The short answer

The main lump-sum options for South Africans in Thailand are offshore endowments — RL360 Oracle (from US$28,000) for straightforward investing, RL360 PIMS (from about R980,000) and Hansard Global Select for bespoke portfolios, and Investors Trust's Access Portfolio (typically from US$25,000) — and international platforms such as Ardan International, which hold funds, ETFs, shares and deposits in up to 11 currencies. Endowments offer named beneficiaries, portability and easy trusts; platforms offer flexibility and often lower costs. Move the money offshore within your allowances, choose by size, timescale, family and residence, know every charge, and get the exchange rate right. Lawrence offers a free comparison.

The directory: lump-sum solutions side by side

The main lump-sum options used by South Africans in Thailand, from each provider's published information and independent reviews.

Sources: our RL360, Hansard, Investors Trust and Ardan International profiles, checked October 2026. Minimums set in other currencies are converted to rand at October 2026 rates.

Before choosing a product: three decisions

The product matters less than three decisions you make first.

1. How much to invest — and how much to keep in cash

Keep enough cash for emergencies and the next year or two of spending, mostly in baht, so you never have to sell investments at a bad time. Money for known costs in the next few years — a condo, school fees — belongs in safer places. What's left is your long-term investment.

2. All at once, or in stages

Vanguard's research found that investing a lump sum straight away beat phasing it in about two-thirds of the time, because markets rise more often than they fall. But phasing in over six to twelve months can reduce the regret of investing just before a fall. Many people choose a mixture. Our guide to lump sums versus monthly saving explains the trade-off.

3. How much risk

Your mix of shares, bonds and cash should reflect how long you'll invest, how much income you'll draw, and how much of a fall you could afford and live with. Our guide to investment risk and capacity for loss shows how to find the right level.

Offshore endowments or platforms?

The biggest choice is the wrapper — the structure your investments sit inside.

Offshore endowments

An offshore endowment (often called an offshore bond) is a life-assurance policy from an international insurer, holding the investments you choose. You can switch freely inside it, it's split into segments, it moves with you if you move country, and — most valuable for many South Africans — you can name beneficiaries, so the policy pays out directly to them on death, outside your will. That avoids delays in a foreign probate process and executor's fees of up to 3.5% plus VAT on those assets, though estate duty still applies to worldwide assets while you're ordinarily resident in South Africa. Endowments also work neatly with trusts.

International platforms

A platform is an investment account holding funds, ETFs and sometimes shares directly. It's usually simpler and more flexible — no establishment period, easy access — and can be cheaper for a straightforward portfolio. Some platforms offer a beneficiary trust, and some can hold an endowment as an account within them.

SARS treats offshore policies differently from investments held in your own name, so the wrapper also affects your tax while you're South African resident — worth checking with a tax adviser before you choose. In broad terms: endowments suit larger sums held for many years, especially with estate planning in mind; platforms suit flexibility, simplicity and lower cost. Our guide to offshore investment structures explains both in depth.

Endowments and platforms compared

The two main wrappers for a lump sum, side by side.

General comparison — individual products differ. SARS rules differ by wrapper while you're South African resident, and Thai tax applies to money brought into Thailand whichever you choose.

RL360 Oracle

RL360's straightforward, "hassle-free" offshore endowment for moderate lump sums, from an Isle of Man life company with around 214,000 customers. It starts from US$28,000, with more than 300 funds or ready-made model portfolios, in seven currencies, split into up to 100 segments.

There are no dealing or custody charges. Charges combine a yearly administration charge of 0.60% to 1.20% with an establishment charge of up to 7.5%, spread over five years — after which it falls away — with an early exit charge in that period. Larger investments earn up to 105% allocation, and a 0.5% loyalty bonus is added each year after the sixth anniversary. Oracle can be written into a full range of trusts.

Best for: moderate lump sums held for at least five years, especially with named beneficiaries or a trust. See our full RL360 profile.

RL360 PIMS

RL360's open-architecture portfolio endowment for larger investors, from about R980,000 (its minimum is set in another currency, so the rand figure moves with the exchange rate). It offers a much wider range of assets, subject to RL360's acceptance, and lets you appoint an investment adviser, a discretionary fund manager or a platform to run the portfolio inside the policy — combining professional management with a portable wrapper.

