Last year, 1.5 million Singaporeans travelled between Singapore and Thailand.
Now, Singaporeans going on their getaway trip to Thailand can use their Singtel Dash mobile wallets to shop and dine at over 1.6 million stores in Thailand.
Yes, that means you don’t have to worry about not having enough cash when you’re at MBK Center, JJ Mall, and even Chatuchak Weekend Market.
Singapore’s telco Singtel Group and Thailand’s mobile operator AIS announced Tuesday (2 October) the launch of VIA, Asia’s first cross-border payment system in partnership with Thailand’s largest digital bank, Kasikornbank.
The partnership between telcos and non-telco mobile wallets is the first of its kind and allows Singtel Dash, AIS GLOBAL Pay, and Rabbit Line Pay customers to make payments via QR codes in Singapore and Thailand.
The VIA service is now available to over half a million registered Singtel Dash users in Singapore and more than 42 million Line users in Thailand.
Over five million users in this group are also Rabbit Line Pay users who will need to download AIS Global Pay to use the e-wallet feature on Rabbit Line Pay in Singapore.
Thai Rabbit Line Pay users in Singapore can pay for their ComfortDelGro taxi rides, services, and for food at places like Pizza Hut, Breadtalk, and 7-Eleven.
Small and medium-sized Thai businesses that do not accept credit and debit cards can also accept payments via the mobile wallet after implementing VIA and can be a more cost-effective system for them, according to the statement.
This news comes after the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced in November last year that Singapore’s PayNow system would be linked to Thailand’s PromptPay.
Singtel’s International Group chief executive officer Arthur Lang described the partnership as a “game changer” and that they’re aiming to glue the “fragmented payments scene” in Asia.
“As more people travel around the region, we want them to be able to enjoy the ease and familiarity of using their local mobile wallets abroad,” he added.
“VIA will enhance the payment experience for millions of consumers including our group’s customer base of more than 700 million.”
Singtel also has plans to progressively expand this collaboration to include India’s Airtel, the Philippines’ Globe, Indonesia’s Telkomsel, as well as China’s Ping An eWallet.
You can find a full list of participating merchants here.
Featured Image Credit: Singtel
