The short answer

An international investment platform is an account that lets you buy and hold funds, exchange-traded funds, shares and bonds from outside your home country. For a British expat in Thailand, the first test is simple: does it accept Thai residents, and will it keep serving you if you move again? After that, compare the fee structure (percentage or flat), the fund choice (including low-cost funds based outside the US), currency handling, custody (who holds your assets and in whose name), reporting for tax, and options for joint accounts, trusts and beneficiaries. Avoid platforms whose main purpose is to sell their own expensive products. Lawrence can help you choose the right home for your investments.

What an investment platform actually does

A platform is the account your investments live in. It doesn't decide what you invest in — you, or your adviser, do that. What the platform does is everything around the investments:

• Buys and sells funds, shares, exchange-traded funds and bonds on your instructions.
• Holds your assets through a custodian, usually in a nominee account in your name.
• Collects income — dividends and interest — and reinvests or pays it out.
• Converts currencies when you invest or withdraw in a different currency.
• Reports to you with statements, valuations and transaction histories for tax.
• Handles transfers in and out, and what happens to the account when you die.

Because the platform touches every pound you invest, its costs, rules and reliability matter almost as much as the investments themselves.

The main types of platform for expats

The main places a British expat in Thailand might hold investments. Each has a place; the right mix depends on your goals, the size of your portfolio and how much help you want.

Many expats use two or three of these together — for example a UK pension, a bond for estate planning and a platform for flexible investments.

The first test: will it accept a Thai resident?

Before comparing anything else, check that a platform will open an account for someone living in Thailand — and will keep it open if you move again.

Platforms decide which countries they serve based on their own licences, rules and risk appetite, and these change. Some UK platforms serve only UK residents. Others accept existing customers who move abroad but won't take new ones. Many international platforms accept Thai residents, but some restrict particular products or need extra documents.

• Ask directly whether they accept Thai residents for new accounts.
• Ask what happens if you move to another country, or back to the UK.
• Check the documents they need — proof of Thai address, tax number, source of funds.
• Check which products are available to you as a Thai resident.

If you still have a UK platform, check its non-resident rules before you leave. It's far easier to plan a move while you still have a UK address. Our guide to financial planning when relocating to Thailand covers the timing.

How platforms charge

Platform charges come in a few common forms, and the right structure for you depends largely on how much you invest.

Percentage fees

A yearly fee as a percentage of the value you hold — often tiered, so the rate falls on larger amounts. Percentage fees are simple and suit smaller portfolios, but they rise as your portfolio grows.

Flat fees

A fixed yearly or monthly fee, whatever you hold. Flat fees can be very good value for larger portfolios. The chart at the top of this page shows an illustration: on £500,000, a 0.35% fee costs £1,750 a year against £300 for a flat fee — but on £100,000 the difference is only £50.

Dealing charges

A fee each time you buy or sell, common on brokers. If you invest monthly or rebalance often, these add up — check the cost of regular investing specifically.

Currency conversion

Many platforms convert currency when you invest or withdraw in a different currency, with a margin built into the rate. On a large deposit, this can be the biggest single cost. Funding a platform through a specialist at a better rate can save more than a year's platform fee.

Other charges

Some platforms charge for transfers out, paper statements, inactivity or particular products. Read the full charges schedule, not just the headline fee.

And remember that the platform fee is only one layer. Fund charges sit on top, and an adviser fee may too. Always add them up. Our guide to understanding charges on long-term savings plans shows how.

Where to start

Someone to help you choose the right platform and portfolio, and the right way to move money onto it.

What you can invest in — and where it's based

Platforms differ in the range of investments they offer. A good platform for an expat gives you access to a wide choice of low-cost, diversified funds and exchange-traded funds across world markets. But for a non-American, where a fund is based matters as much as what it holds.

The US estate tax issue

If you're not a US citizen or US-domiciled, shares in US companies and US-listed funds can count as US assets for American estate tax. The exemption for non-US-domiciled individuals is only $60,000, with rates up to 40%, and your family may face US paperwork before they can deal with the assets. Many low-cost brokers make it very easy to buy US-listed funds — so this is a real trap for expats who invest for themselves.

The common solution is to hold funds based outside the US — for example in Ireland or Luxembourg — that invest in the same markets. A good platform will offer a wide range of these. Our guide to cross-border investment considerations explains the issue in detail.

Thai investments

Most international platforms offer little or nothing in Thai shares or baht funds. If you want part of your portfolio in baht, a Thai brokerage account or Thai mutual funds may sit alongside your international platform. For individuals, gains on SET-listed shares sold on the exchange are tax-exempt and Thai dividends have 10% withheld.

Currency handling

For expats, currency features can matter as much as investment choice.

• Multi-currency cash — can you hold pounds, dollars and euros side by side without converting?
• Base currency — which currency does the platform report your portfolio in?
• Conversion costs — what margin does the platform charge, and can you fund it in the right currency to avoid that?
• Withdrawals — can you withdraw to a Thai bank account, and in which currencies?

As a rule, fund the platform in the currency you'll invest in, converted beforehand at a good rate, and invest each goal in the currency you'll spend it in. Our guide to investment contributions in multiple currencies goes into detail.

Custody, safety and the firm behind the platform

When you invest through a platform, your assets should be held by a custodian in a nominee account, kept separate from the platform's own money. That separation is what protects you if the platform itself gets into difficulty: your investments are yours, not the firm's.

