PromptPay for Foreigners: Banks, Apps and Tourist Options
A tourist visa does not open a KBank or Krungsri account, so tourists use a wallet or their home bank app instead. Foreigners who hold an account register PromptPay with a passport and a mobile number at Krungsri and Bangkok Bank. Transfers up to THB 5,000 are free.
On this page
If you are a tourist, skip the bank and use a wallet or your home bank app. If you live here on a non-tourist visa, open an account and register PromptPay with your passport and mobile number.
Which route fits you
Your visa decides. KBank opens a savings account for a foreigner with a passport and a non-immigrant visa of any type, but it refuses tourist-type visas, including Visa on Arrival, Free Visa and the DTV. Krungsri also refuses customers on a tourist visa.
The full account rules are in the guide to opening a Thai bank account as a foreigner.
Registering PromptPay with an account
PromptPay moves money by phone number once you link an existing bank account to it. One phone number links to one account.
- Krungsri: a non-Thai individual links an account with a mobile phone number only. A home phone number is refused because the bank cannot send the one-time password by SMS. If you registered at another bank, cancel it there first.
- Bangkok Bank: use your passport and connect only your mobile phone number. Registration is free. Joint and FCD accounts are refused.
- KBank: 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.
The sender does not need to register to pay you.
What it costs
Small transfers are free, and the standard fee stays small as the amount grows.
| 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 |
If you send money to the wrong number
Check the payee’s name before every confirmation. If it goes wrong, contact Krungsri Call Center 1572 or a branch. The answer comes within 15 business days for a transfer inside the same bank and 20 business days for an interbank transfer.
Tourists: wallets and home apps
TAGTHAi Easy Pay
This is an e-wallet for foreign tourists, and you apply in person at a KBank foreign exchange booth with your passport. The minimum age is 20. There are no application or card fees.
| 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 |
TrueMoney
Sign up in the app with a selfie with your passport and your visa type. Approval arrives by SMS in 1-3 business days. The wallet holds THB 30,000 at the basic level and THB 50,000 at the advanced level.
Chinese and Malaysian apps
Users from China can scan Thai QR codes with Alipay, UnionPay and WeChat Pay when the code comes from Bangkok Bank, Krungthai Bank, KasikornBank, ICBC (Thai), Siam Commercial Bank or BAAC. A Malaysian tourist can scan with the Public Bank app.
For ATM costs on a foreign card, see the ATM fee guide.
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.
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.
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
Sources and reader comments
Official sources:
- PromptPay — Bank of Thailand (opens in a new tab)
- Bank of Thailand press release No. 39/2025, 30 October 2025: Thailand-China cross-border QR payment linkage (opens in a new tab)
- Bank of Thailand: cross-border payment linkages (details as of May 2026) (opens in a new tab)
Company and press pages (not official sources):
- Open Bank Account (savings) — Kasikornbank (opens in a new tab)
- Foreign Currency Deposit — Krungsri (Bank of Ayudhya) (opens in a new tab)
Show 7 more sources
- Krungsri PromptPay page and FAQ (krungsri.com) (opens in a new tab)
- Bangkok Bank PromptPay page and FAQ (bangkokbank.com; read via Wayback copy because the live site timed out) (opens in a new tab)
- KASIKORNBANK announcement 'Require the user's name to match the SIM card owner's name' (kasikornbank.com; read via Wayback copy because the live site refuses the fetch host) (opens in a new tab)
- TrueMoney support: balance and transaction limits of TrueMoney for foreigner (opens in a new tab)
- TAGTHAi, Payment for foreign tourists in Thailand (tagthai.com), published 9 March 2025 (opens in a new tab)
- TAGTHAi Easy Pay (tagthai.com), official operator page (opens in a new tab)
- TrueMoney support: how to download TrueMoney and set up an account (opens in a new tab)
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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