BANGKOK, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Alipay+, the cross-border mobile payment platform operated by Ant International, announced an expansion of their partnership on Thursday, aiming to enhance tourism experiences in the Southeast Asian country amid robust travel demand.

Under the collaboration, the TAT stands as the first national tourism promotion agency to launch the Alipay+ D-hub, an in-app digital platform designed to customize travel experiences based on user preferences, providing essential travel and cultural information and exclusive promotions for tourists visiting Thailand, the TAT said in a statement.

The collaboration plays a crucial role in reviving the number of Chinese tourists to Thailand and supporting the rapid growth of electronic payment services. With growing Alipay+ acceptance, it helps bring economic stimulation, particularly to secondary Thai cities and small and medium-sized enterprises, said Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, TAT deputy governor.

"The TAT is taking the next step to strengthen our partnership with the new digital innovations for Chinese tourists, the top source market for Thailand, and continue to expand these innovations to more tourists in the future," Chattan told a news conference.

Alipay+ will continue to jointly introduce innovations to Thailand, providing convenient shopping and purchasing travel-related products and services via smartphones, as well as strengthening the kingdom's position as a premier travel destination, said Edward Yue, general manager, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand & Global Strategic Partnerships at Ant International.

Thailand received over 12.12 million foreign tourists in the first four months of 2024, a rise of 39 percent from a year earlier, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports data showed.

Meanwhile, according to data from Alipay+, transactions in Thailand increased by 70 percent between January and April compared to the previous four months.

Introduced in 2020, the Alipay+ network currently covers over 400,000 merchants across Thailand, including restaurants, health and wellness establishments, department stores, tourist attractions, and public transportation, the statement said. Enditem

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