How Can I Get Money To Thailand Without Uk Government Knowing

[dmax]

its legal money but its also my money and i want to move it to thailand. 50.000 gbp. i have 2 bank accounts in los with siam and kasikorn. this is extra money i do not want to declare .

[Soutpeel]

Well first of all shipping out anymore than US$ 10,000 a time will flag the system, so you will be under scrutiny, so it would need to come out in batches to get round that one.

Any form of electronic transfer will have a paper chase and is therefore traceable, but it all depends if HMRS are interested, taking out in small batch may not raise any interest.

Suppose the certain way is to draw it out in the UK and hand carry, that way it will "disappear"

[yabaaaa]

Well first of all shipping out anymore than US$ 10,000 a time will flag the system, so you will be under scrutiny, so it would need to come out in batches to get round that one.

Any form of electronic transfer will have a paper chase and is therefore traceable, but it all depends if HMRS are interested, taking out in small batch may not raise any interest.

Suppose the certain way is to draw it out in the UK and hand carry, that way it will "disappear"

Uk limit to carry thru without declaring is €10000 and as the exchange rate is quite low now thats about £8500.

I have often carried more and just kept quiet, no problems yet in 5 years.

You can carry any mount but over €10000 you have to declare it and prove where it came from. Ill mule it over or you for £200 a time ahhahahaha i come twice a year at least.

[rgs2001uk]

Go to your bank and tell them you want to buy American Express US$ travellers cheques, bring these with you to Thailand.

[CharlieH]

Well first of all shipping out anymore than US$ 10,000 a time will flag the system, so you will be under scrutiny, so it would need to come out in batches to get round that one.

Any form of electronic transfer will have a paper chase and is therefore traceable, but it all depends if HMRS are interested, taking out in small batch may not raise any interest.

Suppose the certain way is to draw it out in the UK and hand carry, that way it will "disappear"

Uk limit to carry thru without declaring is €10000 and as the exchange rate is quite low now thats about £8500.

I have often carried more and just kept quiet, no problems yet in 5 years.

You can carry any mount but over €10000 you have to declare it and prove where it came from. Ill mule it over or you for £200 a time ahhahahaha i come twice a year at least.

I had a similiar problem and when I enquired about limits in the Uk they "10,000" anything over MUST be declared. I just brought it over in several trips at 9999 each time. Either that or electronic transfer and again keep it under 9999 and no one is interested. (In my experience)

[PattayaParent]

Split the money between several other people and accounts and have them transferred to you, but even that might raise flags if done all at the same time as the destination is the same.

Best bet is to buy travellers cheques from several different places and draw money out to give to friends to buy TTs for you as well.

As an aside: it's dubious if it's legal if you have to be devious about the movement of the money. Is this your first harvest?

[moe666]

So you have a paper trail, if they come asking(not likely) just tell them you spent the cash.

[endure]

Go to your bank and tell them you want to buy American Express US$ travellers cheques, bring these with you to Thailand.

If he buys US$ travellers cheques he'll be hit with an exchange rate charge. Why not buy Sterling?

[eddibabyyeah]

Offer to pay for flights for 5 friends in the uk. Get them to carry the cash between them. it'll cost u a couple of Grand in for the flights. But gets the job done quick.

[Mercury]

A Siam Bank account has a maximum ATM withdrawal limit of Bt200,000 a day which is roughly £4000. Bangkok Bank can go up to Bt500,000 a day. Now I know you would have to sit in the bank, feeding the cards into the machine quite a few times at £500 a go but it would not take that long to get £50,000 out of the ATMs in the UK. With multiple accounts, you could do it in one day !

(and empty the ATM like a fruit machine !)

[endure]

A Siam Bank account has a maximum ATM withdrawal limit of Bt200,000 a day which is roughly £4000. Bangkok Bank can go up to Bt500,000 a day. Now I know you would have to sit in the bank, feeding the cards into the machine quite a few times at £500 a go but it would not take that long to get £50,000 out of the ATMs in the UK. With multiple accounts, you could do it in one day !

(and empty the ATM like a fruit machine !)

UK banks only allow ATM withdrawals (anywhere in the world) up to 15,000 baht (at the present exchange rate) per day so this wouldn't work.

[chiang mai]

If the money is already in a UK bank account then it will always be traceable hence there's no way to make it untraceable unless you "spend" it - if you were to withdraw the money in smaller amounts over time, stored it and then hand carried it to Thailand, that would mean it's off the UK radar. However, carrying cash through UK airports can attract attention, as discussed in this forum previously the police are known to use sniffer dogs for this purpose and unless the source of the money can be proven satisfactorily, it may be confiscated until it can be proven - I personally know of one person who was stopped in this way at Heathrow and he was only carrying £2,000 which he fortunately could explain.

