How to Send Money Internationally to Thailand Through Western Union

The Thai baht (paper currency) and satang (coinage)

Since the military coup that ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006, Thailand (and its capital of Bangkok, in particular) has seen rising levels of civil unrest. For Thai émigrés who have loved ones still living in Thailand, Western Union's money transfer services provide a convenient way to send emergency funds.

Things You'll Need

• U.S. bank-issued MasterCard or Visa credit card

Instructions

1. Call 1-800-225-5227. This is the hotline for Western Union's telephone money transfer service.

2. Tell the live operator your full name, the billing address associated with your credit card, the telephone number associated with your credit card and your date of birth.

3. Give the operator the card number and expiration date that appear on the front of your credit card.

4. Turn the card over and locate the three-digit security code, printed on the right side of the signature space. Tell this code to the operator.

5. Give the operator the name of the person who will be receiving the money.

6. Tell the operator where that person will pick up the money. To find a list of locations in Thailand where Western Union money transfers can be picked up, visit the Western Union website and click on the link in the top-right corner labeled "Find a Location near you."

7. Tell the operator the amount of money you wish to send, in dollars. When the recipient picks up the funds in Thailand, he will be given the equivalent amount in Thai bahts (i.e. local currency), based on the currency exchange rates for that day.

8. Write down and save the money transfer control (MTCN) the operator gives once he has confirmed the amount of money you wish to send.

9. Contact the person you're sending the money transfer to and tell him the MTCN from Step 8. He will need to provide this number in order to pick up the funds.

References

• Western Union