Cash or not to cash - Thailand moving toward "cashless society"

[Gaybutton]

We've had plenty of discussion and debate over using bank apps, Prompt Pay, etc - requiring a smartphone to pay. I know some of you don't want to do that, but there is no denying that more and more is moving that direction. I have even been to a couple shops that no longer accept cash at all.

I think we are all aware that you can use your smartphone to pay just about anywhere now - restaurants, grocery stores, hotels, even mom-and-pop shops. Service businesses that come to your residence are starting to present QR codes for payment. I recently had a piece of furniture reupholstered. QR code. I recently had my air conditioner serviced. QR code.

Even the money boys are getting their own personal QR codes that deposit their tips right into their bank accounts. It is easy to get such a QR code. If you have a Thai bank account, you can get a personal QR code.

My bills, both paper and Email, now all have QR codes for payment. I haven't had to leave my home at all to pay any of my bills. When I order something online from sites such as Lazada or Shopee, yep - QR code.

I've seen QR codes at some gas (petrol for you Brits) stations.

When I go to the hospital to see a doctor - "scanner pay".

Like it or not, Thailand is moving in that direction. I don't know how that's going to work for foreign tourists, but I doubt it will be long before they come up with something.

Feel free to voice your opinions - even if you have already done so in other topics. You might as well state your case on this topic too because that is the subject of this topic.
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New ATM licences to expand availability

by Somruedi Banchongduang

October 4, 2025

The Bank of Thailand plans to introduce new business licences for white-label automated teller machines (ATMs) next year.

The licences are available to both banks and non-bank operators, with the goal of expanding financial inclusion nationwide.

According to the central bank's Payment Directional Paper under the Financial Landscape 2025, the regulator is seeking approval from the Finance Ministry to issue these licences.

The central bank expects to submit the proposal to the ministry in early 2026, with implementation anticipated by late next year, said Daranee Saeju, assistant governor for the payment systems policy and financial consumer protection group.

Applications for the new licences are open to a broad range of operators, including banks, non-banks, fintech companies and ATM vendors.

The initiative is intended to enhance financial inclusion, particularly in remote areas, by providing broader access to affordable financial services.

"For basic financial services, fees charged for transactions on white-label ATMs must not exceed current rates. However, higher fees may be permitted for innovative financial services where appropriate, based on cost structures," said Ms Daranee.

She said while bank branches and ATMs have been steadily declining in line with growing digital banking adoption, certain consumer segments still rely on traditional services. However, the central bank expects cash usage to continue to recede, said Ms Daranee.

Central bank data indicates cash transactions are projected to drop to 10-20% of total banking transactions in 3-5 years, down from 31% at present.

PromptPay, the national digital payment platform, has propelled Thailand's shift towards a cashless economy. Average digital payment transactions per user rose to 651 in 2024, up from 538 in 2023 and 425 in 2022.

Ms Daranee said the central bank also wants to encourage small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to adopt digital payments through the PromptBiz platform.

However, she said the regulator is cautious about aggressively pushing digital payment adoption in certain groups, such as seniors, to protect them from financial fraud.

Chaiyarit Anuchitworawong, senior executive vice-president at Bangkok Bank (BBL), said the bank is considering the new ATM licensing scheme and may participate in installations where it does not have a presence.

BBL, the country's largest lender by total assets, has continued to scale down its brick-and-mortar branches and ATMs in the post-pandemic period.

Over the past three years, the bank has closed around 300 branches nationwide, averaging about 100 closures per year, as digital transactions continue to increase.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/ge ... ailability

[Jun]

Feel free to voice your opinions - even if you have already done so in other topics. You might as well state your case on this topic too because that is the subject of this topic.

Like everywhere else, Thailand is moving towards a cashless society.

I try to use cash wherever possible, but I do have the QR code for when I'm forced to.
Sometimes the wait behind other customers trying to pay with QR codes is unreasonable. I remember one half wit had a slow phone & when it was eventually ready, he was trying to scan the QR code with his phone not aligned. Then after all that, he types in the wrong amount & has to repeat the process.

[Gaybutton]

he types in the wrong amount & has to repeat the process.

That is part of Murphy's Law. It happens to me too. For me that is actually a good reason to be in favor of "scanner pay". I always manage to find myself behind the old lady paying cash who takes 15 minutes fumbling through her purse trying to come up with the exact change.

Unfortunately having a high IQ is not a prerequisite to owning a smartphone. Imagine how long it must take some people just to get the phone set up, much less figuring out how to use it. Everything has it's drawbacks. Getting stuck behind a person like you got stuck with - sometimes that is bound to happen.

I'm waiting for unscrupulous members of the BiB to start showing QR codes for receiving their tea money. After all, might as well cooperate with the push for a cashless society. Some try their best to see to it their "clients" are truly cashless . . .

[Dodger]

I'm quite confident that what we'll see in Thailand in the foreseeable future is "Less Cash" but never "Cashless" due to strong public preference and the ongoing need for a payment method for unbanked and underbanked individuals.

I can see it now: The aging population in rural Thailand lining up at their local Big C's to buy smartphones so they can buy food for their families - unaware of the fact that they also need a bank account before this new "cashless" thing works...

Just too funny!

[Gaybutton]

The aging population in rural Thailand lining up at their local Big C's to buy smartphones so they can buy food for their families

Do you actually believe these people, even the poorest, don't already have smartphones? Fortunately or unfortunately, however you look at it, relatively easy installment plans are available to Thais. That's why you often see boys who don't have pot to piss in walking around with expensive phones - spending half their life staring into them.

Probably if you want a good used smartphone at an inexpensive price, the pawn shops are likely full of them.