The only other option I can think of is to go to the London branch of Bangkok Bank and buy a Cashiers Cheque payable to yourself, drawn on Bangkok Bank in Bangkok, in Thai Baht and to hand carry or mail that and then deposit it into your Thai bank account.

Edited August 4, 2010 by chiang mai

[Mercury]

A Siam Bank account has a maximum ATM withdrawal limit of Bt200,000 a day which is roughly £4000. Bangkok Bank can go up to Bt500,000 a day. Now I know you would have to sit in the bank, feeding the cards into the machine quite a few times at £500 a go but it would not take that long to get £50,000 out of the ATMs in the UK. With multiple accounts, you could do it in one day !

(and empty the ATM like a fruit machine !)

UK banks only allow ATM withdrawals (anywhere in the world) up to 15,000 baht (at the present exchange rate) per day so this wouldn't work.

Sorry but that is completely incorrect. If your bank has a poor £300 limit per daily withdrawal then yes, you can only withdraw £300/Bt15000 or around $450 or so etc. Many people have ATM cards issued by UK banks with daily withdrawal limits in the £'000s though every ATM is limited to the number of notes it can issue at one time (physical limitation).

£1000 per card per day is easily available from HSBC amongst others and if you move up the league a bit you can get much more than that. Of course, if you bank with an antiquated building society then you may well be restricted to some low amount.

Nothing at all to do with UK banks allowing anything.

[NanLaew]

^ Another 'my bank is better than thou's and i probably have so much more money that you anyway' post.

MOST bank accounts; let's say the average Thailand resident farangs UK bank account DOES have a restriction on daily overseas ATM load outs. I have the RBS Black MasterCard and I can suck gazillions out of any ATM daily (but I don't)... but it's a very unique card and account so not relevant to the AVERAGE poster seeking assistance here.

Bugger, now I have made a 'my bank is better than thou's and i probably have so much more money than you anyway' post!

Now, back to the OP, pulling the money out of the bank in the UK, make sure you have a withdrawal slip or some paper evidence that the cash is yours if asked. Make sure the notes you get from your UK bank are NEW and the LARGEST denomination available. You do need to specifically order this in advance or your will get used and damaged notes that will take longer to be cashed (this all from personal experience). Then you buy yourself and your mate one of those money belt gizmo's; silk ones with plastic zip and no metal buckles are best as they can be next to the skin, real comfy and low profile. Layer the bills such that the money belt isn't bulked up and wear underneath an undershirt or underpants. That way it isn't detected if you do have a security pat-down. Making sure that you and your buddy do not have anything metallic on you that will set off scanners and expose you to any secondary inspection in the first place is critical. Once you get here, pop down to the bank and exchange for local moolah or, stuff it in the mattress for a rainy day, whatever turns your crank.

Good luck!

[wolf5370]

How about via PayPal - Two accounts. Link one to your UK accounts and one to your Thai. 'pay across between them' and draw from Thai linked one. I guess there are limits here too, and a paper trail if anyone would look, but as the paypal accounts are different and as UK has not ability to look at the destination account, not very easy trail. Check the harges and exhange rate to see if this would be more expensive than any other method.

I suppose if it was regular, then you could do something like set up merchant account and link it to your Thai account and they just pay it with your debit card. It would just look like internet purchases then. Again there would be merchant charges so you would see if this suits.

I do know someone that had a company set up in Panama that had overseas (tax free) bank accounts. He paid something like 200 quid a year for the company (no need to pay taxes in Panama). He then charged his UK company 'charges' that he paid each month to the off-shore company as a legitimate business expense (he put it down as web services/outsoucing) - his accountant (who only knew about the charge not that he owned the offshore company) in the UK got most back off his taxes. He had online access to the bank and debit cards against the accounts. He couldn't use it for his mortgage, but good for savings and non-asset purhases (holidays - cash etc). He even got interest on the accounts which was tax free too (though a small fee for card usage and account maintenence was required - less than 100 Dollars US a year). Panama is one of the countries that will not give out company ownership or bank information to foreign governments. This is obviously tax evasion and possibly outright fraud, so eyes wide open - you takes your chances! I know he did it for over a decade though and several tax audits (including VAT). He was not too greeedy, which I guess is the key - out of a million or so profit each year, he charged roughly 15% (of gross - but his company had high GP) to this offshore company and the odd extra charge to lift it (service upgrade/contract renewal or whatever) when his school fees came around.

[dmax]

i think some guys are getting mixed up here, i dont keep the money in a uk bank account as it is traceable, neither do i want to take all the money out of a thai bank account in one day via atm,s i just want the money out of uk and into a thai bank account !! if my money was in a thai bank account i can let it sit there for years , i dont care !! as long as its out of uk...so i think carrying it through the airport in batches below £10-000 pounds sounds good, i sold a house in uk 4 years ago and made 67,000 profit so if customs stpped me i could hand them my receipt from the house sale ? correct?

