I went to the cycling track near the airport at Bangkok last night. I wanted a drink but nobody would accept cash or card payments. It was just a QR code scan.

How I can get that to work if I just have a UK bank account?

Looking at this Foreigner's Guide to Thai QR Code Payments with PromptPay - Expat Wallet (expat-wallet.com) you can't! How silly.

I walk out of shops that do not take cash.

I can understand a few setups where this might be justifiable.

I still walk out of those.

Life is surely going to get more difficult for me over time...

Just now, timendres said:

I walk out of shops that do not take cash.

I can understand a few setups where this might be justifiable.

I still walk out of those.

Life is surely going to get more difficult for me over time...

Why do you walk out?

I am not a fan of no-cash, but if that is the only option, and if I have a credit card or use QR code or something like that, then I just use it.

 

I ride motorcycle and now more and more parking areas in shopping centers accept only payment with QR code. 10 THB paid with QR. I think it is silly, and I would prefer to give them 10B or 20B cash. But that option doesn't exist anymore. So, I pay with QR. I get used to it. Accept it. Live goes on.

 

But I don't have that option as I don't have a Thai account and neither can I get one

 

Surely there must be tourists at that cycle track as well who couldn't pay?

Give cash to a local and let him/her pay for you.

4 minutes ago, WalsallRobbo said:

Surely there must be tourists at that cycle track as well who couldn't pay?

 

Apparently too few for the vendors to bother.

Won't take cash no sale, stuff it.

41 minutes ago, WalsallRobbo said:

But I don't have that option as I don't have a Thai account and neither can I get one

 

You can get a bank account, if on tourist visa an agent is needed.

 

Maybe they would accept truemoneywallet app

2 hours ago, WalsallRobbo said:

I went to the cycling track near the airport at Bangkok last night. I wanted a drink but nobody would accept cash or card payments. It was just a QR code scan.

 

 

Just ludicrous I agree

There were no locals to ask. It was really hot and I wanted a drink. I am not going to get a Thai bank account just to get a drink. It was a bit of a farce. Thankfully, this is the first time this has happened. I hope it is the last.

It's certainly the way things are going here.  Fantastic if you can pay that way, but frustrating if you're still a 'cash only' person.

Some countries have laws that make it illegal to refuse to accept payment with banknotes and coins that are legal tender in the respective countries. Has Thailand no such law?

7 minutes ago, Puccini said:

Some countries have laws that make it illegal to refuse to accept payment with banknotes and coins that are legal tender in the respective countries. Has Thailand no such law?

No.

36 minutes ago, Puccini said:

Some countries have laws that make it illegal to refuse to accept payment with banknotes and coins that are legal tender in the respective countries.

That law should apply to all countries!

I refuse to enter any establishment that states that cash is not acceptable!

On 4/21/2024 at 4:26 PM, WalsallRobbo said:

I went to the cycling track near the airport at Bangkok last night. I wanted a drink but nobody would accept cash or card payments. It was just a QR code scan.

How I can get that to work if I just have a UK bank account?

 

Op - Do you live here ???...   If so, get set up with a  Thai Bank Account, then things can get much simpler. 

 

IF you are not a 'long termer' here and don't want get a Bank account there are other options. 

 

I've seen tourists use ApplePay at thai Points of Sale (i.e. BurgerKing at the Airport and 7-11, Tops, Big-C Supermarket etc).

I'm not sure how this would work throughout the rest of Thailand though.... 

Ultimately - if a shop takes any form of RFID payment i.e. Tap Payment, it will accept ApplePay (as a tap payment).

 

That said: ApplePay cannot be 'set up in Thailand' with a Thai card or account - so a lot of people will tell you it doesn't work here for that reason... But the 'Tap Pay' (with apple pay on your phone) does work and may have at the SkyLane.

 

Other Options (Android) is GoogleWallet - similar to ApplePay above.

