PromptPay for Foreigners: Banks, Apps and Tourist Options
A tourist visa does not open a KBank or Krungsri account, so a tourist pays with a wallet or the home bank app instead. Foreigners who hold an account register PromptPay with a passport and a mobile number at Krungsri and Bangkok Bank. PromptPay transfers up to THB 5,000 are free.
On this page
A bank account decides it. KBank refuses tourist-type visas and Krungsri refuses tourist-visa customers.
A tourist pays with a wallet or a home bank app. A foreigner with an account registers PromptPay with a passport and a mobile number.
What PromptPay is and what it costs
PromptPay is a payment system live since 2016 that moves money by citizen ID, mobile phone number or account number. You register by linking an existing bank account to your ID or phone number. One phone number links to one account.
| Transfer size | Standard fee |
|---|---|
| Up to THB 5,000 | Free |
| THB 5,000 to THB 30,000 | Under THB 2 |
| THB 30,000 to THB 100,000 | Under THB 5 |
| Above THB 100,000 | Under THB 10 |
Since 2018 most banks have waived fees for digital payments.
Which route fits you
KBank opens a savings account for a foreigner with a passport and a non-immigrant visa of any type. It refuses tourist-type visas, including Visa on Arrival, Free Visa and the DTV. Krungsri refuses customers on a tourist visa.
The full account rules are in the guide to opening a Thai bank account as a foreigner.
Bank apps: onboarding and rules
SCB EASY
Registration asks for your ID, passport or alien card number and date of birth. Next come a face scan, your mobile number for a one-time password and a 6-digit PIN.
At a branch you present your passbook and identity document to a bank officer. Open the app over mobile data, not Wi-Fi. SCB allows the app on 1 device per person.
SCB requires face recognition for foreign customers from 20 June 2026. It covers a transfer, top-up or bill payment to another person’s or bank’s account of THB 50,000 per time or more, or THB 200,000 per day.
A customer with no face photo on file registers one at any branch. The branch asks for a passport or non-Thai identification card.
KBank
For foreigners, the mobile banking and the SIM card must carry the same registered passport number. To fix a mismatch, register the SIM owner at your mobile network service centre with your latest passport number.
Proof of SIM ownership is a tax invoice or a phone bill receipt. For a prepaid SIM, request the tax invoice at the service centre.
Krungsri
A non-Thai individual links an account with a mobile phone number only. One mobile number links to one account. A home phone number is refused because the bank cannot send the one-time password by SMS.
If you registered PromptPay at another bank, cancel it there first. The Krungsri app allows THB 500,000 per day and per transaction, extendable to THB 2,000,000 per day.
Check the payee’s name before every confirmation.
Bangkok Bank
A foreigner registers with a passport and connects a mobile phone number only. Registration is free.
Joint and FCD accounts are refused. Individual savings or current accounts in Thai baht register. The sender does not register to transfer.
If you send money to the wrong number
Contact Krungsri Call Center 1572 or a branch. The bank reports back within 15 business days for a transfer inside the same bank and 20 business days for an interbank transfer. A PromptPay check takes 3 business days.
A payee who receives money from an unknown sender must not send it back alone, as it may be a scam.
Tourists: partner-country QR and Chinese apps
PromptPay links to payment systems in Cambodia, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Lao PDR, Korea and China. The details carry a May 2026 date.
A Malaysian tourist scans the Thai QR of BBL, KBANK, KTB, SCB, BAY, CIMB Thai or BAAC with the Public Bank app.
From 30 October 2025, users from China scan Thai QR codes with Alipay, UnionPay and WeChat Pay. The code must come from Bangkok Bank, Krungthai Bank, KasikornBank, ICBC (Thai), Siam Commercial Bank or BAAC.
Bank of Ayudhya, Government Savings Bank, HSBC and TMBThanachart Bank are next on the list.
TAGTHAi Easy Pay for tourists
TAGTHAi Easy Pay is an e-wallet for foreign tourists. Apply in person at a KBank foreign exchange booth with your passport. The minimum age is 20.
| Limit | Amount |
|---|---|
| Top-up at the booth | THB 25,000 per transaction |
| Transactions | THB 50,000 per month |
| KBank ATM withdrawal | Up to THB 10,000 per transaction per month |
Pre-register within 30 days before you activate the wallet at the booth. Link the wallet in the app with your passport details and a 16-digit Wallet ID. There are no application or card fees.
From August 2026 the physical prepaid card is no longer required. A K-ATM withdrawal with the older PAY&TOUR prepaid card costs THB 20. Other withdrawal fees are in the ATM fee guide.
TrueMoney wallet for foreigners
Registration in the app asks for a selfie with your passport or pink Thai ID card and your visa type. Approval arrives by SMS in 1-3 business days.
| Limit | Basic level (passport only) | Advanced level |
|---|---|---|
| Wallet size | THB 30,000 | THB 50,000 |
| International payment per month | THB 1,000 | THB 50,000 |
Cash top-up is limited to THB 500,000 a month. Transfers to a bank account need supporting documents such as work permit documents, a non-immigrant visa, a student visa, a Thai driving licence or legally proven documents of your stay.
Related guides
Step by step
- Check your visa and accountHold a Thai bank account on a non-tourist visa, because KBank and Krungsri refuse tourist-type visas.
- Match the SIM to your passportAt KBank the SIM card and the mobile banking must carry the same passport number.
- Register your mobile numberRegister PromptPay with a passport and a mobile phone number at Krungsri or Bangkok Bank.
- Check the payeeCheck the payee's name before every confirmation.
Not confirmed: Beyond Malaysia and China, no home-country app is confirmed to scan Thai QR; ask your home bank before you travel. TrueMoney asks for a visa type at registration but does not publish which types pass the basic check.
Common questions
Can a tourist register for PromptPay?
A tourist needs a Thai bank account first. KBank refuses tourist-type visas, including Visa on Arrival, Free Visa and the DTV, and Krungsri refuses tourist-visa customers.
What does a foreigner need to register for PromptPay?
Krungsri links an account with a mobile phone number only. Bangkok Bank takes a passport and a mobile phone number.
Is PromptPay free?
Transfers up to THB 5,000 are free. Since 2018 most banks have waived fees for digital payments.
Why does KBank ask for my passport number on the SIM?
For foreigners, the mobile banking and the SIM card must carry the same registered passport number.
Do Chinese visitors scan Thai QR with Alipay or WeChat Pay?
Users from China scan Thai QR codes with Alipay, UnionPay and WeChat Pay when the code comes from Bangkok Bank, Krungthai, KasikornBank, ICBC (Thai), SCB or BAAC.
How do I get TAGTHAi Easy Pay?
Apply in person at a KBank foreign exchange booth with your passport. The minimum age is 20.
What are the TrueMoney limits for foreigners?
The wallet holds THB 30,000 at the basic level and THB 50,000 at the advanced level.
What happens if I send money to the wrong PromptPay number?
Contact Krungsri Call Center 1572 or a branch. The result comes within 15 business days for a transfer inside the same bank and 20 business days for an interbank transfer.
Read next
General information checked against the sources listed above, not financial or tax advice for your situation. Rules and fees change; confirm with your bank, the Revenue Department or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.
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