How Do You Receive Money from Thailand to India in 2026?

A Thai client paying an Indian freelancer uses either a Thai domestic rail or an international wire. PromptPay moves baht between Thai accounts using an ID such as a phone number, and BAHTNET settles high-value transfers between banks. These reach Thai accounts only. Paying an Indian bank account needs a SWIFT transfer.

• Rails: The Bank of Thailand describes PromptPay as payment infrastructure launched in 2016, with a corporate service that lets businesses receive and send money. BAHTNET is the real-time gross settlement system for high-value transfers between financial institutions. A transfer to an Indian bank uses SWIFT.
• Client enters: For local THB details, the client enters your account name, the Thai bank and the account number, or a PromptPay ID. For a SWIFT wire, the client enters your name, Indian account number, your bank's SWIFT code and bank address.
• Client cost: The Bank of Thailand's standard PromptPay fee table shows no fee up to 5,000 baht and under 10 baht above 100,000 baht, and notes that most banks have waived fees on mobile transfers since 2018. International wires carry the sending bank's fees, and intermediary banks may deduct charges.
• Speed: PromptPay transfers inside Thailand are near real time. SWIFT payments from a Thai bank usually take one to a few business days to reach an Indian bank, depending on intermediary banks and cut-off times.
• Limits: The Bank of Thailand's list of cross-border payment linkages covers countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Japan, and does not list India. A Thai business client cannot pay an Indian invoice through PromptPay.

The table ranks platforms with full published pricing for THB by the INR received on THB 170,000, then lists other business platforms that accept THB, unranked. Fees were checked on 30 Sept 2026 or later.

You often receive less than the THB invoice value because of conversion margins, sending fees and intermediary deductions. A bank may also price THB to INR through US dollars. For example, at an example mid-market rate of ₹2.50 per THB, a 100,000 baht invoice is worth ₹2,50,000, but a 2% margin leaves about ₹2,45,000 before any flat fees.

Each row applies the platform's published fee, FX markup and 18% GST on the fee to the mid-market rate of ₹2.810 per THB for 3 Nov 2026.

• Total cost: Add the conversion margin, any percentage or flat fee and intermediary deductions, then compare the INR that lands in your account.
• Local rail coverage: Check whether the method gives Thai account details that accept PromptPay or a domestic bank transfer, so the client pays in baht at home.
• Settlement speed: Compare how long the money takes from the client's payment to the INR credit in your Indian bank.
• FIRA: Confirm that you get an inward remittance record for each payment. FIRA is a provider term, and GST refund rules refer to a FIRC or BRC.
• Client experience: A Thai client finds a domestic PromptPay transfer, or a card payment, easier than an international wire with SWIFT details.
• Support: Check how quickly the provider or bank resolves a held, returned or wrongly coded payment.

Receiving money from Thailand as an export of services needs an inward remittance record, the correct purpose code and an EDF. The FEMA (Export and Import of Goods and Services) Regulations, 2026 apply from 1 October 2026. Payment must arrive within nine months of the invoice, or twelve months if invoiced or settled in INR.

• FIRA or e-FIRA: FIRA is not a term defined in RBI regulations. CGST Rule 89(2)(c) asks for BRC or FIRC details for each invoice in a refund claim, and the DGFT eBRC FAQs explain self-generated eBRCs from bank data. See what a FIRA is.
• Purpose code: Banks report receipts in FETERS using RBI's purpose codes under A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 84. For example, P0802 is "Software consultancy/implementation (other than those covered in SOFTEX form)" and P1006 is "Business and management consultancy and public relations services".
• EDF for services: Declare service exports in an EDF within 30 days from the end of the invoice month under Regulation 3(2). Circular No. 20 supersedes the SOFTEX circulars from 1 October 2026, so software exports now use the EDF too. Exporters of services other than software may instead submit the EDF on or before the date the payment is received. See the EDF form.
• EDF for goods: Goods exporters declare the full export value in an EDF at the time of export under Regulation 3(1). For goods shipped through an EDI port, the EDF is deemed submitted as part of the shipping bill.
• EDPMS: Your AD bank closes the EDPMS entry when it credits the payment. For an invoice up to ₹10 lakh, the entry can be closed on your declaration, singly or in a quarterly bulk declaration, under Regulation 4(2).
• PA-CB fund safety: A cross-border payment aggregator must hold inward collections in an Inward Collection Account with an AD Category-I bank under the RBI Master Direction on Payment Aggregators. It can process up to ₹25 lakh per transaction.

Money received from Thai clients for services is usually a zero-rated export for GST and taxable income in India. Under IGST Act section 16, an export of services under an LUT carries no IGST. The India-Thailand DTAA decides whether Thailand may tax the fee. Thai law can require the client to withhold tax on some payments abroad.

