You can pay by QR code in Thailand as a tourist only if your app is connected to the Thai QR system. As of May 2026 the Bank of Thailand lists working links for visitors from China, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Korea; there is no link for apps from the UK, Europe, the US or Australia, so those visitors need a tourist e-wallet, a card or cash.
The square QR code taped to a noodle cart or a taxi dashboard is Thailand's everyday way to pay. Thais scan it with their banking app and the money moves in seconds. For a visitor, the question is whether the app on your own phone can do the same. This page explains the system, goes through the official cross-border links country by country, and covers fees and fake codes.
Thai QR payments for visitors (October 2026)
- National system
- PromptPay and Thai QR Payment, run under the Bank of Thailand since 2016
- Who can register PromptPay
- Holders of a Thai bank account (linked to a Thai ID or phone number)
- Foreign apps that can scan Thai QR
- Through Bank of Thailand links with China, Malaysia, Singapore (via NETS), Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Korea
- No link
- UK, EU and Nordic countries, US, Australia
- Tourist e-wallet named by TAT
- TAGTHAi Easy Pay
- Online fraud hotline
- 1441 (Anti Online Scam Operation Center, 24/7)
PromptPay and Thai QR: what the code really is
PromptPay is the payment infrastructure the Bank of Thailand launched in 2016. It lets people send money using a Thai citizen ID number, a mobile phone number or a bank account number. To use it, you link an existing Thai bank account to your ID or phone number, through the bank's app, an ATM or a branch. Thai QR Payment is the shop-counter version: the customer scans the merchant's code with a mobile banking app and confirms.
That registration step is why a newly arrived tourist cannot simply "use PromptPay". Without a Thai bank account there is nothing to link. If you are staying long enough to open one, our guide to opening a Thai bank account explains which visas and documents the banks accept. Everyone else depends on the cross-border links below.
Which countries' apps can scan a Thai QR code
The Bank of Thailand publishes its cross-border QR links on one page, last updated as of May 2026. Not every link works in both directions, and that is where most online advice goes wrong. Here is what each means for a visitor paying in Thailand:
| Visitors from | Home system | Paying in Thailand |
|---|---|---|
| China | Alipay, WeChat Pay, UnionPay | Yes, since 30 October 2025, at merchants whose QR comes from a participating Thai bank |
| Malaysia | DuitNow | Yes, with participating Malaysian banking apps |
| Singapore | NETS (QR) and PayNow (transfers) | QR payments run through the PromptPay–NETS link |
| Hong Kong | FPS | Yes, scanning the Thai PromptPay QR shown by merchants |
| Indonesia | QRIS | Yes, both directions |
| Vietnam | VietQR | Yes, through participating banks |
| Cambodia | KHQR / Cambodian banking apps | Yes, with Cambodian mobile banking apps |
| Laos | LAO QR | Yes, since 3 April 2024 |
| Korea | Paybooc app | Yes, inbound only |
| Japan | – | No: the link is for Thai tourists paying in Japan |
For the Malaysian link, the Bank of Thailand gives the example of the Public Bank app scanning Thai QR codes issued by Bangkok Bank, Kasikornbank, Krungthai, SCB, Krungsri, CIMB Thai or BAAC. Check your own bank's app for a cross-border or overseas QR option before you travel, and test it on a small purchase first. Every one of these payments needs mobile data, so sort out a SIM or eSIM early; our guide to internet and mobile data in Thailand compares the options.
China: Alipay, WeChat Pay and UnionPay
The Chinese link is the newest and the one most visitors will meet. In its press release of 30 October 2025 the Bank of Thailand said users of Alipay, the UnionPay app and UnionPay-linked Chinese bank apps, and WeChat Pay can scan Thai QR codes issued by Bangkok Bank, ICBC (Thai), Kasikornbank, Krungthai, SCB and BAAC. Four more banks were described as "operating soon": HSBC, TMBThanachart, Bank of Ayudhya and the Government Savings Bank.
In practice that means most, but not all, Thai QR codes will scan. If yours fails, the merchant's code may come from a bank that has not joined yet. Our page on visa rules for Chinese citizens covers the entry side of the trip.
Singapore and Japan: the two links that are not what they seem
Singapore has two separate connections with Thailand. PromptPay–PayNow is for transfers to a mobile number, with a first-phase cap of SGD 1,000 or 25,000 baht a day. Paying a shop by scanning a QR code goes through a different link, PromptPay–NETS, which the Bank of Thailand says serves "tourists from both countries". So if your PayNow app will not scan a market stall's code, that is expected; look for NETS QR support instead.