 

 

Thus: Set up your UK Card with ApplePay or GoogleWallet and go from there - it may take some trial and error to see where it will and wont work. 

 

On 4/22/2024 at 9:14 AM, brewsterbudgen said:

It's certainly the way things are going here.  Fantastic if you can pay that way, but frustrating if you're still a 'cash only' person.

Many parts of the UK - especially big city centres and sporting events - will not take cash.  Suggest you need to move with the times

 

PH

5 hours ago, scottiejohn said:

That law should apply to all countries!

I refuse to enter any establishment that states that cash is not acceptable!

Move with the times or you'll be left behind

Everyone misses the point behind QR codes. There is no chance of theft by the merchant's employees if they don't get to handle cash. Inconvenience for customers is irrelevant. 

2 hours ago, gargamon said:

Everyone misses the point behind QR codes. There is no chance of theft by the merchant's employees if they don't get to handle cash. Inconvenience for customers is irrelevant. 

Some customers may find it more convenient!

 

In addition, handling cash (as well as potential for theft) costs businesses money.  No cash - increase profit margin, some of which may well be passed on the customers.  Win-win, unless you hold bank shares.

 

PH

This (QR) "formalizes" the economy so that the authorities can better see the flows of funds. There is a lot behind this and it is very valuable to tax collection and for economists. It also saves cash because they spend a lot to print banknotes and to recycle. Plus the big Fraud problem on larger notes. 

 

Also, this is convenient for poor people because it does not require them to maintain a "float of cash". Like a Noodle seller who may need to get 1,00 Baht in 20's and 1,000 in 100 Baht notes in order to make change at the start of day with cash would no longer need to so with Promptpay for most purchasers. 

 

For people like me it means I do not have to go to the ATM - even though I do work in a bank. And it automatically gives me receipts. Which makes it easier for reimbursements. Plus paying bills and transferring is so much easier. You can display the QR code for you for Promptpay and users do not need to know your account number or phone number. And this works for Push and Pull payments. 

 

Many benefits and almost no disadvantages I can see as long as you are not running some kind of weird business and do not want the authorities to know about income.

 

 

6 hours ago, Phulublub said:

No cash - increase profit margin, some of which may well be passed on the customers. 

Did you forget that we are in Thailand?

Back to the OP  - you have now seen the uselessness of a cashless society that is trying to encourage tourism.

QR codes are only for those with their finances in that country. (Singapore being a possible exception.)

Credit/debit cards are very rarely accepted where I live. Cash or QR only.

18 hours ago, Puccini said:

Some countries have laws that make it illegal to refuse to accept payment with banknotes and coins that are legal tender in the respective countries. Has Thailand no such law?

I am from a country with such law, we introduced it forty years ago or so, after the introduction of the first payment card which made some people worry they would soon be unable to pay with their cash.

 

But today we have amended the law, because cash can be a problem in many situations, for example self-service kiosks etc. do not need to accept cash, nor do businesses after (I think) around 22:00, and businesses in “remote areas” (for example a gas station) can apply for an exemption.

 

Furthermore, today it is actually illegal for a business to accept payment in cash if it is above a certain threshold (about 100,000 baht), though this has to do with AML and therefore not really comparable to the other amendments (which is more about security or practicality).

 

Though my point simply is, some countries do have these laws, but they are from another time, and are likely to change, so I don’t see such law being introduced today (in Thailand, or anywhere else).

1 hour ago, Tropicalevo said:

Back to the OP  - you have now seen the uselessness of a cashless society that is trying to encourage tourism.

The problem is not cashless per se, it’s how they go about it.

 

There is nothing preventing BOT / TAT from doing a “Thai payment app” where you add your debit/credit card, and then it allows you to scan QR codes with the funds being taken from your payment card.

 

The problem is that if you are American, there will be a 3-5% fee for taking the funds from your payment card, and I believe to get a payment agreement with VISA/MasterCard, they have made it so that this fee must not be charged to the owner of the card.

