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

 

 

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Cash is good..

Cash keeps people free from being dependent on electronic banking..

I hope the next headline I read says.

Officials are thrilled that tourists are using QR codes for payments 50% less this year than last year...

And officials are thrilled that tourists are ditching the QR code in favor of cash at a ever increasing rates....

In future years, we hope to get QR code usage down to zero...

1 hour ago, redwood1 said:

Cash is good..

Cash keeps people free from being dependent on electronic banking..

I hope the next headline I read says.

Officials are thrilled that tourists are using QR codes for payments 50% less this year than last year...

And officials are thrilled that tourists are ditching the QR code in favor of cash at a ever increasing rates....

In future years, we hope to get QR code usage down to zero...

I love QR codes, means I can buy a coffee when out cycling without needing my wallet.

And I can pay at the door for Lazada purchases, 7-11 deliveries, pizza, water and electric bills, gas cylinders without planning ahead.

Apple wallet payment is much faster and more secure than a QR code payment.

Thailand can't cop competition so the cumbersome and slow form of payment via a QR code is something I don't use.

I'll stick with cash in the Kingdom

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

I love QR codes, means I can buy a coffee when out cycling without needing my wallet.

And I can pay at the door for Lazada purchases, 7-11 deliveries, pizza, water and electric bills, gas cylinders without planning ahead.

The main reason governments implement QR codes is not people convenience, it's traceability then further control.

There shall be an opt-in/opt-out option that makes QR codes transactions anonymous (as cash), it's technically feasible.

From what i see at checkouts, the bottle neck is always people paying on their phones, something always goes wrong or it's slow to connect with the payment server, but, the upside is you can leave your wallet at home and only have your phone on you.

Cash or wireless card tap only for me, while i have the choice 🙂

8 minutes ago, WHansen said:

From what i see at checkouts, the bottle neck is always people paying on their phones, something always goes wrong or it's slow to connect with the payment server, but, the upside is you can leave your wallet at home and only have your phone on you.

Cash or wireless card tap only for me, while i have the choice 🙂

The biggest delay is people using discount codes and promotion codes within their phone apps, not really the payment itself.

4 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

NITMX is expanding international partnerships to strengthen Thailand’s digital payment ecosystem.

What security measures do they have in place for secure payments?

Compared tap and go with Apple wallet, QR codes are not as secure.

An Apple Wallet payment is significantly more secure than a standard QR code payment due to advanced built-in security features like tokenization and mandatory biometric authentication.

Apple Wallet Payment Security

Apple Pay, which operates through the Apple Wallet using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, is designed with a high level of privacy and security.

• Tokenization: When you add a card to Apple Pay, your actual credit card number is not stored on the device or Apple's servers. Instead, a unique Device Account Number (token) is created and stored in a dedicated secure chip called the Secure Element. For each transaction, a dynamic, one-time security code is generated, which is useless if intercepted by a hacker.

• Biometric Authentication: Every in-store transaction requires authentication via Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode. This ensures that even if your phone is stolen, unauthorized payments cannot be made easily.

• Privacy: Neither Apple nor your device sends your actual card number to the merchant during payment, protecting your sensitive information.

QR Code Payment Security

The security of a QR code payment depends heavily on the specific app or platform processing the transaction. While many established QR payment solutions use encryption and can incorporate biometric or two-factor authentication, they have inherent vulnerabilities at the point of interaction.

• Vulnerabilities: A major risk is that scammers can physically swap a legitimate static QR code with a fraudulent one, redirecting payments to their own accounts or leading users to malicious websites ("quishing").

• Lack of Inherent Security: QR codes themselves are just an image that links to information; they do not inherently include the same robust security measures as Apple's built-in hardware security.

• User Responsibility: The security often relies on the user verifying the source of the QR code and the payment details before finalizing the transaction, adding a layer of potential human error.

Summary Comparison

In conclusion, Apple Wallet payments are generally considered more secure because they leverage a dedicated secure element and mandatory biometrics, ensuring that sensitive data is never exposed during a transaction.

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I love QR codes, means I can buy a coffee when out cycling without needing my wallet.

