Thailand is giving crypto holders another reason to book a holiday. Foreign tourists can now convert their digital assets into Thai baht and spend them at shops and restaurants across the country.
The new WORPT payment app connects crypto wallets with Thailand popular QR PromptPay network. Visitors can make purchases without opening a Thai bank account, bringing crypto closer to everyday spending.
The launch comes as Thailand looks for fresh ways to attract international visitors and revive tourism spending. This latest Thailand crypto initiative could turn digital asset holders into another valuable source of tourism revenue.
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Thailand launches payment system allowing tourists to convert crypto into its national currency for purchases.
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Crypto Payments Reach Shops and Restaurants
WORPT was developed by Wipay and Waan Exchange (Waanx), with support from Tether, the company behind USDT. The service operates under Thailand’s TouristDigiPay regulatory sandbox, overseen by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The system supports cryptocurrency-to-baht conversions, including stablecoins such as USDT and USDC. Tourists deposit supported assets into the platform, convert them into baht, and use their available balance to scan Thai QR PromptPay codes.
The process works with existing merchant payment infrastructure. Restaurants, hotels, and retailers receive Thai baht through their usual payment channels rather than handling cryptocurrency themselves.
Foreign visitors also avoid the usual requirement of having a local Thai bank account. They can complete identity verification through the app before connecting an external digital asset wallet.
WORPT initially charges a 1.5% conversion fee, according to Thai media reports. The company is also preparing Visa prepaid card services, with physical cards planned for November and virtual cards expected in early 2027.
The Mall Group has joined as an early retail partner, making it the first department store group to support the service. Its participation gives WORPT a major retail environment to demonstrate how crypto-funded spending works in practice.
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Thailand Wants 200,000 Crypto Tourists
The rollout has an ambitious financial target behind it. Wipay expects WORPT to attract approximately 200,000 users during its first year. The company projects around 15 billion baht, worth $440 million, in spending throughout the initiative’s 18-month trial.
Its target markets include South Korea, Japan, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. These regions offer potential access to travelers who already hold digital assets and could use them to finance international trips.
Thailand’s foreign arrivals are heading toward a second consecutive annual decline, while international tourism revenue has also weakened. But tourism remains an important economic driver, making higher-spending visitors particularly attractive. Crypto holders offer another potential customer base, especially as stablecoins become increasingly common for holding and transferring money internationally.
Having lived in Thailand for three to four years, I know that spending crypto there wasn’t always straightforward. Before services like WORPT, tourists holding crypto generally had to find a way to convert their digital assets into Thai baht before paying for everyday expenses. That could mean going through an exchange, arranging an OTC transaction, withdrawing cash, or transferring money through a local bank account.
These added several steps to something as simple as paying for dinner, booking accommodation, or shopping at a mall. For someone who wanted to live on crypto, the process could quickly become frustrating.
There was another problem: trust. Thailand has also seen scams involving fraudulent crypto OTC brokers, fake exchanges, and people offering attractive conversion rates before disappearing with customers’ funds. Finding someone willing to exchange crypto for baht wasn’t necessarily difficult, but finding someone legitimate was another matter.
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