Alipay+ Now Accessible to Thai Merchants on KTC Payment Gateway

Krungthai Card Public Company Limited (KTC), based in Thailand, has teamed with China-based technology firm Ant Group to develop 'Alipay+,' a suite of global cross-border digital payment and marketing products, on KTC's payment gateway.

This latest innovation, according to KTC, aims to boost KTC's Thailand merchant business and accommodate spending from Asian tourists to Thailand via three new Alipay+ partner mobile wallets: AlipayHK, Touch 'n Go eWallet, and Kakao Pay.

KTC's payment merchant business is expected to rise by 20% this year, according to the statement.

King Power and The Mall are two duty-free and retail partners who have joined forces to be the first to offer Alipay+ payment service on the KTC system.

According to KTC Merchant Acquiring Head Naowarat Keratikasemsook, KTC member merchants currently can accept payment for products or services via mobile wallet QR codes in the Alipay+ ecosystem.

This includes Alipay (for Chinese nationals), which has been available in Thailand since 2015, as well as the recent inclusion of three new mobile wallets that accept Thai purchases, notably AlipayHK (Hong Kong), Kakao Pay (South Korea), and Touch 'n Go eWallet (Malaysia).

She said that these tourists accounted for one-third of the total 8.6 million tourists that visited Thailand in the first four months of this year (January-April 2023).

"KTC and Ant Group have been working together since 2015." The cooperation began with the Alipay payment service (for Chinese people), and we recently extended through Alipay+, which will allow merchants to accept a broader range of digital payments while prioritising convenience and security," she noted.