And I can pay at the door for Lazada purchases, 7-11 deliveries, pizza, water and electric bills, gas cylinders without planning ahead.

Yup, makes life much easier here, simple , easy, and quick!

2 hours ago, Yumthai said:

The main reason governments implement QR codes is not people convenience, it's traceability then further control.

There shall be an opt-in/opt-out option that makes QR codes transactions anonymous (as cash), it's technically feasible.

Can't say it bothers me, my life isn't that interesting to governments.

The local QR payment methods used around Asia have been a brilliant way to break the monopoly of Apple and Google along with Visa and Mastercard.

You have to wonder why Western countries have not followed suit as cashless payments will never cease growing

I live here, have Thai bank account, so it's easy for me to use QR code payments. I use it all the time and so does my Thai wife. Very convenient and fast. The sellers in the market love it, then they don't need to handle cash.

Nice to hear that also tourists use it more and more..

On 2/3/2026 at 4:19 AM, Georgealbert said:

inbound travellers made transactions worth more than 809 million baht through the platform in December 2025 alone

That's sweet feckeroo all.

QR code payments have transformed life here! Just fantastic.

On 2/3/2026 at 9:22 AM, ozfarang said:

What security measures do they have in place for secure payments?

Compared tap and go with Apple wallet, QR codes are not as secure.

An Apple Wallet payment is significantly more secure than a standard QR code payment due to advanced built-in security features like tokenization and mandatory biometric authentication.

Apple Wallet Payment Security

Apple Pay, which operates through the Apple Wallet using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, is designed with a high level of privacy and security.

• Tokenization: When you add a card to Apple Pay, your actual credit card number is not stored on the device or Apple's servers. Instead, a unique Device Account Number (token) is created and stored in a dedicated secure chip called the Secure Element. For each transaction, a dynamic, one-time security code is generated, which is useless if intercepted by a hacker.

• Biometric Authentication: Every in-store transaction requires authentication via Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode. This ensures that even if your phone is stolen, unauthorized payments cannot be made easily.

• Privacy: Neither Apple nor your device sends your actual card number to the merchant during payment, protecting your sensitive information.

QR Code Payment Security

The security of a QR code payment depends heavily on the specific app or platform processing the transaction. While many established QR payment solutions use encryption and can incorporate biometric or two-factor authentication, they have inherent vulnerabilities at the point of interaction.

• Vulnerabilities: A major risk is that scammers can physically swap a legitimate static QR code with a fraudulent one, redirecting payments to their own accounts or leading users to malicious websites ("quishing").

• Lack of Inherent Security: QR codes themselves are just an image that links to information; they do not inherently include the same robust security measures as Apple's built-in hardware security.

• User Responsibility: The security often relies on the user verifying the source of the QR code and the payment details before finalizing the transaction, adding a layer of potential human error.

Summary Comparison

In conclusion, Apple Wallet payments are generally considered more secure because they leverage a dedicated secure element and mandatory biometrics, ensuring that sensitive data is never exposed during a transaction.

So who do you work for? 🤣🤣 US monopoly of financial trading systems needs to be broken.

16 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

QR code payments have transformed life here! Just fantastic.

How has it "transformed life"? 😄

Could you give some examples of how your life has been transformed by this laborious form of payment.

1 minute ago, JonnyF said:

How has it "transformed life"? 😄

Could you give some examples of how your life has been transformed by this laborious form of payment.

Makes purchasing small items and a simple dinner much easier from small little stalls or larger businesses, no cash in pocket needed. I've used it for just about everything I can think of actually, even bought my new digital camera this way, though it did take two payments, because of the 50,000 baht limit.

22 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Can't say it bothers me, my life isn't that interesting to governments.

I think you'd be surprised. Incoming AI data centers will be building a profile of all our transactions, locations, carbon emissions, tracking, etc.

I'm using cash as long as possible.

Just now, lordgrinz said:

Makes purchasing small items and a simple dinner much easier from small little stalls or larger businesses, no cash in pocket needed. I've used it for just about everything I can think of actually, even bought my new digital camera this way, though it did take two payments, because of the 50,000 baht limit.

Did that transform life?

