Thailand Launches Tourist Crypto Payment Pilot, Targets 15 Billion Baht Over 18 Months

on November 13, Thailand has officially allowed foreign visitors to exchange cryptocurrency for Thai baht for direct spending at stores and restaurants: the payment app WORPT enables tourists to pay by scanning locally accepted payment barcodes without needing a Thai bank account.

WORPT was developed by Wipay and Waan Exchange, whose founder, Chaval Jiaravanon, hails from a prominent Thai family. The app operates under the TouristDigiPay regulatory sandbox pilot run by the Thai Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Pavin Jittiwongsamarn, founder of Wipay, stated that the target users are crypto holders from South Korea, Japan, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. The company expects to reach 200,000 users in its first year and generate 15 billion baht (approximately $440 million) in consumption over the 18-month pilot period.

The launch comes amid strain on Thailand’s tourism sector: inbound foreign tourist arrivals are projected to decline for a second consecutive year, and international tourism revenue is falling accordingly, leading the government to shift its focus toward attracting higher-spending visitors. Under the sandbox framework, local merchants do not directly accept cryptocurrency; payments are still settled in Thai baht through standard payment networks.