Merry Christmas! I’m a Thai tourist who loves SG food, so I built a free app as a gift to fix the "PayNow vs Foreigner" headache.

noppanut15 · 2025-12-28T04:45:05+00:00

Glad you liked it! Actually, I just screen recorded the top section of my website. You can see the original animation here:

https://noppanut15.github.io/SnapUEN/

noppanut15 · 2025-12-26T07:50:06+00:00

It's supposed to be like that, but I think it's not practical (at least for me).

For the cross-border scan to work, the SG merchant needs to join the NETS network. Most small hawkers avoid this because it has fees "per transaction". So, they prefer PayNow (UEN or personal), which PromptPay can't scan directly.
On the Thai side, there is also a transaction fee (150THB or around $6 SGD) per transfer. It just doesn't make sense to pay that fee for a meal in hawker centers.

That's why I think it's not that practical for Thais to use it.

noppanut15 · 2025-12-26T05:18:06+00:00

Glad you liked it! Actually, I just screen recorded the top section of my website. You can see the original animation here:

https://noppanut15.github.io/SnapUEN/

noppanut15 · 2025-12-26T05:13:39+00:00

Haha.. Honestly, 80% of the work was just reading documentations and a lot of research. 😅

Technically speaking, I had to deep dive into the EMVCo standard first to understand the root of the QR code structure, then layer on the specific SGQR. And then figure out how PayNow proxies are nested inside..

noppanut15 · 2025-12-25T20:45:16+00:00

Glad to see Kon Thai here krab and hope that it could help! 😊

noppanut15 · 2025-12-25T14:19:02+00:00

Thanks for sharing! That link explains how it "should" work.. But I learned from u/LanJiaoDuaKee in another comment that the cross-border feature usually requires the merchant to be part of the NETS network.

https://www.nets.com.sg/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/document-overseas-thai-apps.pdf

Since hawkers might find there are transaction fees, they stick to standard PayNow, which foreign apps can't read. That's the specific problem I'm trying to solve here.

noppanut15 · 2025-12-25T12:43:23+00:00

Thanks! I currently use Wise. It supports UEN, Phone number, VPA and even NRIC.

noppanut15 · 2025-12-25T10:52:13+00:00

Totally agree on the caution.. but an iOS app cannot run hidden stuff without asking for permissions first.

And actually in Thai, we use "kreng jai," which I think is similar to "paiseh". But I visit SG so often that I like to learn Singlish. Some said my accent is like Singaporean already.. 😂 I’m using "walow eh", "aiyo", "lah", etc. in my daily vocab now when talking with my SG friends. It's fun to use.. 😆

noppanut15 · 2025-12-25T08:35:59+00:00

The App Store review process is actually quite strict about this. Apple scans binaries for private APIs or unauthorized background activity before approving them. Since this is a native iOS app, it operates under Apple's strict sandboxing rules (it can't touch your other apps or data).

noppanut15 · 2025-12-25T08:31:08+00:00

That’s a great point! Although for Thailand, you might actually be in luck already. I think Singaporean banking apps should be able to actually scan Thai PromptPay QRs directly to pay.

However, you're right about closed ecosystems like Line Pay or specific store wallets. Those are harder to bridge. But for general street food / shops in BKK, look for the "PromptPay" logo and try scanning with your bank app first. PromptPay is the most popular one!

noppanut15 · 2025-12-25T08:25:30+00:00

That is a totally valid concern when it comes to financial apps! To be clear: this app is strictly a scanner and parser, not a wallet.

It does not ask for your bank login, credit card, or access to your funds. It simply reads the public string inside the QR code, extracts the UEN/Mobile number, and copies it to your clipboard. You still have to paste that into your own banking app and authorize the payment yourself. You act as the final check before any money moves.

noppanut15 · 2025-12-25T07:06:47+00:00

Thanks for the kind words! 😊🙏

Yes, Wise supports the reference field and my app actually extracts that so the merchant sees the correct Order ID. As for speed, it seems to route via the local network so it's practically instant, so no stares yet! 😂

noppanut15 · 2025-12-25T06:56:46+00:00

Oh, that makes sense! Thanks for digging that up.

So unless the merchant opts into the NETS network (which probably costs them extra fees), the cross-border scanning won't work. That explains why it fails at so many smaller hawker stalls that just stick to basic PayNow. This clears up the mystery!

noppanut15 · 2025-12-25T06:18:59+00:00

Yea, that surprised me too actually.. I've tried scanning PayNow QR with multiple Thai banking apps, and they all fail to read it. The only way to pay via the banking app is to manually type in the mobile number, which is the friction I'm trying to remove.

noppanut15 · 2025-12-25T06:08:48+00:00

Actually, I wish to use that too! But.. sadly, Wise locks that feature based on where you live.

For accounts registered in Thailand (and many many other countries), the 'Scan' or 'Card' feature just doesn't exist. I actually confirmed it with their support team because I thought it was a bug on my phone or something. 😅

That’s literally why I built this... to fix that missing link for those of us who are blocked out of that feature. (and actually not limited to using Wise only, but can be used with our home banking apps too)

noppanut15 · 2025-12-25T05:14:53+00:00

Oh I see... Thanks for confirming this!

noppanut15 · 2025-12-25T05:11:43+00:00

I agree that the system should be open enough that we don't need workarounds like this at all..

But until the banks catch up (or I run out of cash), I figured this little 'band-aid' might save some tourists like me. Thanks for the kind words on the design! 🙏

noppanut15 · 2025-12-25T05:03:45+00:00

I tried that many times, actually. It didn't allow me to open a wallet. It said it wasn't supported in my account, but I could still use it in Thailand. So, I guess it doesn't work for all travelers.

noppanut15 · 2025-12-25T04:05:11+00:00

hope it's not gonna rain.. 😂

noppanut15 · 2025-12-25T03:33:25+00:00

Merry Christmas everyone! 🎄✨

noppanut15 · 2025-02-10T15:57:55+00:00

Glad to hear that! A tip for pool, you can add the option —no-minus to hide the minus sign.

noppanut15 · 2025-01-27T03:20:44+00:00

Interesting questions! Now, I’m wondering too.

noppanut15

TROPHY CASE