Guide to Thai QR payments for foreigners: How to use, requirements, and more

Making digital payments is the norm now for many people, including spending in stores and restaurants with your preferred payment app. If you’re a foreigner living in Thailand, or about to take a trip there you may be wondering how to make Thai QR payment for foreigners, so you don't need to carry your wallet or fumble around for cash every time you shop or grab a coffee.

This guide walks through how to make a QR code payment in Thailand for foreigners who are resident there, and also for tourists on a short term visit from Southeast Asia or elsewhere in the world. We'll also introduce Wise, a handy companion to make your money go further with low, transparent fees.

🚀 Send with Wise

What are Thai QR payments?

Thai QR payments are available at many stores, restaurants and other merchants throughout the country through the national PromptPay QR system¹ operated by the Bank of Thailand. PromptPay offers unified QR codes which allow users of many banks and e-wallets to make digital payments simply by scanning the code and approving the transfer. Funds are sent in real time in many cases, often with low or no fees from the QR provider. If you’re paying with a foreign bank card, some currency conversion costs can creep in - we’ll cover them later.

Paying with a QR is very common for Thai citizens and long term residents who can make QR transfers with their normal banking app. Using Thai QR payments for tourists can also be a convenient option compared to carrying cash, and means you won’t even have to worry about having your wallet with you when you’re out and about sightseeing.

Thai QR payment for foreigners

Foreigners who are resident in Thailand and have a Thai bank account can easily sign up for PromptPay, the most popular national QR payment network, in their bank’s mobile or online banking system. Just log into your account and look out for the payment section, before navigating to the PromptPay page. You’ll need to read and agree to the service terms and conditions, and enter your preferred identifier (like your mobile number) and can start using it right away.

Generally Thai banks only offer account services to long term residents, which may mean this is only an option if you’ve got a work or study visa, or if you’ve retired to Thailand for example. However, there are other options for short term tourists, depending on where in the world you’re coming from, which we’ll look at next.

Thai QR payment for tourists

The Thai QR payment network - PromptPay - is integrated into several cross border systems which may mean you can make payments using the app you usually use at home. For example, Moreta Pay² is a payment service and app which is available to residents in the US and elsewhere, which supports payments using the Thai QR network. You can download Moreta Pay and then top up from your US bank, or if you’re in a different country, using a multi-currency account from a provider like Wise instead. Your funds are then converted from USD to THB at the point of payment by Moreta Pay’s partners.

There are also many integrations with e-wallets and bank payment systems from throughout the South East Asia region which we’ll look at in a moment.

If you don’t have a compatible e-wallet already, don’t worry. You can also get a service set up on arrival in Thailand by downloading the TAGTHAi app³ and going to a K Bank FX booth in person to get a PAY&TOUR prepaid card. You’ll be able to load your card with a balance for spending in Thailand and then link the card to TAGTHAi to make QR payments conveniently. Bear in mind, some currency conversion costs are likely to apply when you top up your PAY&TOUR card in THB from a foreign currency - check the details at the K Bank FX booth when you sign up.

Thai QR payment for tourists from ASEAN countries

If you’re visiting Thailand from another ASEAN country you’ll have a very broad choice of ways to access the PromptPay network thanks to the ASEAN payment connectivity initiative⁴. This allows for unified QR systems across different countries, so you can use your home bank or preferred e-wallet to make payments in Thailand using the PromptPay QRs.

This service covers visitors from countries including Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, China, Hong Kong and Laos. Major banks from each country are supported, as well as e-wallets and cards. Just follow the normal process to scan and pay, as you would in your home country.

How to make Thai QR payments

If you’re worried about how to pay a Thai QR payment the good news is that it’s super simple.

If you’re in a store look out for the merchant’s QR code which is usually displayed near the payment terminal. Open your bank payment app, or your e-wallet like TAGTHAi if you’re using that to access QR payments, and navigate to the scan and pay option.

You can scan the merchant’s QR code and enter the amount to pay - or the merchant may offer you a dynamic QR to scan which automatically populates the payment amount. Just scan, approve, and the money is on the way.

QR payments fees and charges in Thailand

The final amount you pay when using Thai QR payments can depend on the service you use and the currency you’re paying from. Fees may include:

• A charge levied by PromptPay
• A fee from the e-wallet you use
• A currency conversion fee or foreign transaction fee from your bank or card provider

Let’s break these down. PromptPay is operated by the Bank of Thailand and has some fees which can be charged - but in effect, banks in Thailand usually waive these costs. It’s worth checking on the charges you may run into before you start to use the service nonetheless - here’s an outline of the PromptPay fees when charged:

*Correct at time of research - 6th January 2026

There may also be a fee from your e-wallet if you’re using a foreign wallet to process the payment. To see if there’s any fee to pay your preferred wallet you’ll need to read your account or card terms and conditions document.

Finally, there can be a currency conversion cost or a foreign transaction fee to pay. Currency conversion costs may apply if you load your e-wallet with Thai baht from a foreign currency for example, and the exchange rate used includes a markup or margin. Or, if you link a foreign card to your e-wallet, the card may charge a foreign transaction fee when you spend in THB.

It’s well worth checking through all the different fees that may apply when you’re deciding if making a Thai QR payment is the right option for your trip.

What other apps can be used for Thai QR payments for foreigners

We’ve mentioned the Moreta app which is a good option to access Thai QR payments from the US and many other countries globally. You can load money onto your Moreta app using a service like Wise, by registering a Wise account and accessing your Wise USD account information to process a top up.

If you’re visiting from the ASEAN region you can use your bank’s scan and pay service in many cases, or you can also use e-wallet options like Octopus cards from Hong Kong, BigPay and Touch ‘n Go from Malaysia, or WeChat Pay and Alipay from China. Supported banks include CIMB in Indonesia and Malaysia, OCBC in Malaysia and Singapore, Bank of China in Malaysia and Hong Kong, and many other local banks from participating ASEAN countries.

If you’re a long term expat in Thailand and have a local bank account and phone you may also consider looking at popular e-wallet TrueMoney⁵, while LINE chat customers may like LINE Pay⁶. Finally, if you bank with Kasikorn, their K Plus app⁷ can also be a handy way to spend in stores using QR payments.

Convert and send THB with low, transparent fees and the mid-market rate with Wise

Looking for a quick and easy way to send money to Thailand? Consider using Wise to manage your international transfers.

Converting money to Thai baht and transferring it from abroad can get very expensive when using traditional banks and remittance services. On top of transaction fees, you might end up paying more due to hidden charges like conversion fees and exchange rate markups.

Wise transfers use the mid-market rate, also known as the rate you see on Google, with low, transparent fees that are shown to you upfront. This makes it easy to see how much you’ll be sending or receiving at a single glance.

See how Wise compares with other providers:

1. PromptPay (Bank of Thailand)
2. Moreta Pay
3. TAGTHAi
4. Bank of Thailand - PromptPay and the ASEAN payment connectivity initiative
5. TrueMoney
6. LINE Pay
7. K Plus