transfer money from USA to Thailand (can't use SWIFT)

[Langsuan Man]

3 minutes ago, buick said:

now it is really exciting.  i noticed my BB account for thai baht (not the USD account) has a shorter account number.  so thought i'd try that one for the BB NYC ACH.  now when i log into wells fargo, i'm immediately asked to verify my identity via code sent to USA phone.  and i'm using a VPN so they don't know i'm in thailand.  i guess too many failed wire recipient adds/transfer money stuff sent me into the penalty box.  so locked out of account !!!  i sure hope they have not deactivated my ATM card......

 

Has nothing to do with trying to set up Bangkok Bank as an external account (which is the option Transfer Money, not Send Money) and is a normal security requirement to keep unauthorized persons from using your account to transfer your money to their account.  Explained fully on the Wells Fargo web site:

 

Quote

To enable your account for transfers, additional security measures are required to verify your ownership of the account. It may take 2-3 business days to verify an account for use in transfers. Accounts that are verified for transfer are also enabled for payments.

Fees may apply when transferring funds to your non-Wells Fargo account.

 

I obviously have a Well Fargo Account and have never used a VPN to access it from Thailand  and the number that they call is the number you gave them in your online profile 

 

Also don't understand why :

 

 

 

Quote

 i noticed my BB account for thai baht (not the USD account) has a shorter account number.

 

My Bangkok Bank account has 10 digits, as does my Wells Fargo account number number, and in viewing my other linked accounts, most have a 10 digit account numbers,  the only exception being brokerage accounts that are off by one digit  

 

[buick]

13 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

But know banks can be banks at times.

 

well said.  during my phone call to get the 'block' on my account removed (they did that) i asked about identity verification for an ACH transfer to BB in NYC.  they said i would need to get the code via text to my USA phone.  i was able to get the process started, got the screen about checking my thai bank account for two small deposit amounts.  so at least i've made it that far.  we'll see what happens once i verify the amounts and try to send the money.  may need a code then.  i'll re-read the advice/warning on how to make sure i get the right amounts.

[buick]

15 minutes ago, Langsuan Man said:

My Bangkok Bank account has 10 digits,

 

i have two accounts, USD and THB.  the USD is 19 digits.  but i'm okay as noted in the above post, i just switched the account number to the THB and was fine.  that got me started.

 

good to know there is someone with a WFB account.  so you are saying you do have to enter a code that you get sent to your number via text in order to complete the ACH transfer ?  unfortunately, the number i have on file is for a phone i don't have with me.  i used to be able to call and get around this but they just changed the process.  in any case, my USA number is verizon which doesn't work in thailand so that is why i don't bother to bring it.  obviously i need to change to at&t now since i'll need to do this transfer stuff regularly.  i can change the number to a friends number and then have them give it to me, if that is what gets it done.

[Langsuan Man]

USAA, started to require SMS notification for certain transactions so I got around this by getting a Google Voice number.

Fortunately I have a MagicJack here in Thailand that I was able to use for the Google Voice activation but without a US number here in Thailand I don't know of a work around for you, other than having your friend answer the verification call and emailing you the voice code

The main advantage of a Google Voice number is that any SMS messages received will automatically be sent to your email address ( mine are sent to my Gmail address) so I am not positive that Voice will forward to other email accounts



Sent from my Nexus 5X using Thaivisa Connect mobile app

[gk10002000]

On ‎12‎/‎27‎/‎2016 at 6:59 PM, poohy said:

Yes payment has to be initiated by sending bank

SWIFT always seems to cause a bit of consternation even from UK as they always ask for IBAN no and you have to insist they use swift (no IBAN in Thailand)

 

It sounds like a system error with you bank

The folks at Etrade Bank have no idea what a SWIFT is.  I tried once.  I ended up sending the money via Western Union, and oddly it was cheaper to  go down the street to the place that did Western Union than it was to do by sending it online from Western Union.  I guess one pays for the convenience of online shopping!  I just read another posters comment that claimed he used Etrade and did Swift.  Interesting because a few years ago I got no where with Etrade.   

Edited December 29, 2016 by gk10002000
add

[Pib]

2 hours ago, gk10002000 said:

The folks at Etrade Bank have no idea what a SWIFT is.  I tried once.  I ended up sending the money via Western Union, and oddly it was cheaper to  go down the street to the place that did Western Union than it was to do by sending it online from Western Union.  I guess one pays for the convenience of online shopping!  I just read another posters comment that claimed he used Etrade and did Swift.  Interesting because a few years ago I got no where with Etrade.   