PIMS can be split into up to 999 segments and accepts lives assured up to age 75. Charging is chosen at the start: a reduced allocation with no early exit charges, or full allocation with an establishment charge over five, eight or ten years.

Best for: larger sums where a bespoke, professionally managed portfolio matters.

Hansard Global Select

Hansard's award-winning single-premium portfolio policy, named Best International Portfolio Bond, which led a 34.5% rise in Hansard's single-premium sales in the year to June 2026. Its open architecture lets it hold funds, ETFs, listed shares, fixed-term deposits, fixed-interest securities and structured products — so an adviser or manager can build a properly diversified portfolio in one wrapper.

Hansard says Global Select has the lowest establishment charges among its peers, based on publicly available data from November 2023. It can be held by individuals, trustees and personal pension schemes, and Hansard is a London-listed group with 170% solvency coverage.

Best for: lump sums where a wide investment choice — including ETFs and deposits — matters, especially in US dollars. See our full Hansard profile.

Investors Trust lump-sum options

Investors Trust, the brand of the AM Best A- rated ITA Group, offers several lump-sum routes: the Access Portfolio, investing in a portfolio of funds and typically starting from around US$25,000 to US$50,000; a Fixed Income guaranteed contract for those who want certainty; an MSCI Index-linked option; and Platinum for larger investors. The main insurer is in the Cayman Islands.

Best for: investors who value a highly rated, strongly capitalised insurer, or who want a guaranteed fixed-income option. See our full Investors Trust profile.

Where to start

Choose with help, and move the money offshore at a good rate — on a large sum, the exchange rate matters as much as the investment.

Ardan International and other platforms

Ardan International is an Isle of Man wealth platform in the same group as RL360 and Friends Provident International. It can hold funds, ETFs, shares on major exchanges, structured notes and fixed-rate deposits with Lloyds Bank International, with cash in up to 11 currencies — South African rand among them — and free currency changes, ready-made model portfolios and a free beneficiary trust. It's available through financial advisers, with online applications accepted in as little as 30 minutes.

Platforms like Ardan suit investors who want flexibility, access and the ability to build a low-cost portfolio of index funds and ETFs — for example a global ETF with an ongoing charge from 0.14% a year. Our guide to international investment platforms compares the options in more detail.

Which solution for which situation?

A broad guide to matching solutions to circumstances.

General guidance only — the right choice depends on your own circumstances.

Drawing an income from a lump sum

For many South African retirees in Thailand, the lump sum is there to provide an income — topping up a living annuity paid from South Africa. A sensible approach divides the money into three parts: one to two years of spending in cash, mostly in baht; a few years' worth in steadier investments such as bonds, to refill the cash; and the rest invested for long-term growth, because a retirement can last thirty years.

Endowments and platforms both allow regular withdrawals. While you're South African tax resident, SARS taxes your worldwide income and gains, and offshore policies are treated differently from investments held in your own name — so the wrapper affects your tax. Whatever you choose, plan how much you bring into Thailand each year: since 2024, foreign income and gains brought in by a Thai tax resident can be taxable, while capital from before 2024 is protected. Our tax residence guide explains the rules.

Moving the money: currency matters

Moving a large sum between currencies can cost as much as years of investment charges. A bank margin of 3% on R6 million is R180,000, gone before you invest a cent. A specialist can usually do far better, and can fix your rate in advance or convert in stages so a bad day doesn't hurt.

For a South African resident, money leaving the country uses your single discretionary allowance — up to R2 million each calendar year, per adult — and, beyond that, the foreign investment allowance of up to a further R10 million with SARS approval, which can take three weeks or more. A couple can move R4 million a year on their discretionary allowances alone; larger sums can move in stages or with SARS approval.

Choose your investment currency to match where you'll spend the money: dollars or euros for long-term growth outside the rand, a little rand if you have costs at home, and baht for spending in Thailand as needs approach. Our guide to currency risk explains how to decide.

How your lump sum is protected

For a sum this size, protection matters. Check which company holds your money and where it's based: Isle of Man life companies such as RL360 and Hansard International are covered by a policyholder compensation scheme of up to 90% of the insurer's liability; other jurisdictions have their own, different protections. Platforms hold your investments with custodians, separate from the platform's own money.