It's pretty prehistoric compared to the UK system of Tap and Go.

Get phone out, unlock it, log into banking app, select QR code payment, scan the code, review the payment and then press confirm.

Compared to holding a card up to a machine for a split second and walking away.

If they want to track every Baht I spend and where I spend it, they could at least make it convenient.

9 minutes ago, huangnon said:

I think you'd be surprised. Incoming AI data centers will be building a profile of all our transactions, locations, carbon emissions, tracking, etc.

I'm using cash as long as possible.

So how does 'them' building my profile harm me?

Most of the time I see suggestions for purchases offered me (through profiling) quite helpful.

Facebook just suggested a Huawei Fit 4 sports watch for me at a great price (2,400bht), so I bought one.

I'd quite like some suggestions for local coffee shops, cycling routes .....

5 minutes ago, huangnon said:

I think you'd be surprised. Incoming AI data centers will be building a profile of all our transactions, locations, carbon emissions, tracking, etc.

I'm using cash as long as possible.

Me too.

Thankfully, cash isn't going anywhere in Thailand.

Because the people who make the rules have suitcases full of it under their beds from approving projects etc.

This thread was supposed to be about cross-border payments which has certainly proved very useful for me when travelling. In Lao, for instance it is very useful to be able to use Kasikorn QR payments. Whilst not universally accepted it does mean it's possible to reduce the vast number of LAK notes needing to be carried around.

Troll post about covid vaccines removed @JonnyF

12 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

So how does 'them' building my profile harm me?

Most of the time I see suggestions for purchases offered me (through profiling) quite helpful.

Facebook just suggested a Huawei Fit 4 sports watch for me at a great price (2,400bht), so I bought one.

I'd quite like some suggestions for local coffee shops, cycling routes .....

When / if money becomes tokenized and digital (CBDC) only, you will be limited to how / where / what you can spend it on, possibly taxed at source, fined for social media posts, going over your 'carbon limit' etc. Already happening in China.

9 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

This thread was supposed to be about cross-border payments which has certainly proved very useful for me when travelling. In Lao, for instance it is very useful to be able to use Kasikorn QR payments. Whilst not universally accepted it does mean it's possible to reduce the vast number of LAK notes needing to be carried around.

Same with Cambodia. I dont need to be carrying a 4 inch wad of notes equal to $20.

In Thailand at least 1000B is worth something

9 minutes ago, huangnon said:

When / if money becomes tokenized and digital (CBDC) only, you will be limited to how / where / what you can spend it on, possibly taxed at source, fined for social media posts, going over your 'carbon limit' etc. Already happening in China.

I'm already taxed at source, like most people financed by the western world.

And I don't have any social media linked to my name.

And my home, car and mtb are all solar powered, so no carbon footprint at all.

42 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

So how does 'them' building my profile harm me?

Life restrictions. Because they know who/where you are and what you do.

There is no freedom without privacy.

20 minutes ago, Yumthai said:

Life restrictions. Because they know who/where you are and what you do.

There is no freedom without privacy.

I mainly sit around drinking coffee, watching TV and cycling on rural roads.

Would any government want to restrict me from doing that?

On 2/3/2026 at 1:40 AM, WHansen said:

From what i see at checkouts, the bottle neck is always people paying on their phones, something always goes wrong or it's slow to connect with the payment server, but, the upside is you can leave your wallet at home and only have your phone on you.

Cash or wireless card tap only for me, while i have the choice 🙂

agree, QR code payment is such a clunky system, much more efficient and effective payment methods are available. it always seems to take people ages to pay, often much quicker and less faff with cash. the uk, for comparison, has a cashless payment system that is quick and easy.

3 hours ago, Caldera said:

That's sweet feckeroo all.

No doubt. Considering there were 3.37 million foreign tourists for December, that gives us an average QR code spend of ฿240 per tourist. And considering that the average tourist is now spending over ฿50,000 per holiday, it’s less than one half of one percent of their spend…..so…..exactly as you say….”sweet feckeroo all”

https://app.bot.or.th/BTWS_STAT/statistics/ReportPage.aspx?reportID=875&language=eng