BANGKOK, THAILAND – Wise changed key rules for Thai baht transfers after a nationwide banking system overhaul narrowed its Thai bank network and imposed new per-payment limits.
New limits and loss of “international” status
Transfers in Thai baht via Wise had been subject to new conditions since 6 May 2025, after system modernisation in Thailand led to many banks being temporarily removed from its network. Payments to Thailand remained possible but no longer reached all institutions, and maximum amounts per individual transfer now varied by receiving bank. The changes affected both private customers and businesses and formed part of a broader digitalisation drive centred on systems such as PromptPay.
Local processing and missing cross-border records
For everyday use, transfers continued to be processed quickly and at relatively low cost, but recipients had to adapt because incoming funds were now handled as local payments. Anyone needing an official record of international inflows – for example when buying property or dealing with authorities – had to obtain confirmations directly from their Thai bank, as Wise no longer issued such documents. Accurate recipient data, including full names, correct account numbers and a precise payment reference, remained crucial, with expected arrival times generally quoted between 1 and 5 days depending on banking hours and currency conversion.
Major banks supported, many others dropped
From 6 May 2025, Wise stopped supporting transfers to a long list of Thai institutions, among them TMBThanachart Bank, Citibank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and Standard Chartered Bank, as well as several international and specialised Thai banks. Customers who still needed to send money to these banks were left with two options: move the recipient to a supported institution or use a traditional SWIFT transfer via their own bank, which was slower and more expensive but provided a formal international payment record. Wise stated that the list of excluded banks was based on its current communication and could change with future system adjustments.
Per-transfer caps at leading Thai banks
The main Thai commercial banks remained available for Wise transfers, led by Bangkok Bank and Kasikorn Bank, each allowing up to 2,000,000 THB per single payment, roughly €52,700. Siam Commercial Bank set its cap at 1,499,999 THB, about €39,500, while CIMB Thai Bank, Bank of Ayudhya/Krungsri, Krung Thai Bank and Kiatnakin Phatra Bank all applied limits of 500,000 THB, around €13,200. The number of transactions was unrestricted, with a minimum amount of 1 THB, and euro values were indicative, based on exchange rates shown in the Wise app for each transfer.
Data requirements and compliance checks
To send baht via Wise, users had to provide the recipient’s full name exactly as registered at the bank, their residential address, the bank name, an account number of 5 to 16 digits and a clear purpose of payment. Particular care was required with the name entry, as abbreviations, typos or added name elements could delay or block compliance checks at the receiving bank. Wise continued to support both personal and business accounts and displayed all fees and the applicable exchange rate transparently during set-up, alongside any rate guarantee and the estimated crediting time.
How Thai banks issue international confirmations
Wise processed THB transfers through local partner banks in Thailand, which kept costs down and often sped up delivery but meant the payment appeared domestically on Thai statements. Because incoming funds were not recorded as cross-border transactions, Wise did not issue Confirmation Letters of International Fund Transfer, even though such evidence was required in cases such as real estate purchases, visa applications or asset declarations. Recipients who needed these confirmations had to apply to their own bank, which could take several days and might incur administrative charges depending on the institution.
Procedures at Bangkok Bank and Kasikorn Bank
Bangkok Bank typically asked for a valid passport, proof of the transfer such as the Wise transaction receipt, a recent account statement and, where relevant, a purchase contract when issuing an international transfer confirmation linked to property deals. The process usually began in-branch or by phone, with processing times ranging from a few hours to several days and advance appointments recommended for urgent cases. Kasikorn Bank required similar documentation – passport, visa if applicable and either a statement or physical passbook – and was regarded as comparatively fast provided all paperwork was complete.
Email confirmations from Siam Commercial Bank
Siam Commercial Bank offered a more digital route, sending transfer confirmations by email on request once customers supplied their contact details and the date and time of the relevant transaction. Requests had to be submitted to the official address of the account servicing team or customer service, with most confirmations issued within one to three working days. The bank stated that these emailed documents were legally valid and widely accepted by authorities and institutions across Thailand.
SWIFT transfers remain costlier but fully documented
Where a payment had to be recorded as an international transfer from the outset, Wise pointed customers towards a SWIFT transfer via their home bank. Funds sent through the global interbank network were automatically classified as cross-border and came with formal documentation from the participating banks, which could be vital if there was no time to obtain confirmations later from Thai institutions. However, this route was slower, typically taking three to seven business days, and involved higher charges from originating, intermediary and receiving banks.
Wide fee gap between Wise and SWIFT
The information noted that fees for a typical 10,000-euro transfer to Thailand via Wise generally ranged between €40 and €60, combining a transparent service charge with a small margin on an exchange rate close to the mid-market level. By contrast, traditional SWIFT payments often cost a combined €150 to €250, once the sending bank’s fee, charges from intermediary correspondent banks and the Thai receiving bank’s fee, plus a wider FX margin, were included. In return, SWIFT users obtained the guaranteed international status and automatic documentation that many compliance regimes demanded.
PromptPay and Thailand’s digital push
The changes around Wise transfers formed part of a broader modernisation of Thailand’s financial infrastructure led by the Bank of Thailand. At the centre stood PromptPay, a real-time payment system enabling instant transfers between accounts at different banks using phone numbers or national ID numbers instead of traditional account details. These upgrades increased scalability, improved data quality and strengthened fraud prevention but required international payment providers to rework interfaces, update security standards and adjust compliance workflows, resulting in temporary gaps in bank coverage.
Corporate users urged to review strategies
Companies making regular payments to Thailand for suppliers, salaries or services were advised to re-examine their transfer set-ups in light of the new limits and reduced bank list. Identifying preferred recipient banks and asking partners to open accounts with supported institutions could help stabilise payment flows. For firms with strict accounting or tax rules demanding international transfer proof, it was important to decide whether bank-issued confirmations were sufficient or whether higher-cost SWIFT transfers were necessary and to update internal policies on limits, documentation and processing times accordingly.
Managing high volumes and exchange-rate timing
Senders dealing with high volumes faced the practical impact of per-transfer caps, such as needing at least two payments to move 100,000 euros to a Bangkok Bank account with a 2,000,000-THB ceiling, and more tranches for banks with 500,000-THB limits. Spreading transfers over several days could help both to stay within limits and to benefit from more favourable exchange rate movements, supported by rate alerts available in the Wise app. The guidance stressed that even a 1% rate swing on a 50,000-euro transfer equalled 500 euros in value, making timing a significant factor for larger sums.
Buddhist Era dates on Thai financial documents
The overview also highlighted that Thailand used the Buddhist Era calendar alongside the Gregorian system, with BE years running 543 years ahead of Western dates. As a result, 2568 BE corresponded to 2025 AD, a detail that frequently appeared on contracts, bank confirmations and official correspondence. Users working with Thai documents were advised to convert BE dates by subtracting 543 to avoid misunderstandings over deadlines and validity periods linked to financial transactions.
Guidance based on late-2025 information
The information concluded with practical advice such as checking the current list of supported banks in the Wise app before each payment, validating recipient details carefully, comparing Wise with SWIFT when documentation was critical and activating rate and status alerts. It underlined that transfer planning should take into account bank holidays, per-transaction limits and the need for formal international evidence where applicable. The recommendations were based on information from Wise and public sources from the Bank of Thailand as of December 2025 and could change as systems and policies evolved.