there will be two conversions — from USD to THB, then THB back to USD. 

https://wise.com/help/articles/3hVTV4OmZimsLpW0Z8LB6l/upcoming-changes-to-your-wise-account-in-thailand?origin=search-changes+to+Thailand+accounts

I use Wise as believe most people do, as a simple 'financial bridge'. I stick GBP in at one end and I get, usually a few seconds later, THB out the other end. That's all I want and that's all I need and I have no interest in anything else.

Furthermore I do not believe that anything is going to change come September. (or whenever) I will continue to stick GBP in at one end and get THB out the other end.

To me. that's what Wise is all about.

10 hours ago, Moonlover said:

I use Wise as believe most people do, as a simple 'financial bridge'. I stick GBP in at one end and I get, usually a few seconds later, THB out the other end. That's all I want and that's all I need and I have no interest in anything else.

Furthermore I do not believe that anything is going to change come September. (or whenever) I will continue to stick GBP in at one end and get THB out the other end.

To me. that's what Wise is all about.

I just make an online transfer direct from my UK bank to my Thai bank. Not sure how using a 'middle-man' is a benefit.

32 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I just make an online transfer direct from my UK bank to my Thai bank. Not sure how using a 'middle-man' is a benefit.

The costs involved are lower using Wise than doing Swift transfers from your UK bank, well it certainly is for me using HSBC.

15 hours ago, VBF said:

My comment remains correct as this thread is discussing Upcoming changes - see the OP

The so called "Upcoming" changes is a misnomer and have been upcoming in one way or another for a couple of years. All part and parcel of the same change in the way Wise would do business in Thailand.

If the changes hadn't been initiated to satisfy the "Changed" business model, those banks would still be available.

1 hour ago, Pumpuynarak said:

The costs involved are lower using Wise than doing Swift transfers from your UK bank, well it certainly is for me using HSBC.

I have had a Wise account with card for about 6 years but after monitoring it for some time carried on doing transfers from HSBC as there was nothing in it.

Turned out to be the right decision as about a year ago Wise stopped transfers to my Thai bank.

2 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I just make an online transfer direct from my UK bank to my Thai bank. Not sure how using a 'middle-man' is a benefit.

As I have done for the last 18 years without a problem.

I use HSBC and they charge £5 but I could see if the bank was charging much more there would be an incentive to use the Wise service.

One of the problems is some will comment about Wise without saying how they use it. A big difference between the Wise account and the Wise transfer service.

I suspect the post you replied to was the latter.

2 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I just make an online transfer direct from my UK bank to my Thai bank. Not sure how using a 'middle-man' is a benefit.

Four reasons in favour of Wise.

1. They are cheaper.

2. They are quicker. (usually instant)

3. The rate you get is guaranteed.

4. No charges by the receiving bank.

Nuff said?

Oh and by the way. When you use a bank to make a transfer, your money does go through a 'middle-man' even though you don't see it. And that adds to the cost,

Edited 17 hours ago17 hr by Moonlover

11 minutes ago, sandyf said:

One of the problems is some will comment about Wise without saying how they use it. A big difference between the Wise account and the Wise transfer service.

I suspect the post you replied to was the latter.

Please explain that comment. It makes no sense to me.

19 hours ago, sandyf said:

That is not true. There was a significant change that applied to existing Wise jurisdictions as a result of Wise seeking Thai regulatory approval.

Starting on 6 May 2025, the following banks will no longer be supported due to payment system upgrades in Thailand: 

• TMBThanachart Bank (011)

• Citibank (017)

• Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (018)

• Standard Chartered Bank (020)

• United Overseas Bank (024)

• HSBC (031)

• Deutsche Bank (032)

• The Government Housing Bank (033)

• Mizuho Corporate Bank (039)

• BNP Paribas (045)

• Bank Of China (052)

• Thanachart Bank (065)

• Islamic Bank Of Thailand (066)

• TISCO Bank (067)

• ICBC (070)

• The Thai Credit Retail Bank (071)

• Land And Houses Retail Bank (073)

• Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank (Thai) PCL (SMTB) (080)

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

This 'change' took place well before there was any talk of Wise Ltd (Thailand) and I doubt if there is a connection. Looking down the list, I wouldn't imagine there were many, if any customers who used those banks anyway, so it strikes me as a sensible severing of links.

What you fail to mention is that, at the same time as this culling, Wise greatly increased the limits that one could send to the major banks that most of us use. So overall there was an improvement in the service they provide.

Edited 14 hours ago14 hr by Moonlover