Whatever you choose, your money should go directly to the provider in your name, you should have your own online access and statements, and every charge should be in writing. Our guide to investment scams and due diligence sets out the checks.

Three worked examples

Andre and Marike: a house sale and retirement

Andre, 65, and Marike, 63, sell their home in Durban and retire to Hua Hin with about R6.5 million. With Lawrence, they keep two years of spending in baht, move R4 million offshore in one year on their two discretionary allowances and the rest the following January, and invest in an offshore endowment in US dollars with each other and their children as beneficiaries. The conversion goes through a specialist, and withdrawals top up Andre's living annuity.

Thandi: flexibility first

Thandi, 48, inherits about R2.5 million and works in Bangkok. She wants low costs and easy access. Lawrence suggests moving it offshore on her discretionary allowance and a further amount the next year, an international platform with a portfolio of global ETFs invested over six months, and a separate cash buffer. Ask about school-fee planning too, if you're saving for children, or compare schools in our international schools directory.

Sipho: a possible return home

Sipho, 57, has R10 million from a business sale and may go back to South Africa in five to ten years. With SARS approval on the foreign investment allowance, the money moves offshore at a fixed rate. Lawrence compares PIMS and Global Select, with a discretionary manager running a diversified portfolio in US dollars, and keeps his options open whichever way he decides on residence.

Looking after a lump sum once it's invested

Investing the money is only the start. A lump sum that will support you for twenty or thirty years needs looking after, and a short yearly review keeps it on track:

• Rebalance when markets have pulled your mix away from the plan — trimming what has grown and topping up what has fallen.
• Refill your cash buffer from the investments that have done best.
• Check your withdrawals are sustainable, and adjust after a bad year.
• Move next year's spending into baht at a good rate.
• Review the costs — charges fall away on many endowments after the establishment period, and cheaper funds may now be available.
• Keep your trust, will and beneficiaries up to date after any family change.

Our guide to portfolio reviews and rebalancing explains how to do it. Lawrence offers ongoing yearly reviews for South Africans who'd rather have their lump sum looked after.

Questions to ask before you invest

1. Endowment or platform — and why, for my situation?
2. How will the money leave South Africa — on which allowance, and at what rate?
3. Which provider and jurisdiction, and what protections apply?
4. What is the total yearly cost — wrapper, investments and advice — in rand?
5. Is there an establishment period, and what would leaving early cost?
6. Which investments, and how will they be managed and reviewed?
7. Which currency, and how will the money be converted?
8. How will I take an income, and how will it be taxed in Thailand?
9. Who are the beneficiaries, and should it be in trust?

The mistakes we see most often

1. Leaving it in cash for years, losing ground to inflation.
2. Investing everything with no cash buffer.
3. Converting at a bank and losing tens of thousands of rand on the rate.
4. Choosing a product before a plan.
5. Not knowing the total charges or exit terms.
6. Too much in one asset — often a Thai condo.
7. No offshore will or named beneficiaries for money in two countries.
8. Bringing it all into Thailand without a tax plan.

Your lump-sum checklist

• Set aside a cash buffer and money for near-term costs.
• Decide your risk level and timescale.
• Move the money offshore within your allowances.
• Choose endowment, platform or both to match your plans.
• Build a diversified, worldwide portfolio.
• Convert currency at a specialist rate, in stages if you prefer.
• Plan your income and Thai tax.
• Put a trust or will in place, and review every year.

Keeping your investments secure

• Confirm bank details by phone with someone you know before sending a large sum.
• Use strong, unique passwords and two-factor sign-in on every account.
• Use a private, protected connection on hotel, café and condo Wi-Fi.
• Pay only to the provider, in your name — never to an adviser's account.

How we compiled this directory

This directory draws on our provider profiles of RL360, Hansard and Investors Trust — each built from the provider's own published information, latest results or ratings and independent reviews — Ardan International's published platform information, Vanguard's research on lump-sum investing, Vanguard's ETF charges (July 2026) and Friends Provident International on Isle of Man policyholder protection. South African allowances and retirement rules are as at 2026; minimums set in other currencies are converted at October 2026 rates. The growth illustration assumes R4 million at 8% a year after charges. Checked 13 October 2026. Product terms change; always read the latest literature. This directory is general information, not a recommendation of any product for any individual.