Anyone recently switched over to Western union for interntnl (Australian) money transfers

[Kenny202]

I need to transfer around $30k AUD this week, usually use Wise but from some of the reports I am reading I am going to switch over to WU. TIme is not an issue, 2 or 3 days transfer time ok. I am pretty wary as my first large transfer here 8 years or so ago ended up in limbo for 3 weeks. I have already opened a Western Union account. A few questions....

 

Do I need to register my Australian / Thai bank with them first?

Is there anything else to do before pulling the trigger?

Should I bring separate amounts over say under $10k to avoid hold up issues?

Is it better to use the phone app or do on the PC?

I assume send $Aus and it lands in my bank as baht?

Anything else I need to be mindful of ? Any help appreciated

[Tomtomtom69]

1. Yes.

2. Just select purpose of transfer from the list

3. Not necessarily. Just transfer up to the limit that WU accepts depending on the transfer method (debit or credit card etc.)

4. Comes to the same thing, but PC is probably better

5. Yes

6. Funds usually arrive in the afternoon of the next business day following your transfer. A transfer made on Friday will arrive at the same time as a transfer made on a Sunday night at 11.59pm, which is between 1 and 2pm on Monday, depending on what Thai bank you're with. For SCB, it's 115pm and for Bangkok Bank, funds are credited between 2 and 2.05pm. 

[ryxyz]

I have since switched to Moneygram.

[FlorC]

Isn't Western union a LOT more expensive ?

 

What's wrong with SWIFT ?

[Randy99]

WU has to be about the most expensive method on the planet to move money.  My Cdn bank does it as a service to it's customers, no charge.  Have you checked with your bank??

[Bigwave12]

Try Remitly.com. Low transfer fees. Need a bank account in Thailand. I use SCB. Never had an issue with them

[Soondae]

Western Union converts on transfer with very poor exchange rates, that's how they make their money. I stopped using them a couple years ago when WISE was the better deal due to better exchange rates. However when I need to transfer large amounts such as your 30K I find that a Swift transfer from your bank is a better deal for a small flat fee and very fast. When I Swift US Dollars from my stateside bank I have the option to send in dollar currency or to let the bank exchange and send in baht. Do not have the bank perform the exchange, it is always poor. Send the original currency and let the receiving Thai bank make the conversion, you'll come out far ahead that way. I get great exchange rates from SCB when I perform a Swift transfer.

[VR333]

15 minutes ago, Randy99 said:

WU has to be about the most expensive method on the planet to move money.

 

I don't know the current situation, but I used WU for a few years, as their online exchange rate and no fees were the best deal I could find for online transfers from Australia to Thailand. The rates were very close to Wise whenever i checked.

 

1 hour ago, FlorC said:

What's wrong with SWIFT ?

 

When I used SWIFT (CBA) it always worked out to at least one baht per dollar less ending up in a Thai bank account. Before Covid, transfers were almost instantaneous but now take two or three days, the same as WU. To transfer AUD costs $30 and the conversion rate by SCB at the Thai end wasn't great, but still better than transferring Thai baht from the CBA.

 

The reason I stopped using WU was issues with their security. I never knew if my transfers would be rejected. Twice I ended up having to speak to someone in Germany to verify my transfer was legitimate. I'm only talking about a couple of thousand dollars, but it was like a police interrogation, fifteen minutes of intrusive questions. It remains the worst banking experience I have ever had.

[CosmicSurfer]

1 hour ago, Randy99 said:

WU has to be about the most expensive method on the planet to move money.  My Cdn bank does it as a service to it's customers, no charge.  Have you checked with your bank??

I'm in Canada also... Which Bank are you using??
Thanks,

CS

[Kenny202]

I completed my first WU transfer yesterday....no problem at all. As for the most expensive, maybe you haven't used them lately or maybe they give better "come on" rates for new users....not sure....but I compared WU to Wise on a $10k AUD transfer and ex rate were nearly identical.....fees from Wise $55, Fees from WU $2.99. This and the many negative reports of Wise transfers getting delayed or lost on space...it's a no brainer atm

[Tomtomtom69]

On 5/24/2025 at 7:56 AM, Kenny202 said:

I completed my first WU transfer yesterday....no problem at all. As for the most expensive, maybe you haven't used them lately or maybe they give better "come on" rates for new users....not sure....but I compared WU to Wise on a $10k AUD transfer and ex rate were nearly identical.....fees from Wise $55, Fees from WU $2.99. This and the many negative reports of Wise transfers getting delayed or lost on space...it's a no brainer atm

 

Agreed. I used WU for transfers to Thailand between 2019 and 2023 almost exclusively and never an issue. Good exchange rate and all, then I discovered Wise. 

[malt25]

OFX. If deal lodged in early morning, business hours, in my K-bank by mid afternoon.