Which payment gateway should a Thai website use?
For most Thai websites, the realistic choice of payment gateway is between Omise, 2C2P, a bank gateway such as SCB or KBank, and Stripe; the right one supports your customers' payment methods, has a working plugin for your platform, accepts your business type and settles on a schedule your cash flow can live with.
A payment gateway is the service that sits between your website's checkout and the banks. It collects the customer's card details or shows a PromptPay QR code, sends the payment for approval, tells your site whether it succeeded, and later pays the money into your Thai bank account after deducting its fee.
For most Thai websites the realistic short list is:
- Omise (for a time branded Opn Payments): Thai-founded, broad local payment methods and ready plugins for common platforms.
- 2C2P: a regional gateway suited to businesses selling across Southeast Asia or to larger merchants.
- A bank gateway such as SCB or KBank: sensible if you already bank there and want settlement and support in one place.
- Stripe: developer-friendly and international, worth checking for businesses selling abroad.
There is no single "best" gateway. The right one supports the methods your customers use, has a working plugin for your platform, accepts your business type, and settles into your account on a schedule your cash flow can live with. The rest of this guide helps you check those four things.
How do online payments work?
Three parties do the work behind a "Pay now" button.
- The gateway handles the checkout screen or payment form, encrypts details, and talks to your website.
- The acquirer is the bank that processes card payments on your behalf and receives the funds. Some gateways use partner banks; bank gateways are the acquirer themselves.
- The scheme or network, such as Visa, Mastercard or the PromptPay system, routes the payment to the customer's bank.
A card payment
The customer enters card details, often confirms with a one-time password or banking app (3-D Secure), the issuing bank approves, and your site marks the order paid. The money reaches you later, on the gateway's settlement schedule.
A PromptPay QR payment
PromptPay is Thailand's national instant payment service, overseen by the Bank of Thailand. At checkout the gateway generates a QR code for the exact amount. The customer scans it in their mobile banking app, pays, and the gateway notifies your site automatically, usually within seconds. Compare that with a plain bank transfer, where the customer sends a slip and someone on your team checks it by hand. The QR route is what makes PromptPay work at scale for an online shop, and it is especially popular with Thai customers who prefer not to type card numbers into websites.
Thai payment gateways compared
The table summarises how the main options usually position themselves. Payment methods and plugins change often, so treat it as a starting point and confirm each item on the provider's own site before you apply.
| Option | Type | Methods to ask about | Platform support | Usually suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omise | Independent gateway, Thai origin | Cards, PromptPay QR, TrueMoney, mobile banking, installments | Plugins for WooCommerce and other platforms, plus an API | Thai shops and service businesses wanting many local methods |
| 2C2P | Regional gateway | Cards and local methods across Southeast Asia | API and platform integrations | Larger merchants and regional sellers |
| SCB, KBank and other banks | Bank gateway (bank is the acquirer) | Cards, QR payments, the bank's own app | API; plugins vary by bank | Businesses already banking there |
| Stripe | International gateway | Cards, some local methods (check Thailand list) | Wide plugin and API support | Businesses selling abroad, developer-led teams |
Before you shortlist, look at how a few simple e-commerce website examples present their payment options at checkout; the methods shown there are the ones your gateway must support.
Omise and 2C2P
Omise
Omise started in Thailand. It traded as Opn Payments for a period and has since returned to the Omise name, so older plugins and articles may still say Opn.
Its appeal for Thai websites is breadth: cards plus the local methods Thai customers actually use, offered through one account and one integration. It publishes plugins for common e-commerce platforms and a documented API for custom sites. Onboarding asks for business documents and a review of your website, so have your policies published before you apply. Pricing is shown on its pricing page and varies by method, so read it per method rather than assuming one rate.
2C2P
2C2P is a payment platform operating across Southeast Asia and beyond. It suits businesses that sell in several countries and want one provider for cards and local methods in each market, and larger merchants that need a more enterprise-style setup. Pricing and onboarding are typically handled through its sales team rather than a public self-serve sign-up, so expect a conversation about your volumes.
Which to start with
If you sell mainly to Thai customers and want a quick, well-trodden integration, an independent Thai-focused gateway is usually the easier first step. If you already expect significant regional sales, talk to a regional provider early so you do not have to switch later.
Bank gateways: SCB, KBank and others
Major Thai banks offer their own online payment services for merchants. SCB publishes payment APIs on its developer portal, and other large banks run similar merchant programmes. Because the bank is also the acquirer, settlement goes straight into your account with that bank, and your relationship manager can often help with onboarding.
A bank gateway makes sense when:
- you already hold your business account there and value one point of contact;
- you mostly need cards and QR payments rather than a long list of wallets;
- your developer is comfortable integrating an API where no ready plugin exists for your platform.
The trade-off is fewer ready-made plugins and sometimes a slower, more paper-based application. We walk through the steps for one bank in our guide to the SCB payment gateway for websites.
Stripe and international options
At the time of writing, Thailand appears on Stripe's global availability page, which means Thai businesses can open an account and receive payouts in baht. Stripe's strengths are its documentation, its wide plugin support and its handling of international cards and currencies, which is useful for hotels, schools and exporters with overseas customers. Check Stripe's Thailand payment methods list to see which local options, such as PromptPay, are enabled for your account type.
