Foreign tourists visiting Thailand can now use their cryptocurrency to pay for everyday purchases without opening a Thai bank account, following the launch of a payment application that converts digital assets into the country’s national currency.
The application, called WORPT, allows eligible international visitors to convert supported cryptocurrencies, including USDT and USDC, into Thai baht and pay for goods and services by scanning Thailand’s QR PromptPay codes.
The service operates under Thailand’s TouristDigiPay regulatory sandbox, an initiative designed to connect digital assets with the country’s existing electronic payment infrastructure.
WORPT was developed through a partnership between Waan Exchange, a licensed digital asset exchange and broker, and Wipay, an electronic money service provider regulated by the Bank of Thailand.
How tourists can pay with crypto in Thailand
The process allows visitors to deposit supported cryptocurrencies into the WORPT application and convert them into Thai baht.
Once the conversion is complete, users can scan a merchant’s Thai QR PromptPay code to pay for purchases. The merchant receives payment in baht through the existing payment system, rather than receiving cryptocurrency directly.
This means businesses do not need to accept or manage digital assets themselves to participate in the payment process.
Tourists also do not need a Thai bank account to use the service. However, they must complete identity verification and other checks before accessing the application.
According to Thai media outlet Thairath, the service initially charges a currency conversion fee of 1.5%.
WORPT currently supports USDT and USDC, with plans to expand the range of supported digital assets. The company is also preparing to introduce physical and virtual Visa prepaid cards, which would allow users to spend from their Thai baht balance through card payments.
Thailand’s TouristDigiPay initiative
WORPT operates within Thailand’s TouristDigiPay sandbox, which was introduced by the country’s Securities and Exchange Commission in August 2025.
The programme allows approved digital asset businesses to work with regulated electronic money providers to convert tourists’ digital assets into Thai baht for spending.
The initiative was designed to attract foreign capital and provide international visitors with another way to access local payment services.
It also includes safeguards such as customer identity verification, transaction monitoring and anti-money laundering checks.
The distinction is important: Thailand has not legalised the direct use of cryptocurrency as payment for goods and services. Instead, digital assets are converted into baht before transactions are completed through the country’s established payment infrastructure.
WORPT targets crypto-holding tourists
The launch comes as Thailand looks to attract more spending from international visitors and strengthen its tourism economy.
WORPT is targeting tourists from markets with significant cryptocurrency adoption, including South Korea, Japan, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
The company expects the service to attract between 100,000 and 200,000 users during its first year and estimates that transactions could generate around 15 billion baht in spending over the 18-month sandbox period.
The Mall Group, one of Thailand’s major retail operators, is among the businesses participating in the initisandbo If the service gains adoption, it could offer crypto-holding travellers a more convenient way to access local payment systems while allowing merchants to continue receiving payments in their national currency.
For Thailand, the initiative is also a test of how regulated cryptocurrency conversion can support tourism and everyday commerce without requiring businesses to accept digital assets directly.
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