Thailand and China focus on QR code payments to boost their partnership
Visitors from China will be able to use payment apps, making transactions easier. Soon, Thai nationals will also benefit from this technology in China. The system, increasingly used across ASEAN, serves not only to exchange money but also to strengthen trust, convenience, and a shared commitment to a more seamless financial future.
Bangkok (AsiaNews) – A new cross-border partnership between UnionPay International and Thailand's payment networks allows Chinese visitors, especially tourists, to pay for every purchase quickly and easily using QR code-based payment apps. The same will soon apply to Thais travelling to China for work or vacation.
According to The Bangkok Post, this strategic partnership specifically leverages the use of UnionPay International's (UPI) QR infrastructure, thus facilitating transactions and commercial relations between Thailand and China.
UPI, a global payment solutions company, has partnered with National ITMX Co Ltd (NITMX), Thailand's national payment infrastructure operator, to enable UnionPay users to make QR payments in the country supported by PromptPay.
Specifically, QR code interoperability between China and Thailand is based on a Network-to-Network (N2N) model.
Under the guidance of the Bank of Thailand (BoT) and with the political support of both countries, UnionPay and the local Thai QR code network have implemented a cross-border, commercial-based collaboration to support trade, investment, and tourism.
Thanks to this collaboration, travellers from China can make purchases at participating merchants throughout Thailand – especially in Bangkok, Phuket, and Chiang Mai – simply by scanning the merchant's QR code.
To this end, they can use one of the many (and now familiar) mobile payment apps, such as Yun Shan Fu (UnionPay app). This eliminates the need to exchange currency and offers the same fast, secure, and convenient experience they enjoy back home.
For example, according to local media reports, a tourist buying mango rice at a Chiang Mai night market can pay just as they would in China. As payments become more digitalised across much of Southeast Asia, QR code scanning has become increasingly popular.
UPI itself has established itself as a leading global operator in the region, supporting several cross-border interoperability initiatives within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) over the past two years.
In 2024, UPI and Vietnam's National Payment Corporation (NAPAS) launched a "model project" for cross-border QR payments between governments.
The company also partnered with the Lao PDR (Lao PDR) to implement QR interoperability that same year.
This year, UnionPay's efforts were further accelerated with the signing of an agreement with the Indonesia’s Payment System Association (ASPI).
According to operators, with QR payments now integrated into everyday spending, it is not just money that crosses borders, but also trust, convenience, and a shared commitment to a more seamless financial future.
In line with UnionPay's corporate vision of “Trusted Ties, Shared Success”, this collaborative and open "UnionPay model" is increasingly emerging as a significant catalyst for broader financial cooperation not only in Southeast Asia, but across multiple Asian nations.
As more interoperability projects materialise, cross-border payments are expected to move beyond simple “technical connectivity” to deeper “ecosystem connectivity”, ultimately strengthening true exchange between people and an increasingly connected ASEAN.
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