Our separate article on using Stripe in Thailand covers setup and the questions to ask. Whatever you pick, many businesses serving both Thai and foreign customers end up with two routes: a local gateway for PromptPay and wallets, and card acceptance that handles overseas cards well.
Which payment methods do Thai customers expect?
Choose the gateway after you know which methods you need, not before.
PromptPay
For many Thai buyers PromptPay is the default way to pay online. Offer it as a QR at checkout so orders confirm automatically. If you run WordPress, our step by step guide shows how to accept PromptPay on WooCommerce.
Cards
Essential for foreign customers, corporate buyers and higher-value orders. Make sure 3-D Secure works smoothly on phones, where the bank app handoff can confuse people.
E-wallets
TrueMoney Wallet is a common Thai e-wallet, often used for smaller purchases. Our post on accepting TrueMoney Wallet on your website explains the options.
Installments
Card installment plans help sell furniture, electronics, courses and clinic packages. They depend on the issuing banks your gateway supports, and the merchant usually bears part of the cost.
Cash on delivery
COD is not a gateway method but remains important for first-time buyers outside Bangkok; our guide to cash on delivery for WooCommerce stores covers the store side. It runs through your courier, so plan it with your shipping setup; see our guide to connecting Thai couriers to your store.
Fees, registration and paperwork
How gateway pricing is structured
We do not quote rates here because they change and differ by method and volume. When you read a provider's pricing page, look for:
- a percentage fee per transaction, often different for Thai cards, foreign cards, PromptPay and wallets;
- any fixed fee per transaction, setup fee or monthly fee;
- whether VAT is added on top of the fee;
- fees for refunds, chargebacks and payouts;
- the settlement period, meaning how many days before money reaches your account.
Work out the total cost on a typical month of orders, not on the headline rate.
What gateways ask for
Expect to provide company or individual registration documents, ID of the directors or owner, a Thai bank account in the business name, and a live website with clear contact details, prices, and refund, shipping and privacy policies. Online sellers generally also need commercial registration for e-commerce with the DBD; our guide to DBD registration for an e-commerce website explains the steps.
Invoices
A gateway receipt is not a Thai tax invoice. If you are VAT registered or sell to businesses, plan how you will issue invoices; our article on e-Tax invoices for Thai e-commerce covers the Revenue Department system.
Connecting a gateway to your store
WooCommerce
Most Thai-focused gateways offer a WooCommerce plugin. Installation is quick; the real work is testing every method in sandbox mode, checking that order statuses update correctly when a PromptPay QR expires or a card fails, and making sure stock is not held forever by abandoned payments.
Shopify
Shopify stores in Thailand rely on third-party providers that list a Shopify integration, and Shopify may charge an extra fee on orders paid through an external gateway, as our guide to Shopify payments in Thailand explains. Check both price lists together.
Checkout details that matter
- Show PromptPay first for Thai visitors and cards prominently for foreign visitors.
- Keep the QR large and add a "save QR" option for people paying from the same phone.
- Show the total including shipping before the payment step.
- Write payment instructions in Thai and English.
Trust is built before checkout too: clear prices, delivery times and return terms on the product page. See our product page best practices and our deeper guide to checkout optimization.
Gateway selection checklist
Score each shortlisted provider against these points before you sign.
- MethodsSupports PromptPay QR, cards and the wallets or installments your customers use.
- PlatformHas a maintained plugin for your platform, or a clear API your developer can use.
- Business fitAccepts your business type and registration (company or individual).
- Total costMonthly cost modelled on your real order mix, including refunds and VAT on fees.
- SettlementPayout timing works for your cash flow.
- SupportSupport available in Thai or English during your trading hours.
- SecurityCard data handled on the gateway side, 3-D Secure supported.
- TestingSandbox available so every method can be tested before launch.
Who reviewed this guide
Reviewed by Litesh Dhir, co-founder of Website Development Bangkok (SEO and web development).
Who builds your site
Litesh Dhir
Builds and ranks the websites: the systems behind the 17 client sites whose Search Console numbers we publish.
More about usBuild a store that takes Thai payments
Choosing a gateway is one decision; getting PromptPay, cards, COD, couriers and tax invoices to work together on launch day is another.
Our e-commerce website development covers Shopify or WooCommerce with PromptPay, cards, COD, Thai couriers, product import, e-Tax invoice setup and staff training. The E-commerce package starts from THB 50,000 as an indicative one-time price; the final figure is in your written quote, and you can see what is included on our e-commerce website prices page. WhatsApp or call +66 93 004 4098, or email service@websitedevelopmentbangkok.com, every day from 10:00 to 19:00.
- E-commerce
from THB 50,000indicative, one-time
For stores selling in Thailand with local payments and shipping.
- Shopify or WooCommerce
- PromptPay, cards, COD, Thai couriers
- Product import and e-Tax invoice setup
- Staff training and launch checklist
Indicative starting prices, one-time. The final price is set in the written quote for each project, and payment terms are set out in your quote.