Pay like a local: Thailand launches cross-border QR payments for tourists
Pay like a local: Thailand launches cross-border QR payments for tourists. When a traveller can pay for street food or a souvenir far from home simply by pointing their phone camera at a QR code, the line between "foreign" and "familiar" blurs. Thailand, already one of the world's most popular tourist destinations, is taking the next step: it is turning its payment infrastructure into part of the travel experience. Now visitors from Asia can pay as easily as locals — without cash, without currency exchange, without hassle. This is not just technology. It is an invitation to feel at home.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has joined forces with the Bank of Thailand, financial institutions and payment service providers to introduce cross-border QR payments under the "Pay like a local" concept. Under the scheme, foreign tourists can scan QR codes to pay bills at participating merchants across Thailand using compatible mobile banking apps and e-wallets from their home countries, reducing reliance on cash and enabling more familiar, secure and convenient everyday spending. TAT is promoting the convenience of QR payments at attractions, shops, restaurants and tourism establishments across the country through international marketing and advertising channels, particularly in East Asia.
Sirigesanong Trirattanasonpol, TAT's Executive Director for the East Asia Region, said that changing visitor behaviour — especially among tourists from East Asia and neighbouring countries where mobile payments are widely used in everyday life — makes cross-border QR payments increasingly important for enhancing the tourist experience. She noted that this partnership marks another significant step in the development of Thailand's tourism industry, creating business opportunities for operators and strengthening the country's image as a modern global destination for digital visitors from around the world. The service is currently available to users from several Asian countries, including China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and South Korea, with further expansion planned, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
Cross-border QR payments are based on standardised systems that allow banks and payment operators in different countries to exchange transactions in real time. Thailand is actively developing its digital economy and aims to become a leader in tourism technology. The "Pay like a local" initiative is particularly relevant for tourists from China, where mobile payments account for more than 80% of all retail transactions. Expanding the system to other Asian countries and potentially to Europe could make Thailand one of the most technologically advanced tourist destinations in the world.
As reported by CCTV+, the service is already available at tens of thousands of merchants nationwide, and by the end of 2026, TAT plans to cover all major tourist destinations.