I agree with you about one thing for sure - I believe they would understand they need bank accounts to use their phone for payments. The problem is their bank account has to have money in it . . .

Last night I had an experience that supports your argument. I and a small group of Thai friends went to what is easily the most popular Thai restaurant on "The Dark Side". We have been going there for years. We usually go once or twice a month. Being the only farang in the group, guess who always pays the bill. I have always paid with "scanner pay" ever since it first became available.

When we were ready to order the waiter informed us they no longer accept "scanner pay" and the restaurant has reverted to cash only. When we asked why the waiter told us the management is worried because there are so many scammers in Thailand, so they have discontinued accepting "scanner pay".

That is the first time I have encountered this. It will be interesting to see if anywhere else has reverted to cash only. Anyone who does encounter this, please post.

[Dodger]

......When we were ready to order the waiter informed us they no longer accept "scanner pay" and the restaurant has reverted to cash only. When we asked why the waiter told us the management is worried because there are so many scammers in Thailand, so they have discontinued accepting "scanner pay".

That is the first time I have encountered this. It will be interesting to see if anywhere else has reverted to cash only. Anyone who does encounter this, please post.

I've only encountered a merchant not accepting cash once. It happened to be at my favorite donut shop and I wasn't happy.

Jai and I go to Little Walk Plaza in Pattaya (Sukumvit) fairly frequently to visit the wonderful Villa Mart they have there. Last year someone opened a small Crispy Kreme donut stand right where I always park my car. I was in heaven. After selecting a few scrumptious sweet rolls the girl said she couldn't accept cash payment. Jai, seeing the disappointment on my face said "no problem" that we could simply make the transaction using his QR code on his smartphone. I declined his offer and told the girl I wouldn't be making the purchase.

We returned to Villa Mart again a month or so later and Crispy Kreme was still there. We walked over and talked to the same girl who was there before and she said they started accepting cash again. I had returned to heaven, only this time walking away with my favorite sweet rolls.

According to jai, some Thai business owners are pushing for "cashless" systems because they don't trust their staff handling cash. Gee, I wonder why? But he also thinks the loss of customers will change their minds over time. I tend to agree with him as I almost always do.

You mentioned young Thai people spending half their lives staring at their smartphones. I've got news for you, the farang in Thailand spend considerably more time than that sitting in a trance staring at those small plastic screens and pushing buttons. Not for me. Never has been - never will be.

[Jun]

Jai and I go to Little Walk Plaza in Pattaya (Sukumvit) fairly frequently to visit the wonderful Villa Mart they have there. Last year someone opened a small Crispy Kreme donut stand right where I always park my car. I was in heaven. After selecting a few scrumptious sweet rolls the girl said she couldn't accept cash payment. Jai, seeing the disappointment on my face said "no problem" that we could simply make the transaction using his QR code on his smartphone. I declined his offer and told the girl I wouldn't be making the purchase.

I had this carefully crafted image of a fitness conscious farang, until reading the donut part !

I encounter some businesses that have gone cashless, particularly in Bangkok.
I have also been effectively forced to use QR codes to buy Skytrain tickets, since most of the machines do not accept notes & the one that does may have a long queue. So the phone app is useful.

I'm also prepared to walk out of businesses if their terms are unacceptable & they are not treating customers with respect, although more commonly this is in the UK.

[Gaybutton]

someone opened a small Crispy Kreme donut stand right where I always park my car. I was in heaven.

.......talked to the same girl who was there before and she said they started accepting cash again. I had returned to heaven, only this time walking away with my favorite sweet rolls.

We all have our little weaknesses. When I'm in a restaurant that serves it, I never say no to chocolate fondant. Personally I have no interest in donuts. You are welcome to have mine. If I am going to eat sweets, I'm looking for better and much more interesting than donuts.

As for encountering cashless and cash only, I already posted about the restaurant I was in that stopped accepting "scanner pay" and went to cash only. As you pointed out, some places won't accept cash because they don't trust their employees. Others accept cash-only because they don't trust their customers. My guess is if they get enough customer complaints and enough customers who stop coming because of the cash-only policy, they'll be back to accepting "scanner pay".

My group made it clear to the restaurant that although we had enough cash between us to order what we want, we did not appreciate going there only to find out after we sat down that we can no longer use "scanner pay" and there is nothing on the menu announcing that and no signs posted saying they are now cash-only. If we did not have enough cash between us, rather than sending someone out to look for an ATM we would have just gone elsewhere. That restaurant does serve excellent food, but it is certainly not the only restaurant that does.

Another favorite Thai restaurant we like very much is Prajanban Restaurant, just across the road from Foodland on Pattaya Klang - and as far as I know they still do accept "scanner pay". Guess which of the two restaurants we're most likely to go to next time.

All I know is I'm seeing more and more places posting QR codes for being paid by "scanner pay" and although they readily still accept cash, they make it clear they prefer "scanner pay".

Another thought is thieves can much more easily rob cash than dealing with "scanner pay" with only a pittance of cash available.

[Dodger]

I had this carefully crafted image of a fitness conscious farang, until reading the donut part !

Obsessions are never healthy, but what fun would life be without them. Mine are Krispy Crème Donuts - Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream - and Boys...not necessarily in that order...LOL

[Dodger]

My group made it clear to the restaurant that although we had enough cash between us to order what we want, we did not appreciate going there only to find out after we sat down that we can no longer use "scanner pay" and there is nothing on the menu announcing that and no signs posted saying they are now cash-only.

That never really crossed my mind, but I guess the same thing could happen to me one day only the opposite. Where I enjoy a meal at a restaurant thinking they accept cash - only to be told they don't. What in the hell would one do in that type of circumstance...volunteer to wash dishes?