In this era where Thailand has fully entered into cashless options built on the continuous development and promotion of payment systems, one of the methods that people are turning to is digital wallets, which are a fast and simple way to check out, perfect for all lifestyles, whether it's online shopping or paying for goods and services, peer-to-peer transfers, or an alternative for business owners who want a modern, hassle-free payment channel, every transaction is straightforward and secure.

In this article, we'll take you through digital wallets in Thailand and their popular providers, as well as how to use them and the benefits they offer. We also recommend tools that help businesses accept wallet with ease and safety, facilitating convenience for every lifestyle.

What’s in this article?

• Getting to know digital wallets in Thailand
  
• How to get started with a digital wallet
  
• Benefits of using a digital wallet
  
• Businesses suitable for using digital wallets
  
• How Stripe Payments can help
  

Getting to know digital wallets in Thailand

A digital wallet acts as a stored-value balance. Users add funds in multiple ways—bank transfer, ATM, through various counter services, or linking a credit or debit card—to pay for products or services in stores and on the web, as well as scanning a QR code.

Private-sector innovation in the Thai market began with the launch of the TrueMoney Wallet app in 2013, allowing people to top up, transfer funds, settle bills, and shop online via mobile devices. LINE Pay entered the market in 2015, followed by AirPay—later rebranded as ShopeePay in 2021—to further enhance transactions for Shopee customers.

In late 2019, the Paotang application, built by Krungthai Bank and the government, was launched to stimulate the economy, with a pilot project called "Chim Shop Chai" then expanding to support the PromptPay system and additional public programs—for example, the COVID-19 relief project, Khon La Khrueng, Rao Chana, and more. In 2024, the Thai government introduced a policy to distribute ฿10,000 in digital money through the Tang Rath application, driving a notable surge in digital wallet adoption. The Ministry of Finance announced that 14.4 million people have registered for the ฿10,000 top-up program.

Popular digital wallet providers in Thailand

Leading wallet app providers in Thailand include:

• Paotang: A digital wallet developed by Krungthai Bank in collaboration with the Thai government, tied to programs such as Chim Shop Chai, Khon La Khrueng, and Rao Chana. It also supports multiple payment methods. Users can conveniently claim and spend via the app, such as topping up their mobile phones, settling water and electricity bills, purchasing government lottery tickets on the web, or exercising their Health Wallet benefits.
  
• GrabPay: Part of the Grab app, the market leader in on-demand delivery services in Thailand, covering transportation, food delivery, parcel dispatch, and online shopping. You can top up your GrabPay wallet, send money between users, and pay via QR code at participating locations.
  
• LINE Pay: Integrated with LINE, the country's most widely used messaging platform, allowing people to send messages and handle everyday money matters in one place. This option makes it convenient to transfer funds and check out both in-store and on the web.
  
• ShopeePay: A digital wallet designed for Shopee shoppers, offering frequent promotions, discounts, privileges, points, and cash back. Users can also top up mobile phones, pay utility bills, and more.
  
• TrueMoney Wallet: Developed by TrueMoney, a True Corporation subsidiary, this app supports payments at more than 7 million businesses nationwide and offers a broad set of financial services. You can spend and receive money by QR code, add funds to your smartphone, and pay your utility bills.
  
• Tang Rath: The primary tool supporting the "10,000-baht digital wallet" scheme aims to stimulate the economy and encourage spending at community shops. The app serves as a gateway for citizens to access various public services, including viewing credit bureau records, tracking traffic ticket status, social security information, settling water and power charges, and tracking child support status.
  

How to get started with a digital wallet

Getting started takes just a few steps:

• Download and install the application: Find and download the digital wallet application you want to use on your smartphone.
  
• Sign up for an account and verify your identity: Enter the basic details—full name, phone number, and email address. Some apps might then request identity verification by uploading an ID photo or taking a selfie to ensure transaction security.
  
• Connect a bank account or credit card: Link a bank account, credit card, or add balance at convenience stores or counter services. Specify the profile details (e.g., bank or credit card number) to enable checkout.
  