• GST and LUT: A supply meeting the five conditions in IGST Act section 2(6) is an export of services. File an LUT in Form GST RFD-11 before exporting to avoid paying IGST under CGST Rule 96A. See LUT filing on the GST portal.
• Platform fees: Fees that an India-based payment provider or bank charges you are a domestic supply and usually carry GST. Keep the tax invoices, because registered exporters may be able to claim input tax credit.
• Income tax: The Income-tax Act, 2025 replaced the 1961 Act from 1 April 2026. The presumptive schemes, including old section 44ADA for professionals, are now consolidated in section 58. Earlier tax years stay under the 1961 Act.
• India-Thailand DTAA: Under Article 7 of the India-Thailand agreement signed on 29 June 2015, business profits are taxable only in India unless you have a permanent establishment in Thailand. Article 14 covers an individual's professional services. The treaty has no separate article on fees for technical services, and Article 12 caps tax on royalties at 10 percent.
• Thai withholding: The Revenue Department's corporate income tax guide says a foreign company not carrying on business in Thailand is taxed at 15 percent of gross receipts on Thai-source income other than dividends, withheld by the payer. The guide covers companies, so an individual freelancer should ask the client how it applies. Thai VAT can apply to a service performed abroad and used in Thailand.

Rules and rails are linked to official sources below with the dates they were checked. Platform figures come from each platform's own pages, checked on 30 Sept 2026 or later, and RBI authorisation was checked against RBI's published list. Rates are XE live mid-market rates, dated 3 Nov 2026. The method is on the methodology page.