The Japanese link runs only one way. It lets Thai tourists in Japan generate a QR code for Japanese shops to scan. The Bank of Thailand page says nothing about Japanese visitors paying in Thailand, so do not count on it. Our guide to flying to Thailand from Singapore, Malaysia, China and Hong Kong covers the journey itself.
Visitors from Europe, the US, Australia and elsewhere
No Bank of Thailand link names the UK, the EU, the Nordic countries, the US or Australia. Your home banking app will not scan a Thai QR code through any official connection.
The option the Tourism Authority of Thailand promotes is TAGTHAi Easy Pay, an e-wallet built for international visitors on Kasikornbank's infrastructure. You exchange money into baht, top up the wallet, and can then pay at Thai QR codes anywhere in the country. TAT's announcement of 1 September 2026 added offers at several Bangkok malls, but it does not state the top-up fees or the exchange rate, so compare them yourself before loading a large sum.
Otherwise you are back to the two older methods. Our guide to using cards in Thailand explains surcharges and currency conversion, and the article on using Thai ATMs wisely covers withdrawal fees. Exchanging cash is covered in where to exchange money.
Keep small notes for the stalls that only show a QR code. Some vendors are used to customers paying by phone and may have little change for a 1,000-baht note. Breaking big notes at a 7-Eleven or supermarket first saves an awkward wait.
Fees and exchange rates
The Bank of Thailand's standard PromptPay fee table applies to Thai account holders: transfers up to 5,000 baht are free, and larger amounts carry small capped fees (under 2, 5 or 10 baht depending on size). The bank adds that since 2018 most Thai banks have waived fees for mobile payments.
For visitors, the cost that matters is on your side. The fee and exchange rate charged by Alipay, WeChat Pay, DuitNow, your Indonesian or Vietnamese bank, or TAGTHAi are not published by the Bank of Thailand. Check the rate your app shows before you confirm, and compare it with a card payment for larger amounts.
Fake and swapped QR codes
A QR code is just a picture of account details, so the risk is paying the wrong account: a sticker placed over a shop's real code, or a code sent by message for a "deposit". We did not find an official Thai warning text on QR stickers, but two habits protect you. Before you confirm, read the merchant or account name your app shows and check that it matches the shop, and check the amount in baht. Never scan a code that arrives by SMS, chat or e-mail from someone you have not dealt with in person.
If money has gone to a scam account, Thailand's Anti Online Scam Operation Center runs the 24-hour hotline 1441 and can work with banks to halt transactions and freeze accounts. Our pages on common scams in Thailand and phone and SMS scams explain how these schemes usually start.
The name on the screen is your receipt check. A Thai QR payment shows who will receive the money before you confirm. If the name looks unrelated to the shop, cancel and pay another way.
Frequently asked questions
Can tourists use PromptPay in Thailand?
Not directly. PromptPay registration links a Thai bank account to a Thai ID or phone number, according to the Bank of Thailand. Visitors pay Thai QR codes through a linked foreign app from one of the listed countries, or through a tourist e-wallet such as TAGTHAi Easy Pay.
Can I pay with Alipay or WeChat Pay in Thailand?
Yes, at many merchants. Since 30 October 2025, people using Alipay, WeChat Pay or UnionPay can scan Thai QR codes issued by six participating Thai banks, with more banks announced. If a code will not scan, the shop's bank may not have joined yet.
Does my UK, European or US banking app scan Thai QR codes?
Not through any official link. The Bank of Thailand's list of cross-border QR connections, as of May 2026, names no country in Europe, North America or Oceania. Use a tourist e-wallet, a card or cash instead.
Does Singapore's PayNow work for paying shops in Thailand?
PayNow is linked to PromptPay for transfers to a phone number, not for scanning shop codes. QR payments between Singapore and Thailand run through the PromptPay–NETS link, according to the Bank of Thailand.
Sources
- Bank of Thailand – PromptPay (checked October 2026)
- Bank of Thailand – Cross-border Payment Linkages (as of May 2026) (checked October 2026)
- Bank of Thailand – Press release No. 39/2025: QR payment link with China (30 October 2025) (checked October 2026)
- TAT Newsroom – TAGTHAi expands tourist spending through Easy Pay partnerships (1 September 2026) (checked October 2026)
- Government Public Relations Department – Anti Online Scam Operation Center and the 1441 hotline (checked October 2026)
- Bangkok Post – Government hails use of 1441 hotline (22 December 2024) (checked October 2026)