QR payments are everywhere in Thailand: cafés, markets, taxis, street stalls. Look for the Thai QR Payment or PromptPay logo at the till. This guide covers how a visitor with a foreign card can get into the system. All terms were checked on official sites on 17 October 2026.
What PromptPay and Thai QR are
PromptPay is the national instant payment system the Bank of Thailand launched in stages: registration opened in 2016 and transfers went live in January 2017. Thais link a bank account to their ID card or phone number and pay by number or QR. One phone number can be linked to only one account. Thai QR is the common code standard: a single QR at the till accepts payments from any Thai bank app and supported e-wallets.
Fees the Bank of Thailand publishes for PromptPay transfers:
| Transfer amount | Fee |
|---|---|
| Up to THB 5,000 | free |
| THB 5,000-30,000 | under THB 2 |
| THB 30,000-100,000 | under THB 5 |
| Over THB 100,000 | under THB 10 |
Since 2018 most banks have waived fees for digital payments altogether. Paying directly needs a Thai bank account, which is hard to open on a visa exemption, so the rest of this guide covers the options without one.
Ways to pay by QR without a Thai bank account
| Option | What you need | Limit | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| TrueMoney | phone for SMS, passport, selfie, 1-3 business days for approval | balance up to THB 30,000 on passport only | stays of weeks or months |
| TAGTHAi Easy Pay | TAGTHAi app, passport, foreign cash, visit to a KASIKORNBANK exchange booth | THB 25,000 per transaction, THB 50,000 a month | short trips |
| Your home wallet | a bank or wallet app from a market linked to Thai QR | your provider’s terms | visitors from the 9 linked markets |
TrueMoney
Thailand’s most widely used e-wallet. Sign-up steps from the TrueMoney help centre:
- Download the app, enter your phone number and the SMS code
- Choose «Non-Thai citizen» and scan your passport
- Take a selfie with the passport, select your visa type, add an email and password, sign in the app
- Wait for the approval SMS: 1-3 business days, and no transactions before it arrives
Limits for foreigners verified with a passport only, as of October 2026:
| Transaction | Limit |
|---|---|
| Wallet balance | up to THB 30,000 |
| Payments for goods and services in Thailand | no separate cap |
| Transfers to another TrueMoney account | THB 5,000 a month |
| Transfers to a bank account | not available |
| International payments | THB 1,000 a month |
| Transfers, top-ups and international payments combined | THB 50,000 a month |
| Card payments via QR | not available |
Adding a supporting document to the passport (the limits table does not say which) raises the balance cap to THB 50,000. Users who registered from 3 March 2026 also have a combined daily limit of THB 30,000 on payments and transfers.
Without a Thai ID you top up with cash at 7-Eleven using the barcode in the app («Top up», then «7-Eleven»). TrueMoney also lists Family Mart, CP Fresh Mart and True Shop. The first 30 top-ups each month are free, then THB 5 each.
TAGTHAi Easy Pay
A tourist e-wallet inside the TAGTHAi app, run with KASIKORNBANK (KBank). It launched in March 2025, and since August 2026 it no longer needs a physical prepaid card. Terms from TAGTHAi:
- non-Thai nationals aged 20 and over, one wallet per person
- pre-register in the app up to 30 days before activation
- activate in person at a KASIKORNBANK exchange booth with your passport and foreign currency, which is exchanged into baht on the wallet
- up to THB 25,000 per transaction and THB 50,000 a month
- you can add a credit or debit card in the app
- cardless cash withdrawals at KASIKORNBANK ATMs by QR, free according to TAGTHAi
- the remaining balance is refunded at a KASIKORNBANK exchange booth when you close the wallet
Home wallets from linked markets
The Bank of Thailand has linked Thai QR with payment systems in 9 markets, so visitors from there can pay in Thailand with their own apps: China (Alipay, WeChat Pay, UnionPay, since 30 October 2025), Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and South Korea. The link with Japan works only for Thais travelling there. If your country is not on the list, check whether your bank offers QR payments abroad through its own partners, and keep some cash: see paying with foreign cards in Thailand and which dollar bills to bring.
