Government Spokesperson Chai Wacharonke stated that Thailand and Hong Kong have jointly launched cross-border QR payment, which provides a fast, secure, and easily accessible cross-border retail payment service to people travelling between Thailand and Hong Kong.

Through this linkage, travelers from Thailand and Hong Kong will be able to make retail payments by using their mobile payment applications to scan the Hong Kong FPS QR code and Thai PromptPay QR code displayed by merchants, respectively. 

Users will benefit from an additional efficient payment means, while merchants will be able to receive their funds immediately. This payment connectivity will provide travelers with greater convenience, thus supporting tourism and economic activities of Hong Kong and Thailand.

The Government Spokesperson said that the Bank of Thailand and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority announced the launch of this initiative on 4 December 2023. It took place after Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Srettha Thavisin had visited Hong Kong in October 2023, when he affirmed Thailand’s commitment to facilitating trade and tourism, as well as promoting connectivity between Thailand and Hong Kong.

Dr Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput, Governor of the Bank of Thailand, said, “This collaboration with Hong Kong is an important milestone in Thailand’s digitalization efforts and demonstrates our commitment in creating more efficient and inclusive cross-border payments in the region. This linkage will bring tangible benefits not only to the 1.5 million tourists from these two economies, but also merchants serving them, as well.”

Both central banks of Thailand and Hong Kong strongly believe that the cross-border QR payment will result in a safer, more efficient, and cost-attractive alternative for retail payment for the general public. It will also serve as a catalyst for more collaborations on financial innovations in this dynamic region in the coming years.

The service providers offering this cross-border QR payment service to their customers via their mobile payment applications include seven participating banks and two (non-bank) Stored Value Facilities from Hong Kong, and three commercial banks from Thailand.