1. Foreign Exchange Management (Export and Import of Goods and Services) Regulations, 2026, Notification No. FEMA 23(R)/2026-RB, Reg 2(1)(f) specified authority; Reg 3(1) EDF for goods at the time of export, deemed part of shipping bill at EDI ports; Reg 3(2) EDF for services within 30 days from the end of month of invoice, with proviso (b) letting non-software service exporters submit on or before the date of receipt of payment; Reg 4(2) EDPMS closure on declaration for invoices up to ₹10 lakh, quarterly bulk option; Reg 5(1) realisation; Reg 18(2) FETERS reporting (checked 8 Oct 2026)
2. FEMA (Export and Import of Goods and Services) (Amendment) Regulations, 2026, Notification No. FEMA 23(R)/(1)/2026-RB (22 September 2026), Regulation 5(1): 'fifteen months' replaced by 'nine months'; 'eighteen months' replaced by 'twelve months'; in force from 1 October 2026 (checked 8 Oct 2026)
3. RBI A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 20, RBI/2025-26/194: Export and Import of Goods and Services (16 January 2026), Supersedes the Master Direction on Export and listed circulars, including A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 9 of 25 October 2001 on Certification of SOFTEX Forms, from 1 October 2026 (checked 8 Oct 2026)
4. Foreign Exchange Management (Manner of Receipt and Payment) Regulations, 2023, Notification No. FEMA 14(R)/2023-RB, Reg 3(2): receipts through an Authorised Bank or Authorised Person; for countries outside the ACU, receipt in INR or any foreign currency (checked 8 Oct 2026)
5. RBI circular RBI/2026-27/08: Guidelines to facilitate faster cross-border inward payments (9 April 2026), Para 3: banks shall endeavour to credit inward payments received during forex market hours within the same business day and those received after market hours on the next business day; para 4: effective six months from the date of the circular; operative from 9 October 2026 (checked 8 Oct 2026)
6. RBI Master Direction on Regulation of Payment Aggregator (PA), RBI/DPSS/2025-26/141, Para 11(d): maximum ₹25 lakh per transaction for PA-CB; para 11(h): PA-CB provides documents for EDPMS closure; para 16(a) and Table 1: funds held in an Inward Collection Account (InCA) with an AD Category-I scheduled commercial bank (checked 8 Oct 2026)
7. RBI A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 84: Compilation of R-Returns, reporting under FETERS, revised purpose codes (29 February 2012), P0802 Software consultancy/implementation (other than those covered in SOFTEX form); P1006 Business and management consultancy and public relations services (checked 8 Oct 2026)
8. RBI Master Direction - Deposits and Accounts, EEFC account: 100 percent of foreign exchange earnings may be credited; non-interest bearing; accruals of a calendar month converted to INR by the last day of the succeeding month after approved uses (checked 8 Oct 2026)
9. RBI Master Direction - Money Transfer Service Scheme, Only cross-border personal remittances such as family maintenance are allowed; trade related remittances shall not be made through this arrangement; cap of USD 2,500 per remittance; 30 remittances per beneficiary per year (checked 8 Oct 2026)
10. Central Goods and Services Tax Rules, 2017, Rule 89 (CBIC tax information portal), Rule 89(2)(c): statement of invoices with relevant BRC or FIRC for refund on export of services (checked 8 Oct 2026)
11. Central Goods and Services Tax Rules, 2017, Rule 96A (CBIC tax information portal), Export of services without payment of IGST under a Letter of Undertaking in Form GST RFD-11 (checked 8 Oct 2026)
12. Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, section 2 (CBIC tax information portal), Section 2(6): five conditions for export of services, including payment in convertible foreign exchange or INR where permitted by RBI (checked 8 Oct 2026)
13. Integrated Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, section 16: Zero rated supply (CBIC tax information portal), Section 16(1): export of services is a zero-rated supply; section 16(3): supply under bond or LUT without payment of IGST (checked 8 Oct 2026)
14. DGFT FAQs on Self-Generation of eBRC, Exporters self-generate eBRCs on the DGFT portal from inward remittance data shared by banks (checked 8 Oct 2026)
15. Income Tax Department: Objective and scope of the new Act (Income-tax Act, 2025) FAQs, FAQ 2: 1961 Act repealed on 01.04.2026; FAQ 25: presumptive schemes under sections 44AD, 44ADA and 44AE consolidated into section 58 of the Income Tax Act, 2025 (checked 8 Oct 2026)
16. Bank of Thailand: PromptPay, Launched in 2016; transfers using citizen ID, mobile phone number or account number; PromptPay for Corporate lets businesses receive money from customers; standard fee table: free up to 5,000 baht, under 2 baht to 30,000, under 5 baht to 100,000, under 10 baht above; since 2018 most banks have waived fees for digital payments (checked 8 Oct 2026)
17. Bank of Thailand: Cross-border Payment, PromptPay cross-border QR and fund transfer linkages listed with countries including Cambodia, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia (as of May 2026); India not listed (checked 8 Oct 2026)
18. Bank of Thailand: Payment Systems Operation (BAHTNET), BAHTNET is the infrastructure for high-value fund transfers between financial institutions and institutions holding deposit accounts with the BOT, on a Real-Time Gross Settlement basis (checked 8 Oct 2026)
19. Bank of Thailand: Exchange Control Regulation, Summary of Exchange Control Regulations, 1: foreign exchange transfers conducted through persons licensed by the Minister of Finance such as authorized commercial banks; 2.2.1: payments for goods and services such as service fees and royalties allowed up to the amount of the obligations (checked 8 Oct 2026)
20. The Revenue Department (Thailand): Corporate Income Tax, Foreign company not carrying on business in Thailand receiving assessable income under Section 40(2)-(6) paid from or in Thailand is taxable; rate 15% of gross receipts on income other than dividends; payer withholds at source and files Form CIT 54 within seven days of the following month (checked 8 Oct 2026)
21. The Revenue Department (Thailand): Value Added Tax, Service is deemed provided in Thailand if performed elsewhere and utilized in Thailand; general VAT rate 7 percent (checked 8 Oct 2026)
22. Income Tax Department: Thailand, Comprehensive Agreement (India-Thailand DTAA signed 29 June 2015), Notification S.O. 3244(E) dated 1-12-2015; entered into force 13 October 2015; Article 5(3)(b) service PE over 183 days in twelve months; Article 7(1) business profits taxable only in state of residence absent a PE; Article 12(2) royalties capped at 10 percent of gross; Article 14 independent personal services, fixed base or stay of 183 days or more; no separate fees for technical services article (checked 8 Oct 2026)
23. Skydo homepage (pricing and fee calculator), Know what you pay; calculator showing GST 18% of transaction fee (checked 6 Oct 2026)
24. Razorpay MoneySaver Export Account (International Bank Transfers) pricing, Standard Plan: 0% FX markup, 1% fee, FlashLinks 2%, GST applicable, flat fee of INR 1,000 on transactions below INR 1,00,000, setup and AMC INR 0 (checked 6 Oct 2026)
25. Stripe India pricing, International cards with USD/other currency presentment 4.3% + 2% if currency conversion is required; Mastercard and Visa cards issued outside India 3% + 2%; American Express outside India 3.5% + 2%; dispute received INR 1,000.00 (checked 7 Oct 2026)
26. HDFC Bank: Remittance Services Fees & Charges, Inward Remittance Charge: No Charge; FIRC Charge for Inward Remittance & FCY Cheque Collection INR 200 per FIRC; GST slabs on amount of currency exchanged (checked 6 Oct 2026)
27. Kotak Everyday Savings Account fees and charges, Foreign Inward Remittance certificate (Branch Request) INR 100/Request; GST on Foreign Currency Conversion; fees exclusive of GST (checked 6 Oct 2026)
28. PayPal India Merchant Fees, Receiving international transactions; Currency Conversions (3.0% converting balance and payments received; 4.00% all other cases); Withdrawals Out of PayPal; Dispute Fees; Other Fees (Last Updated 28 March 2024) (checked 6 Oct 2026)
29. Axis Bank: Inward Remittances (Business Banking) (checked 6 Oct 2026)
30. ICICI Bank - Inward trade remittances, Receive remittances in 24+ currencies; BIRC for export proceeds, FIRC for FDI/FII on request; funds credited within 1 hour of disposal instruction and documents (checked 7 Oct 2026)