Before you invest, find out:

• Who the custodian is, and in which country your assets are held.
• Whether your assets are segregated from the firm's own money.
• In whose name the investments are registered.
• What happens if the firm fails — how assets are returned or transferred.

Be very wary of any platform that can't answer these clearly. Our guide to platform custody and administration goes into more detail.

Tax reporting and estate planning

Reporting for tax

If you're Thai tax resident, foreign income earned from 2024 onwards that you bring into Thailand — including dividends, interest and gains from your platform — can be taxable. A good platform makes this easier with clear annual statements of income, gains and transactions. Keeping your investment income separate from the capital you invested, and logging what you bring into Thailand, will save you trouble later.

What happens when you die

Platforms differ widely in how they handle death. Some allow joint accounts that pass straight to the survivor; some allow named beneficiaries; many require probate or its equivalent before your family can reach the money. Offshore investment bonds can often be placed in trust, which can help them pass quickly and to the people you choose. And remember that UK inheritance tax may still apply to your estate for three to ten years after you leave the UK.

Choosing a platform: the checklist

Run any platform you're considering through these questions. A good one will answer all of them clearly.

If a platform can't answer a question clearly in writing, treat that as your answer.

Opening an account from Thailand

Opening a platform account as a Thai resident is usually done online, but expect more checks than you're used to in the UK. Platforms must confirm who you are, where you live and where your money comes from.

1. Proof of identity — usually your passport, sometimes with a video or selfie check.
2. Proof of address in Thailand — a recent utility bill, bank statement or rental contract; some accept a Thai residence certificate.
3. Tax details — your tax residence and any tax identification numbers.
4. Source of funds — evidence of where the money comes from, such as a house sale, pension or savings.
5. A bank account to fund it — often in the same currency as your first deposit.
6. Patience — approval can take days or weeks, so open the account well before you need it.

Have your documents in English, or with certified translations, and keep copies — you'll need them again for other providers.

Moving investments between platforms

If you decide to leave a platform — because it no longer accepts you, costs too much or doesn't suit your plans — there are two ways to move.

A transfer "in specie" moves the investments themselves from one platform to another without selling them. That keeps you invested throughout and avoids selling at a bad moment. It only works if the new platform offers the same funds, and it can take several weeks.

A cash transfer means selling everything, moving the money and buying again. It's simpler, but you're out of the market while the money moves, you may pay dealing and currency costs twice, and selling may create a taxable gain.

• Ask both platforms about exit and transfer fees before you start.
• Prefer in-specie transfers where the same funds are available.
• Think about tax before selling, especially if you're Thai tax resident.
• Don't move an ISA out of its wrapper without considering what you'd lose.

Doing it yourself or using an adviser

Some expats are comfortable choosing a platform, building a diversified portfolio of low-cost funds and rebalancing it themselves. If that's you, a low-cost global platform with funds based outside the US can work very well.

Others prefer help — choosing the platform, building and reviewing the portfolio, managing currency and tax, planning for the family. The value of good advice often lies less in picking investments than in keeping you invested through bad markets, avoiding costly mistakes and joining up investments with pensions, tax and estate planning across two countries. If you use an adviser, make sure you know the total cost, including their fee, and what you get for it.

Whichever route you take, the goal is the same: a portfolio that's diversified, low-cost, in the right currencies, held safely and structured for your family.

Two worked examples

Andrew: moving from a UK platform

Andrew, 58, is moving to Hua Hin. His UK platform holds £240,000 in an ISA and £160,000 in an ordinary account. Before leaving, he checks its rules: he can keep the ISA but not add to it, and the ordinary account can stay but he can't buy new funds. With Lawrence, he keeps the ISA, which remains free of UK tax, and moves the ordinary account to an international platform that accepts Thai residents, with a flat fee and a wide range of funds based outside the US. He converts the money he'll need in baht through a specialist rather than at the platform's rate.

Lisa and Niran: a family portfolio

Lisa is British and Niran is Thai; they live in Bangkok with two children. They want somewhere to invest monthly for the children's education and a lump sum for the long term. With Lawrence, they use an international platform for the education savings in pounds, a small Thai brokerage account for baht investments, and an offshore bond placed in trust for the lump sum, so it passes smoothly to the family. Each part has a clear job, a clear currency and a known total cost.

The mistakes we see most often

1. Not checking the UK platform's non-resident rules before moving.
2. Choosing on headline fee alone, ignoring dealing, currency and fund costs.
3. Buying US-listed funds without realising the US estate tax exposure.
4. Letting the platform convert large sums at its own margin.
5. Not knowing who holds the assets, or in which country.
6. Ignoring what happens on death — no beneficiaries, no trust, no joint ownership.
7. Choosing a platform built to sell its own products.
8. Never reviewing whether the platform is still the right one.

Keeping your platform account secure

An investment platform is a prime target for fraudsters, and you'll often log in from abroad. A few habits keep it safe:

• Use a password manager and a different strong password for every account.
• Turn on two-factor sign-in on your platform and bank accounts.
• Use a private, protected connection on hotel, café and condo Wi-Fi.
• Never act on unexpected calls or emails about your account — contact the platform directly.

How we researched this guide

We drew on our own guides to cross-border investing, relocating to Thailand and multi-currency contributions, which cite PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries and the Thai government on Thai investment taxes, KPMG UK on US estate tax for non-US individuals, and Wise's August 2026 review of UK bank exchange margins. The fee illustration uses illustrative fee levels, not any particular platform. Platform rules for non-residents change, so always check directly. Checked 13 October 2026. Investment values can fall as well as rise. This guide is general information, not personal financial advice.