Wise, Revolut, or a broker, which for large transfers?

Every comparison of transfer options goes wrong in the same place: people compare the visible fee and ignore the exchange rate. The fee is small and obvious. The margin built into the rate, the gap between the rate you get and the genuine mid-market rate, is larger and hidden. On a large transfer the rate margin almost always dwarfs the fee, so it is the only number worth comparing carefully.

Before choosing any route, find the mid-market rate for the day, then compare what each option would actually deliver in baht for the same sterling sent. That single comparison tells you more than any fee table.

For regular, smaller transfers, the established money-transfer apps are usually hard to beat: tight rates, low fees, and the convenience of moving money from a phone in minutes. For a retiree topping up a Thai account each month with living expenses, they are typically the sensible default.

They have limits. Larger single transfers can hit caps, can trigger additional verification, and the rate advantage narrows as the amount grows. The convenience is real for routine sums; it is less decisive for a one-off large movement.

For a large one-off transfer, the proceeds of a property sale, a pension lump sum, the move of a substantial reserve, a currency broker can add value the apps cannot. A broker can often hold a rate while you complete a transaction, can phase a large sum to average the rate, and can give a named person to deal with on a transfer where a mistake would be expensive.

The trade-off is that broker quality and pricing vary widely, and a poor broker is worse than a good app. The same rule applies: compare the all-in delivered amount against the mid-market rate, and ask directly what the broker makes on the deal.

Roughly: routine monthly transfers, use the best-priced app and move on. Large, infrequent transfers, get a broker quote and compare it honestly against the app on the delivered amount, not the fee. Very large or sensitive movements, where timing and certainty matter, the broker’s ability to hold and phase a rate usually justifies the relationship.

Whichever you use, never move a large sum on a single day without checking the rate against mid-market first. That one habit saves more than any choice of provider.

This article compares transfer methods in general terms and does not endorse any provider or quote any rate or fee, all of which change constantly. It is not personalised advice.

The wealth management service covers how currency movement fits into the wider plan when larger sums are involved. For a conversation about a specific transfer or your income set-up, book a consultation.