How Foreign Tourists Can Scan or Transfer Money to Thai Local Sellers

Posted on by Admin
How Foreign Tourists Can Scan or Transfer Money to Thai Local Sellers

When you visit Thailand as a foreign tourist, many shops, small vendors, and local sellers prefer payments via QR code, especially Thai QR PromptPay. However, PromptPay is built for domestic payments using Thai bank accounts only. Because of this, many tourists often wonder:

“How can I scan and pay if I don’t have a Thai bank account?”

Before we explore the available options, it’s important to understand a few limitations.

🔻 Things Foreign Tourists Cannot Do in Thailand

  • You cannot scan a Thai PromptPay QR code using a foreign banking app.
  • You cannot scan Thai PromptPay if you do not have a Thai bank account.
  • You cannot scan PromptPay using Apple Pay or Google Pay (different system).

This article lists all realistic payment options for tourists, starting from the most practical and effective. You can decide which method suits your situation best.

🟦 1. TAGTHAi Easy Pay: The Best E-Wallet Option for Foreign Tourists

If you want an easy way to pay like a local without opening a Thai bank account, TAGTHAi Easy Pay is currently the best and simplest choice. It is specifically designed for foreign tourists and developed by TAGTHAi in collaboration with KBank (Kasikorn Bank).

You will receive a Prepaid PAY&TOUR Visa card and link it to the TAGTHAi app. After linking, you can scan and pay Thai QR Payment just like a Thai local.

Why not other e-wallets?

Thailand has popular e-wallets such as TrueMoney Wallet or ShopeePay, but:

  • TrueMoney Wallet still requires documents like a work permit for full registration.
  • ShopeePay technically supports foreigners, but many users experience registration issues.

Therefore, TAGTHAi Easy Pay is the recommended solution for travelers because it is the only e-wallet made specifically for international tourists.

🔗 Official info: https://www.tagthai.com/explore/th/p/payment-for-foreign-tourist-in-thailand

Where to Register?

You can sign up at any KBank FX Booth (Kasikorn foreign exchange booth), available both inside and outside airports.

Suvarnabhumi Airport FX Booth Locations:

  • Floor 2 & 4 — Open 24 hours
  • Floor B — Open 05:30–24:00
  • Floor 3 counter — Open 10:00–17:00

How to Register and Link the Card

  1. Bring your passport and the amount of money you want to exchange.
  2. Fill in the registration form for the PAY&TOUR prepaid card.
  3. Download the TAGTHAi app on your smartphone.
  4. Link the card in the “Easy Pay” menu by entering:
    • Passport number
    • Wallet ID printed on the PAY&TOUR card
    • The PIN you set at the booth
  5. Confirm and activate.

Once activated, you can immediately scan Thai QR Payment anywhere PromptPay is accepted.

🟧 2. Skip QR Scan — Transfer via Wise or Revolut (Fastest International Transfer)

If the store owner accepts a bank transfer, the easiest method is using international money transfer apps such as Wise or Revolut.

This method is not QR-based, but it is very fast, simple, and offers excellent exchange rates. Transfers usually arrive in 5–30 minutes.
Note: The very first transfer may take up to 24 hours due to verification.

✔ Wise

Tourists can send money from their international bank account or card to a Thai bank account.

Required details to send money to a Thai recipient using Wise:

  • Full recipient name (as shown in the bank account)
  • Recipient’s address
  • Thai bank name
  • Thai bank account number
  • Purpose of transfer
  • SWIFT/BIC code
  • Name & address of receiving bank
  • Any additional information required by the sender’s country

✔ Revolut

Works similarly to Wise, depending on supported countries.

This is one of the most successful ways tourists send money to Thai locals.

🟩 3. Traditional International Bank Transfer via SWIFT

This is the classic bank-to-bank transfer method. It works from any country to any Thai bank, and is suitable for large amounts such as hotel deposits or tour packages.

However:

  • Some transfers take only 10 minutes
  • Some take 2–4 days, depending on the bank

Required info:

  • Account name (English)
  • Bank name
  • Account number
  • Thai bank SWIFT code

🟩 4. Scan Through International QR Payment or Pay via Debit/Credit Card Machines

Some Thai shops (especially in malls and franchises) use International QR codes or payment terminals that support foreign wallets.

If the shop uses Thai QR International, tourists can scan with:

✔ Alipay+ (China, Korea, Japan, Singapore, etc.)
✔ WeChat Pay (China)
✔ PayNow (Singapore)
✔ UnionPay QR
✔ Visa QR
✔ Mastercard QR

BUT here’s the catch:

Most Thai PromptPay QR codes are domestic-only, so you cannot tell by looking whether the QR supports international payments.
Small street shops usually do not have this feature.
Bigger stores often have:

  • EDC terminals
  • QR screens next to the cashier

Those typically support international payments.

🟪 5. Opening a Thai Bank Account (Tourist Account / Local E-Wallet)

This method used to be possible in the past, but from 2023–2025, rules became much stricter.

Although some tourists previously managed to open Thai savings accounts using only:

  • Passport
  • Thai address
  • Thai phone number

Most major banks no longer allow account openings for:

  • Tourist visa holders
  • Visa-on-arrival visitors
  • Visa exemption entries

Banks now prefer:

  • Long-term visas (non-immigrant)
  • Work/retirement/marriage/education visas

Therefore, you should not rely on this method anymore.