 

This is of course what is f’ed up — in Europe we have introduced legislation that cap the payment card interchange fees to 0.11% for debit cards and 0.13% for credit cards. This means that in many European countries you can use your payment card everywhere, and I really mean everywhere!

8 minutes ago, lkn said:

The problem is not cashless per se, it’s how they go about it.

 

There is nothing preventing BOT / TAT from doing a “Thai payment app” where you add your debit/credit card, and then it allows you to scan QR codes with the funds being taken from your payment card.

 

The problem is that if you are American, there will be a 3-5% fee for taking the funds from your payment card, and I believe to get a payment agreement with VISA/MasterCard, they have made it so that this fee must not be charged to the owner of the card.

 

This is of course what is f’ed up — in Europe we have introduced legislation that cap the payment card interchange fees to 0.11% for debit cards and 0.13% for credit cards. This means that in many European countries you can use your payment card everywhere, and I really mean everywhere!

 

god forbid that anyone in Europe makes a profit. What kind of stupid law is this where card fees are capped way below 1% while credit card rewards are up to 5% on some cards. That's dumb, but what else to expect from Facist governments?

 

This is why there are zero businesses  surviving in Europe whole Thai free economy is thriving.

 

way too many crybabies here. But hey, he went cycling and got a good workout outside in the pollution.

 

deport!

 

 

6 hours ago, ianguygil said:

Many benefits and almost no disadvantages I can see as long as you are not running some kind of weird business and do not want the authorities to know about income.

 

Well, the OP just pointed out something that I'd consider a major disadvantage: Thailand gets millions of tourists per year who can't participate in PromptPay, because they can't get a Thai bank account.

 

Nothing to do with evading the authorities.

On 4/21/2024 at 4:26 PM, WalsallRobbo said:

I went to the cycling track near the airport at Bangkok last night. I wanted a drink but nobody would accept cash or card payments. It was just a QR code scan.

How I can get that to work if I just have a UK bank account?

You can´t

On 4/24/2024 at 10:34 AM, lkn said:

I am from a country with such law, we introduced it forty years ago or so, after the introduction of the first payment card which made some people worry they would soon be unable to pay with their cash.

 

But today we have amended the law, because cash can be a problem in many situations, for example self-service kiosks etc. do not need to accept cash, nor do businesses after (I think) around 22:00, and businesses in “remote areas” (for example a gas station) can apply for an exemption.

 

Furthermore, today it is actually illegal for a business to accept payment in cash if it is above a certain threshold (about 100,000 baht), though this has to do with AML and therefore not really comparable to the other amendments (which is more about security or practicality).

 

Though my point simply is, some countries do have these laws, but they are from another time, and are likely to change, so I don’t see such law being introduced today (in Thailand, or anywhere else).

 

That's very interesting. Thank you for having posted it.

19 hours ago, Caldera said:

 

Well, the OP just pointed out something that I'd consider a major disadvantage: Thailand gets millions of tourists per year who can't participate in PromptPay, because they can't get a Thai bank account.

 

Nothing to do with evading the authorities.

Tourists can use cash or card at those few vendors who won't receive cash - like STARBUCKS - they can use a card. Even for small amounts. No country would base their decision on a strategy like trying to formalize the economy on the needs of tourists - even if a major sources of FX revenue. You can just see the huge acceptance and growth in the use of QR Codes by the Thai public to see how popular this is. We see 40% annual increase in volumes with a combination of both more customers and even more markedly each customer using the system more frequently each day largely for QR based payments.

 

I would predict that QR will be replaced by some national or international contactless solution similar to APPLEPAY or GOOGLEPAY but without the exorbitant fees involved. Again, QR in Thailand is free. And (almost) every phone has a camera. 

 

I would note that there are many more stores in the UK and in the USA who do not accept cash than there are in Thailand. QR is largely offered and embraced as an option with cash still welcome. In the UK that is not true