Sure they do based on a little bit of googling I did.  They even have their own SWIFT code to get money to them via SWIFT   Expect you had a miscommunication with them.

http://bank-code.net/swift-code/ETRAUS61XXX.html

https://us.etrade.com/e/t/estation/help?id=1901000000#Wire

 

And below  etrade link shows the form to use if requesting a SWIFT transfer out.   Maybe you can even setup a transfer link on your Etrade online account.

https://content.etrade.com/etrade/estation/pdf/brkwireoutinternational_final.pdf

 

A E-trade link gives lots of info and forms like how to wire money in and out.

https://us.etrade.com/forms-applications

[buick]

i was able to set up the transfer btwn wells fargo and bangkok bank by entering the small amounts deposited by wells fargo into bangkok bank.  but when i went to transfer the cash, the request for enter code came up again (as one poster here suggested it would).  so it looks like i'll have to use etrade, which isn't a big deal.  and next trip to USA, i'll have to switch from verizon to at&t as an at&t phone will work in thailand.

 

thanks again for all the help and guidance.  at least i know what is going on now, at first i had no clue.  the change at wells fargo was a surprise and the people at wells fargo couldn't verify the change (text only verification, no more verification via phone) in my first two phone calls.

[Pib]

When it comes to banking security codes I'm pretty sure your bank's technical department will tell you they can not guarantee security codes reaching you when your a roaming internationally.  

 

Although on the surface a security code is just some letters and numbers when you view it there is underlying special coding/formatting in this type of message it is....and foreign cell carriers you happen to connect to while roaming outside the U.S. may not be able to receive that message.  Or, your U.S. carrier intentionally will not or can not transmit it outside the U.S. or to certain countries.   Normally  on your bank's website "somewhere" they will probably mention some similar wording in a much shorter version and probably somewhere in the fine print in a document or on a webpage.

 

Late last year I experienced this problem with my Bank of America bank account I was closing...really hadn't used it a whole lot since moving to Thailand for various reasons....I had switched to better, less fee-evil U.S. banks....but I had used it transfer money maybe a half dozen time and I had to use a security code each time.   I'm in Bangkok.    

 

Anyway, in late 2016 when trying to transfer out the funds to established funds transfer links I had to another U.S. bank and "using my BoA SafePass" card which generates a security code (same thing as getting a security code via SMS from the bank) the security would not be accepted by their system.  But it had always worked before....no problems.   I called BoA to discuss the problem...after general support couldn't figure out why it wouldn't work they relayed me to their tech support dept.     And BoA would not initiate the transfer based on my telephone request....I had to do it using a security code since the amount was over $1000.

 

During those tech support calls they figured although my SafePass card was still generating codes and it wasn't expired the cards internal clock had probably gone out of sync and I would need a new card...plus it was around 6 years old.  Of course a new card cost $20 and would take me close to a month to get since they do not mail the SafePass cards out of the U.S.....it would have to be mailed to my relatives address in the U.S. who in-turn could remail it to me here in Thailand.  I said no to a replacement SafePass card....anything else we can try?

 

Tech support then had me try receiving the security code via SMS to my U.S T-Mobile cell number.  They said in this case there was not wait time needed to start using the mobile number I had entered into my BoA profile an hour earlier...sometimes, bank's require a new number to season for 30 days or a week before you can use it for banking transactions.  

 

Here in Thailand that T-Mobile number connects to either DTAC or AIS.  Anyway, after numerous tries in sending a security code via SMS the code never arrived.   I even called T-Mobile tech support who looked in their system and said they did see several SMSs coming from BoA over the last hour and they were relayed on....but I never got them.  The T-Mobile tech support said although they relay the SMSs to your international roaming connection they can not guarantee the international carrier you happened to be connect to (i..e., AIS or DTAC in my case) can successfully receive/deliver these special security code SMSs due to their technical nature.

 

Now, I knew he was not pulling my leg because I had seen such info on websites for years...and seen it on many banking websites that they couldn't guarantee 100% the security code would arrive, especially for international connections.

 

Anyway, I just ended up "pulling" the money from my BoA acccount by generating an ACH transfer request "from" my other U.S. bank which don't require a security for such requests.  A few days later with the BoA balance at zero I closed the account.   