Russian bank apps
There is no QR link between the Bank of Thailand and Russia, but three Russian apps pay Thai QR codes through their own partners, charging roubles: MTS (from 31 October 2025), Sber (from 22 April 2026) and VTB (from 19 August 2026, up to RUB 113,000 per payment, no fee), according to Hi-Tech Mail.ru, Vedomosti and Interfax. Since September 2026 tourists report frequent failures and shops in Pattaya refusing such payments (Profi.Travel, 17.09.2026, and Tourdom, 02.10.2026, both quoting tourists; similar complaints appeared in April, right after the launch). We found no official Sber comment on the September failures. Wait until the seller confirms the money has arrived, and keep cash for larger purchases.
«I’ll pay your QR» offers in chats
A frequent pitch in Telegram and Facebook groups: «send me money in your currency and I’ll pay your QR» or «I’ll exchange via QR». Members of these groups report that such deals often end with the money gone and the chat deleted. Use a bank or a money changer on the Bank of Thailand’s licence list. Our guide to common scams in Thailand explains how to check one.
What to bring
- Some cash in baht for the first days: QR wallets need mobile data
- A Thai SIM if you plan to use TrueMoney: see how to get a SIM card in Thailand
- The TAGTHAi app, pre-registered before you land, if you choose Easy Pay
FAQ
Can tourists use PromptPay in Thailand?
Not directly, because PromptPay needs a Thai bank account or a Thai e-wallet. Tourists can scan Thai QR codes through TrueMoney (passport verification) or TAGTHAi Easy Pay (activated at a KASIKORNBANK exchange booth). Visitors from China, Singapore, Malaysia and six other linked markets can also scan with their home banking or wallet apps.
Can I open a TrueMoney account with a passport?
Yes. In the app you choose «Non-Thai citizen», scan your passport, take a selfie holding it, select your visa type and wait 1-3 business days for SMS approval. You need a phone number that can receive the SMS code; people on expat forums usually register with a Thai SIM. Passport-only accounts are capped at a THB 30,000 balance.
Does Wise work with Thai QR codes?
We have not verified this against an official Wise page for Thailand, so we do not list it here. Wise is not among the cross-border QR links published by the Bank of Thailand as of October 2026. Check the Wise app itself before you rely on it.
Are there fees for paying by QR in Thailand?
For the payer, scanning a merchant QR is normally free. Bank of Thailand tariffs allow zero fees up to THB 5,000 and under THB 2 up to THB 30,000, and most banks have waived digital payment fees since 2018. TrueMoney top-ups are free 30 times a month, then THB 5 each.
How do I top up TrueMoney without a Thai card?
With cash at 7-Eleven: in the app tap «Top up», then «7-Eleven», and show the barcode to the cashier. Top-up by phone number at the counter is only for Thai ID holders. TrueMoney also lists Family Mart, CP Fresh Mart and True Shop.
Someone in a chat offered to pay my QR in exchange for a transfer. Is that safe?
No. Informal «I'll pay your QR» exchanges arranged in Telegram or Facebook groups are a common complaint: the money goes out and nothing comes back. Change cash at a bank or a money changer licensed by the Bank of Thailand instead.
Sources
- Vedomosti. Sberbank launched QR payments in Thailand (22.04.2026, in Russian)
- Interfax. VTB launched QR payments in Thailand (19.08.2026, in Russian)
- Hi-Tech Mail.ru. MTS launched fee-free QR payments in Thailand (01.11.2025, in Russian)
- Tourdom. Thai shops refuse QR payments via Russian bank apps (02.10.2026, tourist reports, in Russian)
- Profi.Travel. Tourists in Thailand complain about cashless payment problems (17.09.2026, tourist reports, in Russian)
- Tourdom. Tourists complain about QR payment failures in Thailand (27.04.2026, tourist reports, in Russian)
- Bank of Thailand. PromptPay: how it works and fees
- Bank of Thailand. Cross-border Payment Linkages
- Bank of Thailand. Press release 39/2025: Thailand-China cross-border QR linkage (30 Oct 2025)
- TrueMoney. Balance and transaction limits for foreigners
- TrueMoney. How to download TrueMoney and set up an account
- TrueMoney. How to top up at 7-Eleven
- TrueMoney. Top-up fees
- TAGTHAi. Easy Pay: how to get and use it
- TAGTHAi. Easy Pay terms and limits
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