PromptPay is Thailand's national real-time payment infrastructure, launched in 2017 by the Bank of Thailand and Thai Bankers' Association. It enables instant transfers between bank accounts using a mobile phone number or national ID as a proxy address — no account number required. Over 70 million PromptPay IDs have been registered, making it one of Southeast Asia's most widely adopted domestic payment systems.
PromptPay works by linking a Thai bank account to a proxy identifier — either a 10-digit mobile number or a 13-digit national ID. Once registered through any participating Thai bank's app, you can receive funds instantly from anyone who knows your mobile number. The sender enters the proxy ID, sees the recipient's name for confirmation, and initiates the transfer. Funds arrive in seconds, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. There is no need to share account numbers or bank branch codes. All major Thai banks participate, including Bangkok Bank, Kasikorn Bank (KBank), SCB, Krungthai Bank, and TTB.
For Thais receiving money from abroad, PromptPay is the fastest way to collect funds once they arrive in the Thai banking system. Several remittance corridors now support direct-to-PromptPay delivery. Western Union and some digital providers can deposit directly to a PromptPay-linked account. Crypto rails are increasingly relevant here: exchanges like Bitkub and Satang (Thailand-based) allow THB withdrawals via PromptPay after selling USDC or USDT. This means a sender in the US can buy stablecoins on Coinbase, transfer via Stellar or Tron for under $0.01, and the Thai recipient can cash out directly to their bank via PromptPay within minutes.
For domestic transfers, Thai banks originally charged small fees for PromptPay transactions above 5,000 THB, but most major banks eliminated fees entirely for amounts up to 5 million THB as of 2018. Transfers are free for consumer-to-consumer payments at most banks. The standard per-transaction limit is 2 million THB (approximately $55,000 USD), though banks may set their own lower limits. For international inbound transfers, the recipient typically pays no fee on the PromptPay receipt end — costs are borne by the sender through the remittance provider's structure.
Before PromptPay, receiving a remittance in Thailand required sharing your full bank account number, branch code, and often a SWIFT code with the sender abroad. Errors in any of these details could cause failed or delayed transfers. PromptPay eliminates this friction: sharing a mobile number is simpler and less error-prone. Settlement is also faster — a traditional inbound SWIFT wire to a Thai bank might take 1-3 business days to clear, while funds delivered to a PromptPay-linked account via a domestic-side partner can appear in minutes. For remittances arriving via crypto off-ramps on Thai exchanges, the entire process from send to PromptPay receipt can complete in under 30 minutes.
PromptPay is Thailand's national instant payment system that lets you receive money using your mobile number or national ID instead of a bank account number. Once you register your number with a participating Thai bank, transfers arrive in seconds at any hour. All major Thai banks support it.
Yes, some international providers support direct-to-PromptPay delivery. For crypto rails, Thai exchanges like Bitkub allow USDC/USDT withdrawals directly to a PromptPay-linked bank account, making it possible to receive funds from abroad in under 30 minutes end-to-end.
For most consumer transfers, yes. Since 2018, major Thai banks have waived PromptPay fees for transfers up to 5 million THB. Some banks still charge small fees for business accounts or high-volume transactions, but person-to-person transfers are effectively free.
The standard limit is 2 million THB per transaction (roughly $55,000 USD at current rates). Individual banks may set lower daily limits depending on your account type and verification level. For most remittance amounts, the limit is not a practical constraint.
A sender abroad buys USDC or USDT on a platform like Coinbase, transfers it to a Thai exchange like Bitkub via Stellar or Tron (fees under $0.01), and the Thai recipient sells the stablecoin for THB and withdraws via PromptPay to their bank. The entire process can complete in 20-40 minutes.
The largest inbound remittance corridors to Thailand are from the US, UK, South Korea, Japan, and Gulf states (UAE, Saudi Arabia), driven by Thai migrant workers and expatriates abroad sending support to family. Crypto rails are increasingly competitive on the US-to-Thailand and UAE-to-Thailand corridors.
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