.

[NanLaew]

^ Aha! Just as I suspected. It's in the mattress in blighty after all.

As you've been told, bring it in batch sizes that won't raise any eyebrows but DON'T stick it in the Thai bank account just yet. Hold on for a year or three and get a decent exchange rate. Remember the forex rates a couple or three years back? Or else you will be on here whingeing about the dodgy quid and unfeasibly strong baht like the rest of 'em.

[bangkockney]

The money has already gone through a UK account for you to have it in cash right?

Or did you walk out of your solicitors with £67k cash in a briefcase?

[yeesipha]

i think some guys are getting mixed up here, i dont keep the money in a uk bank account as it is traceable, neither do i want to take all the money out of a thai bank account in one day via atm,s i just want the money out of uk and into a thai bank account !! if my money was in a thai bank account i can let it sit there for years , i dont care !! as long as its out of uk...so i think carrying it through the airport in batches below £10-000 pounds sounds good, i sold a house in uk 4 years ago and made 67,000 profit so if customs stopped me i could hand them my receipt from the house sale ? correct?

.

Dmax

get your uk gdp changed up into euro notes, 500 denominations,you can fit 25000 euro into a fag packet, one 500 euro note = approx £426.alot easier to manage than the £50 note option.

or change it up into 1000 swiss franc note,1 note =600 odd quid. again alot easier to hide from prying eyes.

The only problem you face now is getting hold of these 500 euro notes,as they have withdrawn them from being purchased in the uk from money changers,for obvious reasons

you're in NI right? so a little trip over the border to SI where these notes can still be purchased.

Edited August 5, 2010 by yeesipha

[krading]

Do a 'Papillion' and hide it up your bum.

[MB1]

Go to your bank and tell them you want to buy American Express US$ travellers cheques, bring these with you to Thailand.

If he buys US$ travellers cheques he'll be hit with an exchange rate charge. Why not buy Sterling?

Even if he gets travellers cheques,if he has over 10,000 Euro's or the equivalent in other currencies when departing UK, legally he must still declare , same go's for bankers drafts and other types of cheques, any amount over 10,000 Euros must be declared on form C9011.

HMRC definition of cah is currency notes and coins, bankers' drafts ,cheques of any kind including travellers cheques.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Foreigntravel/BringinggoodsorcashintotheUK/DG_173289

Edited August 5, 2010 by MB1

[MB1]

Now, back to the OP, pulling the money out of the bank in the UK, make sure you have a withdrawal slip or some paper evidence that the cash is yours if asked. Make sure the notes you get from your UK bank are NEW and the LARGEST denomination available. You do need to specifically order this in advance or your will get used and damaged notes that will take longer to be cashed (this all from personal experience). Then you buy yourself and your mate one of those money belt gizmo's; silk ones with plastic zip and no metal buckles are best as they can be next to the skin, real comfy and low profile. Layer the bills such that the money belt isn't bulked up and wear underneath an undershirt or underpants. That way it isn't detected if you do have a security pat-down. Making sure that you and your buddy do not have anything metallic on you that will set off scanners and expose you to any secondary inspection in the first place is critical. Once you get here, pop down to the bank and exchange for local moolah or, stuff it in the mattress for a rainy day, whatever turns your crank.

Good luck!

That may have been okay years ago, some UK airports now have body xray scanning machines, Manchester definately and I know they trialed it at London Heathrow.

[12DrinkMore]

Do a 'Papillion' and hide it up your bum.

Need to have a massive arsehol_e to shove that much up it......

But there has to be something not quite legal with this.

I have transferred around that amount of money internationally from the UK through the banks with no issues. If the OP does not want an electronic trail then he is hiding something from somebody who has a legal claim on that money. Otherwise he would simply pay it into a bank account and transfer it via SWIFT.

Thai Visa rules are somewhat strict on this issue.

[GuestHouse]

Absolutely agree - The OP is trying to get around money laundering laws.

And they are aimed at hindering Drug Dealers, Organized Crime, Terrorism.

Which ever and whatever, the OP is seeking advice on an illegal activity.

[davee58]

How Can I Get Money To Thailand Without Uk Government Knowing

Well, the first clue is: Do not post the question on a publicly accessible bulletin board.

You have just provided details of the amount, along with any personal information in your board profile.

Absolutely agree - The OP is trying to get around money laundering laws.

And they are aimed at hindering Drug Dealers, Organized Crime, Terrorism.

Which ever and whatever, the OP is seeking advice on an illegal activity.

Unlikely that the OP is a drug dealer or terrorist.

- More likely to be hiding assets from his ex-wife.

- But, flags may have been raised in GCHQ.

[Rimmer]

Discussion of activities that are officially illegal in Thailand are not permitted on the Forum.

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