• Start using a digital wallet: Begin spending, sending funds, or paying for products and services in both physical and online stores right away.
  

Benefits of using a digital wallet

There are many benefits to adopting a digital wallet for spending and receiving funds:

• Convenient and fast: Users can conduct everyday checkouts anytime, anywhere on their smartphones, enabling quick purchases of goods and services without the need to carry cash or cards.
  
• Safe: Digital wallets have strict security measures in place, including encryption and multifactor authentication (MFA), such as using a password or verifying information, and biometrics such as fingerprint or face scanning to prevent unauthorized access to data.
  
• Payment through multiple channels: Digital wallets support a variety of payment options—online and offline—via QR codes, PromptPay, or NFC card tapping, enabling quick and smooth transactions.
  
• Reach more buyers: It is easier for customers to access as it is a popular and well-known payment channel in Thailand. Users can top up, transfer funds, or settle bills without a bank account, broadening inclusion.
  
• Increase sales, expand markets: This method of pay is an alternative that helps businesses boost sales and grow their markets by facilitating customers who want convenience, speed, and enjoy deals. It also connects those without bank accounts.
  
• Promotions and privileges: To encourage digital wallet checkout, service providers often offer promotions or privileges such as discounts, cash coupons, points accumulation, or cash back, which can save money and increase the value of their spending.
  
• Manage your finances better: Track spending history in real time with the balance and transaction display feature, making financial planning easier.
  

Explore payment methods in Thailand to learn more.

Businesses suitable for using digital wallets

There are many types of operations in the Thai market that are suitable for accepting payments using digital wallets, especially these businesses:

• Retail: Businesses with a high volume of transactions and customers, such as convenience stores, restaurants, or cafes.
  
• Service: Ideal where quick fee collection matters—beauty salons, spas, massage parlors, laundry shops, etc.
  
• Tourism and hotels: Well-suited for using digital wallets to receive payments from guests, especially for online booking, including tour companies, hotels, or airlines.
  
• Ecommerce: Sellers on websites or marketplaces with high order volumes, selling items that are straightforward to buy and sell. The bill amount is relatively low, targeting teenagers or working-age customers who are familiar with using digital wallets and enjoy promotions from applications.
  
• Digital: Online games, music and movie services, or streaming platforms.
  
• Educational: Schools and educational institutions can use digital wallets to pay tuition, registration fees, and other fees, including online teaching services, which parents and students can conveniently pay for via their smartphones.
  
• Financial and banking: Insurance companies, financial institutions, or investment firms can use digital wallets to conduct financial transactions—transferring funds, settling insurance premiums, or paying for related services.
  
• Transportation and logistics: Freight forwarding companies or logistics providers—e.g., Thailand Post—or delivery services such as Grab or LINE MAN accept delivery charges from customers, and also make it easier to track costs and disbursements.
  

How Stripe Payments can help

Stripe Payments provides a unified, global payments solution that helps any business—from scaling startups to global enterprises—accept payments online, in person, and around the world.

Stripe Payments can help you:

• Optimize your checkout experience: Create a frictionless customer experience and save thousands of engineering hours with prebuilt payment UIs, access to 125+ payment methods, and Link, a wallet built by Stripe.
  
• Expand to new markets faster: Reach customers worldwide and reduce the complexity and cost of multicurrency management with cross-border payment options, available in 195 countries across 135+ currencies.
  
• Unify payments in person and online: Build a unified commerce experience across online and in-person channels to personalize interactions, reward loyalty, and grow revenue.
  
• Improve payments performance: Increase revenue with a range of customizable, easy-to-configure payment tools, including no-code fraud protection and advanced capabilities to improve authorization rates.
  
• Move faster with a flexible, reliable platform for growth: Build on a platform designed to scale with you, with 99.999% uptime and industry-leading reliability.
  

Learn more about how Stripe Payments can power your online and in-person payments, or get started today.