Thailand’s WORPT Payment Pilot Targets $440 Million in Tourist Spending

Thailand is using WORPT, an 18-month pilot, to let foreign visitors convert cryptocurrency into baht for QR-code purchases, with the program targeting about $440 million in spending.

The service is aimed at crypto holders from South Korea, Japan, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Visitors can use it at shops and restaurants without opening a Thai bank account.

Users convert crypto into baht before scanning merchant payment codes. An earlier WORPT rollout outlined deposits of Tether (USDT) and USDC, which users convert before checkout; merchants receive baht through the existing payment system.

The pilot comes as Thailand faces a second consecutive year of declining foreign visitor numbers and falling international tourism revenue.