ThailandFrom street stalls to screens
Thailand is home to some of the world’s most visited cities, where street stalls sit alongside SuperApps and paying for lunch can be as simple as scanning a QR code. Shopping, banking, ordering food and getting around have all become naturally digital. And unlike some of its younger Southeast Asian neighbours, the country isn’t waiting for a new generation to come online. Here, the opportunity is in an already connected population finding more ways to spend digitally.
The way locals pay
Local payment methods to know
Online payments mix eCommerce 2026 projections
Growth from an already connected market
With a median age of about 41 and population growth close to flat, Thailand is older than many of its Southeast Asian neighbours. Growth here is less about new consumers coming online and more about an already connected population spending more online.
And there’s plenty of room for that. eCommerce volume is expected to reach US$ 70 billion in 2027, up 15% from 2026, before reaching US$ 80 billion by 2028.
Thai shoppers are also comfortable buying beyond their borders. Cross-border commerce already accounts for over 30% of eCommerce, worth around US$ 19 billion in 2026. But buying from abroad doesn’t mean leaving local payment habits behind.
Thai shoppers are heading towards US$ 80B in digital commerce spending by 2028
The bank account in your pocket
A2A is Thailand’s biggest way to pay online, accounting for 42% of eCommerce volume in 2026. And much of that comes down to one name: PromptPay, Thailand’s real-time payment infrastructure, which represents 75% of A2A payments and around 31% of all eCommerce volume.
PromptPay connects participating banks and eWallets, making instant digital payments part of everyday life. QR codes are one of the most familiar ways to initiate them: buy lunch, pay a small shop or send money to someone, and users can simply open a supported banking or payment app, scan a QR and confirm the transaction.
That behavior carries naturally into eCommerce. Alongside PromptPay, more traditional mobile and internet banking transfers account for another 20% of A2A payments. For Thai shoppers, paying directly from a bank account or wallet is not a fallback to cards. It is one of the country’s default ways to pay.
Thailand’s eCommerce mix is moving further from cards, with A2A and eWallets taking more of the checkout.
Bank account or eWallet? Both
eWallets are already Thailand’s second-largest way to pay online, accounting for 28% of eCommerce volume in 2026. That share is expected to edge up to 30% by 2028, keeping eWallets firmly in the mix alongside Thailand’s popular bank-based payments.
TrueMoney Wallet, Rabbit LINE Pay and ShopeePay are among the names Thai shoppers know. Rather than replacing the bank account, eWallets give people another option, often through apps and services already on their phones.
Our consumer research shows how much that matters: 30% of Thai respondents pointed to eWallet integrations, including cross-border payment links, as the payment development that had the biggest impact on their shopping over the previous year. Another 30% chose BNPL.1 In a market where paying digitally is already the norm, the change is in how many different ways people can do it.
What’s changing online shopping in Thailand?30% of shoppers pointed to eWallet integrations. Another 30% chose BNPL.
Cards in a changing mix
Credit cards account for almost 24% of eCommerce volume in 2026. By 2028, that share is expected to fall to 22%, but Thais will actually be spending more on cards than they do today.
The difference is what’s happening around them. A2A and eWallets are growing faster, taking a larger slice of an eCommerce market that is itself getting bigger. Cards remain part of the mix; they’re simply sharing it with more ways to pay.
More ways to pay, no need to pick one
Thai shoppers are already comfortable paying digitally. What stands out is how many options now sit side by side. PromptPay and A2A lead the market, eWallets are a significant part of the mix, and card spending continues to grow too. One doesn’t need to replace the other.
And those preferences travel. More than 30% of Thailand’s eCommerce is already cross-border, but buying from an international merchant doesn’t mean Thai shoppers want to pay differently. A bank-based payment or eWallet they know can make buying from abroad feel much more like buying at home.
Visitors sometimes come to Thailand expecting to use cash, especially at smaller shops or street stalls. Then they get here and see people scanning QR codes everywhere. That usually surprises them. To us, it feels completely normal: Thailand can be very traditional and very digital at the same time. And when people shop online, they naturally look for those same ways to pay at checkout.
- dLocal Retail Survey, 2026