Archie,

You can download that application form from the SS site

Yes, the US is in the process of switching to IAT. The good news is that IAT will make it easy to get Social Security directly deposited to your Thai account

You are correct, but nobody knows how things will work yet. Here’s what we do know:

The current BKKB system for domestic ACH transfers from the U.S. to Thailand via their NY branch is ENDING as of April 1, 2019. The online U.S. ACH domestic transfers you have been doing all along to BKKB NY will no longer function after that point.

–The end of the current domestic ACH transfers system for the NY branch, according to BKKB, will have NO IMPACT on the current Social Security and any other federal government direct deposit arrangements already existing thru BKKB.

–BKKB in their updated webpage is advising its U.S. customers that after April 1, 2019, they should use a different system with their U.S. banks’ online banking called IAT (International ACH Transfers). However, the apparent problem with that is, no one seems to know of any U.S. banks that currently provide consumers online access to IAT or any U.S. banks/CUs that have announced plans to support it for consumers.

The current BKKB system for domestic ACH transfers from the U.S. to Thailand via their NY branch is ENDING as of April 1, 2019. The online U.S. ACH domestic transfers you have been doing all along to BKKB NY will no longer function after that point.

–The end of the current domestic ACH transfers system for the NY branch, according to BKKB, will have NO IMPACT on the current Social Security and any other federal government direct deposit arrangements already existing thru BKKB.

–BKKB in their updated webpage is advising its U.S. customers that after April 1, 2019, they should use a different system with their U.S. banks’ online banking called IAT (International ACH Transfers). However, the apparent problem with that is, no one seems to know of any U.S. banks that currently provide consumers online access to IAT or any U.S. banks/CUs that have announced plans to support it for consumers.

For transfers of up to around $3K or less Transferwise puts more baht into your Thai bank account when both “exchange rate and fees” are considered. For amounts above approx $3K you will be a little better off using an Int’l Wire/SWIFT. And you can transfer to “any” Thai bank; not just Bangkok Bank which you are limited to if using the Bangkok Bank ACH method which for all practical purposes will end 1 Apr 19 since IAT is not offered by U.S. retail bank accounts…only Domestic ACH and Domestics/Int’l Wire (a.k.a., SWIFT) is offered. IAT transfers is primarily a corperate accounts thing used for international payment of goods/services, payroll, etc.

Schwab would normally give you $1000 U.S. per day. But you might well raise some eyebrows there if you were to do 10 consecutive Thai ATM withdrawals and incur 2200 baht in ATM fee refunds in a matter of days. Schwab has modest fees for their wire transfers, including international ones. And even better rates if you happen to have a large balance with them.

Specifically, $25 fee for either domestic or intl wire transfers. And, if you have a $100,000+ account balance with them, you get three free wires per quarter, domestic or intl.