Vietnamese tourists to soon use VietQRGlobal at 3,000 outlets in Thailand

VietQRGlobal is a cross-border QR payment solution developed by the National Payment Corporation of Vietnam (NAPAS).

NAPAS, Vietnam’s state-owned lender VietinBank, and Central Retail Corporation on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding to enable cross-border QR code payments, as part of the Vietnamese Week 2026 held from September 17-20 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Under the agreement, VietQRGlobal will be rolled out across Central Retail’s entire network in Thailand, covering supermarkets and retail chains such as Central, Robinson, Tops, Tops Daily, Supersports, and Topcare.

Once the service is put into operation, Vietnamese travelers can use domestic banking apps or e-wallets to scan QR codes and pay directly at more than 3,000 stores in Thailand’s 63 provinces and cities, eliminating the need for cash or currency exchange.

Sukulaya Uahwatanasakul, senior executive vice president of Central Retail Corporation’s Group Treasury, said this is the first time Central Retail has partnered with NAPAS and VietinBank for cross-border QR payments.

She emphasized that the cooperation is intended to boost shopping, trade, and tourism between Vietnam and Thailand.

In October last year, NAPAS and Central Retail Vietnam launched VietQRPay and VietQRGlobal across the GO!, Tops Market and Go! hypermarket networks in Vietnam.

Nguyen Dang Hung, deputy CEO of NAPAS, said the deal expands VietQRGlobal’s acceptance network, linking Vietnam’s payment infrastructure with international markets.

Tran Cong Quynh Lan, deputy CEO of VietinBank, added that the initiative will strengthen cashless payment connectivity between the two countries and facilitate tourism-related transactions.

Marketing campaigns are planned to promote VietQRGlobal to Vietnamese tourists in Thailand and Thai visitors in Vietnam.

Central Group’s expansion in Vietnam

At a press conference during the on-going Vietnamese Week, Thailand’s Central Group chairwoman Wallaya Chirathivat announced plans to invest an additional US$1.5 billion in Vietnam, focusing on retail and real estate.

Central Retail, a member of Central Group, has already invested $1.5 billion in Vietnam since 2012 and operates in 26 provinces and cities, serving about 500,000 customers daily and employing 13,000 people.

Between 2018 and 2026, the company generated revenues of about $9.9 billion in Vietnam.

With combined plans from Central Retail and Central Pattana, total investment could exceed $3 billion over the next 10-15 years, reflecting confidence in Vietnam’s growing consumer market of more than 100 million people.