Thailand PromptPay — Can Tourists Use It? (Complete Guide 2025)
You're at a street food stall in Bangkok. The vendor points to a QR code printed on a piece of cardboard. "PromptPay," they say. You open your banking app and try to scan it. Nothing happens.
PromptPay is Thailand's national instant payment system, and QR codes for it are posted at nearly every business in the country — from Michelin-star restaurants to mango sticky rice vendors on Khao San Road.
The problem: as a tourist, you almost certainly can't use it.
What Is PromptPay?
PromptPay is Thailand's real-time payment system, launched in 2017 by the Bank of Thailand. It allows instant transfers between bank accounts using:
- Thai citizen ID number
- Thai phone number linked to a bank account
- QR code (the one you see everywhere)
In 2024, PromptPay processed over 10 billion transactions. It's the backbone of Thailand's digital economy.
Can Tourists Use PromptPay?
Short answer: No, with very limited exceptions.
PromptPay requires:
- A Thai bank account
- Linked to a Thai citizen ID or Thai phone number
- Registered through a Thai banking app
Opening a Thai bank account as a tourist is extremely difficult:
- Most banks require a Thai work permit or long-term visa
- Tourist visa (TR) is explicitly rejected by many banks
- Bangkok Bank was historically the most foreigner-friendly, but has tightened requirements
- Even with an account, you need a Thai ID number for PromptPay registration
Exception — Cross-border QR: Thailand has signed cross-border QR payment agreements with:
- Singapore (PayNow ↔ PromptPay)
- Japan (limited pilots)
- Hong Kong (limited)
- Malaysia (DuitNow ↔ PromptPay)
If you have a PayNow-linked Singapore bank account, you may be able to scan some PromptPay QR codes. For everyone else: PromptPay is not available.
What to Use Instead
1. Cash (Still King for Street-Level)
Thailand is cash-friendly. Despite PromptPay's dominance in digital, physical cash is accepted everywhere.
Where you'll need cash:
- Street food (almost always cash only)
- Tuk-tuks and motorcycle taxis
- Markets (Chatuchak, night markets, floating markets)
- Small restaurants and local shops
- Temple entrance fees
- Tipping (customary in hotels and spas)
ATMs: The Fee Trap
Thailand has the highest ATM fees in Southeast Asia for foreign cards:
| Fee Component | Amount | |--------------|--------| | Thai bank fee | ฿220 (~$6) per withdrawal | | Your bank's fee | Varies ($2–5 typical) | | Exchange rate markup | 1–3% |
Strategy: Withdraw ฿10,000–20,000 per transaction to minimize the ฿220 fee impact. One ฿20,000 withdrawal costs ฿220 in fees. Five ฿4,000 withdrawals costs ฿1,100.
Best ATMs for foreign cards:
- Bangkok Bank (blue) — widely available, reliable
- Kasikorn Bank (green) — good international card support
- SCB (purple) — consistent
Daily cash budget: | Style | Per Day | |-------|---------| | Budget | ฿1,000–1,500 ($28–42) | | Mid-range | ฿2,500–4,000 ($70–112) | | Comfortable | ฿5,000–10,000 ($140–280) |
2. Grab (Your Digital Lifeline)
Grab is Southeast Asia's super-app and your best friend in Thailand:
Rides:
- GrabCar (sedan), GrabBike (motorcycle taxi), GrabTuk-Tuk
- Accepts international Visa/Mastercard
- Fixed pricing (no meter scams)
- English interface
Food:
- GrabFood — extensive restaurant coverage
- Pay with international card
- No PromptPay or Thai account needed
Setup: Download before arrival, add your international card.
3. International Credit/Debit Cards
Visa and Mastercard are accepted at:
- Shopping malls (CentralWorld, Siam Paragon, Terminal 21)
- Hotels and resorts
- Chain restaurants (MK, Sizzler, After You)
- Supermarkets (Big C, Tops, Villa Market)
- 7-Eleven and FamilyMart (minimum ฿300 in some locations)
Tip: Always choose THB (Thai Baht) when the terminal asks about currency. Selecting your home currency triggers Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) — a hidden 3–5% markup.
4. TrueMoney Wallet
The closest thing to PromptPay that tourists can access:
- Download TrueMoney app
- Register with Thai SIM card phone number (get a tourist SIM at airport)
- Top up at 7-Eleven (hand your phone to the clerk, tell them the amount)
- Scan PromptPay-compatible QR codes at some merchants
Limitations: Not all PromptPay QR codes work with TrueMoney. It's a partial solution, not a replacement.
5. Rabbit Card (BTS Skytrain)
For Bangkok transit:
- Buy at any BTS station (฿200: ฿100 deposit + ฿100 value)
- Works on BTS Skytrain, some BRT buses
- Accepted at some shops and restaurants near BTS stations
- NOT compatible with MRT (MRT has its own system or accepts contactless Visa/MC)
The Street Food Strategy
Street food is one of the best parts of Thailand. It's also almost entirely cash-only. Here's how to handle it:
- Withdraw cash once in the morning — ฿2,000–3,000 for a full day of street food
- Break big bills at 7-Eleven — vendors may not have change for ฿1,000 bills
- Carry small denominations — ฿20 and ฿50 bills, ฿10 coins
- Average street food meal: ฿40–80 ($1.10–2.20)
- "Pad Thai and a drink" benchmark: ฿60–100
Emergency Thai Phrases
| Situation | Thai | Pronunciation | English | |-----------|------|---------------|---------| | Cash please | เงินสด ได้ไหม | Ngern sot dai mai? | Can I pay cash? | | Accept card? | รับบัตรไหม | Rap bat mai? | Do you accept card? | | Where is ATM? | ตู้ ATM อยู่ที่ไหน | Too ATM yoo tee nai? | Where is an ATM? | | How much? | เท่าไหร่ | Tao rai? | How much? | | Too expensive | แพงไป | Paeng pai | Too expensive | | Thank you | ขอบคุณ | Kob khun | Thank you |
Before Your Trip
- Download Grab, add your international card
- Get a tourist SIM at Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang airport (AIS, TrueMove, DTAC)
- Notify your bank about Thailand travel
- Plan your ATM withdrawals — big and infrequent beats small and frequent
- Carry ฿3,000 in cash from day one for markets and street food
Use the Thailand Risk Scanner to check your payment readiness, or follow the Thailand Setup Kit for complete preparation.
Last updated: February 2025.