Thailand’s domestically developed cross-border QR payment system, Thai QR, has seen a sharp rise in use by foreign visitors, with transaction values jumping 143% year on year in December 2025. The increase highlights the growing adoption of digital payments among international tourists and reflects Thailand’s expanding role in regional financial connectivity.
According to National ITMX (NITMX), the developer and service provider of Thai QR, inbound travellers made transactions worth more than 809 million baht through the platform in December 2025 alone. This marked a significant increase compared with the same month a year earlier, underlining strong growth in cross-border digital payment usage during the peak travel period.
Thai QR is a cross-border QR payment application developed in Thailand to enable international visitors to make local payments using familiar digital wallets. The platform forms part of Thailand’s broader push to modernise its payment infrastructure and reduce reliance on cash, particularly in the tourism sector.
NITMX reported that visitors from China were the largest users of the service, accounting for more than 409 million baht in transactions during December. Travellers from Malaysia followed with over 174 million baht, while visitors from Laos recorded more than 70 million baht in payments through the system.
The company said the data demonstrates a strengthening link between Thailand’s financial system and the global financial infrastructure. It added that this development reinforces Thailand’s position as a digital payment hub in Asia, supported by internationally recognised safety and security standards.
Thai QR has also helped reduce cross-border transaction barriers for international tourists by allowing them to pay seamlessly without exchanging cash. At the same time, the system has created greater opportunities for domestic businesses, particularly those in the tourism and service sectors that benefit directly from higher visitor spending.
As an interbank transaction management and exchange service provider, NITMX has steadily expanded cooperation with overseas partners. These partnerships include UnionPay International in China, Ant International through Alipay on the Alipay+ platform and Tenpay Payment Technology via WeChat Pay.
Thai PBS reported that NITMX said continued collaboration with foreign payment providers is expected to support further growth in cross-border transactions. The company aims to strengthen Thailand’s digital payment ecosystem while supporting tourism recovery and longer-term economic activity linked to international travel.
Key Takeaways
• Thai QR transaction values by inbound travellers rose 143% year on year to over 809 million baht in December 2025.
• Chinese visitors were the largest users, followed by travellers from Malaysia and Laos.
• NITMX is expanding international partnerships to strengthen Thailand’s digital payment ecosystem.
Adapted by ASEAN Now from ThaiPBS 2026-02-03