 

So, guess what I'm trying to say, switching to another U.S. cell number carrier will not guarantee banking security codes will arrive while you are roaming internationally.  

 

If your U.S. bank offers one of those cards (looks basically like a debit/credit card) that generates a security code by pressing a spot on the card and it appears in a windows on the card, get one of those even if it does cost you some money.    I used my BoA SafePass card successfully for years here in Thailand....it's just it did not want to work with BoA system late last year....maybe a card clock sync problem...maybe the card was really expired even though it had no expiration date and BoA confirmed they don't expire....they continue to work until they fail or BoA cancels them/your account.

 

BoA SafePass Card for generating security codes like you receive via SMS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[buick]

18 hours ago, Pib said:

So, guess what I'm trying to say, switching to another U.S. cell number carrier will not guarantee banking security codes will arrive while you are roaming internationally.  

 

thanks for the info.  i better prepare myself for another disappointment.  that said, i don't really blame the banks for getting so serious on security.  i'll have to change my habits on sending money.  once i arrive in USA, start transferring money ASAP !!

[Langsuan Man]

2 hours ago, buick said:

 

thanks for the info.  i better prepare myself for another disappointment.  that said, i don't really blame the banks for getting so serious on security.  i'll have to change my habits on sending money.  once i arrive in USA, start transferring money ASAP !!

 

Solve the problem permanently by buying a MagicJack when you are back in the US.  A real US number that anyone can call and if you are not at the computer when the phone rings you will automatically receive an email telling you that you were called and the number of the person calling, even if they don't leave a voicemail message.  Will also allow you to obtain a Google Voice number (for verification)  for any institutions that require you to have a text enabled cell phone, which is becoming more and more prevalent  

 

Trust me there will be other things that you will need while here in Thailand and having a US number makes it so much easier 

[Pib]

LSM,

   I can't be certain now but "I think" I tried my MagicJack number with BoA also....no SMS.   And I think I tried my Google Voice number....no joy.   Just remember I tried a variety of numbers.    To this day I still wonder if the number(s) I tried to use didn't have to season X-days first, but the BoA rep said no the mobile number don't have to season.  

 

To a degree that sounds strange as if someone hacked into your online banking, updated the mobile number your profile (which was really their mobile number), and then immediately began to initiate transfers out with the new mobile getting the security codes....but normally for the mobile number change to occur first a security code has to go to the old number to validate the number change.  Varies among banks how they handle their 2 step verification stuff.

 

     However, but, I sure know when USAA Bank started using security codes for "certain" banking transaction that although my GoogleVoice number worked with them the number had to season 30 days before it started working.  I think you had the same experience.    And even more deep archived memory cells keep trying to tell me from years back when BoA first implement some new requirement for a mobile number it also required a seasoning period of X-days.  

 

    Maybe  the BoA rep just didn't know what they were talking about although I asked are you sure the number don't have to season and she said no...and as mentioned early T-mobile confirmed they had rec'd some security codes from BoA for me....but I never got them.

 

     Just want to point out to buick that's it's not a slamp dunk/100% for sure thing he'll get the codes when outside the U.S.   He should have a backup plan just in case they don't arrive.

     

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

FWIW, I've been using the combination of MagicJack and Google Voice for many years, and can't recall any financial institution I've ever dealt with where the Google Voice number didn't work fine for receiving their SMS messages.

 

The paid MJ account also will enable you to receive SMS messages as well, but you'll need to install the MJ Android or IOS mobile app in order to receive SMSs via MJ.  In my case, though, the GV number has always worked fine, so I don't think I've ever had to register my MJ number for banking SMS purposes.

 

[Langsuan Man]

15 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

The paid MJ account also will enable you to receive SMS messages as well, but you'll need to install the MJ Android or IOS mobile app in order to receive SMSs via MJ.  In my case, though, the GV number has always worked fine, so I don't think I've ever had to register my MJ number for banking SMS purposes.

 

I could never get the Android MJ app to work to receive SMS , which why,  when USAA started this "text enabled" cell phone foolishness,  I took Pip's advice and got a Google Voice number.    The MJ just made verifying the Google Voice number easier

 

And it is not foolproof, since the Google Voice number would not work for receiving SMS messages from Wells Fargo for instance so Pip's warning above is appropriate