Thailand promotes digital payment programs

BANGKOK, September 11 (TNA) - Thailand now promotes more digital payment of goods and services among consumers to be in line with the government's Thailand 4.0 policy. Finance Minister Apisak Tantivorawong, Permanent Secretary for Finance Somchai Sujjapongse and President of state-run Krungthai Bank (KTB) Payong Srivanich jointly launched the “MOF Digital Canteen” Program in Bangkok on Monday, under which the Ministry of Finance becomes the first ministry in Thailand that has adopted the QR Code for digital payment of food and drinks in its canteen through the KRUNGTHAI QR Code on the application KTB netbank. Under the program, operators of food and drink shops in the ministry's canteen, need to each install and show their QR Code under the Prompt Pay system to enable the digital payment among their customers, while consumers only need to scan the QR Code shown at each shop and enter their pin to confirm their digital payment. During the lunch time of Monday's launch of the program, 11-13hrs, government officials and the general public were offered a promotional period to pay only four baht for all dishes and drinks through the KRUNGTHAI QR Code. KTB plans to keep expanding its digital payment program through its KRUNGTHAI QR Code to other places in Bangkok and other areas to promote the access to the advanced but easy technology among local consumers in accordance with the Thai government's policy on gradually-reduced use of cashes towards the non-cash Thai society eventually. Meanwhile, Chartchai Payuhanawichai, President of the Government Savings Bank (GSB), told journalists that GSB is also ready to offer comprehensive digital payment services through the QR Code. Chartchai said GSB is the first bank in Thailand that has already tested run the GSB Pay application with the Bank of Thailand (BOT), under which payment by its clients can be done through their credit and debit cards or the Prompt Pay system of all banks, the services of which are expected to be fully launched next month. The GSB president also targeted to increase the number of his bank's business clients that apply to use the QR Code payment system to 50,000 by the end of this year, from 10,000 currently, and to two million for individual clients. According to the GSB president, BOT is considering to reduce service fees for the GSB Pay system to encourage more businesses and individual consumers to use the QR Code payment system.(TNA)