Chinese TikToker questions yuan-only payment at Huai Khwang restaurant
A Chinese social media influencer living in Thailand raised questions about the legality of a Chinese restaurant in the Huai Khwang area of Bangkok after claiming the business accepted only Chinese yuan and WeChat Pay instead of Thai payment methods.
The influencer, 28 year old Wang Bingyang, known online as Bing, shared a video on his TikTok account, @jaideebingandfriend, on May 25. The clip recently attracted attention from Thai social media users and local media outlets.
In the caption, Bing wrote, “A Chinese restaurant is operated in Thailand but did not have a Thai bank account and accepts only Chinese cash and WeChat payment. Is this legal? #HuayKwang #ChinesePeople.”
In the video, Bing said he had ordered food at the restaurant and attempted to pay using Thailand’s QR payment system.
According to Bing, staff informed him that Thai QR payments were not accepted because the restaurant did not have a Thai bank account.
He claimed the restaurant accepted only Chinese currency and Chinese payment methods. Bing said staff also asked whether he was Chinese. He eventually had to pay in yuan, and paying in Chinese currency cost him about 50 baht more.
Bing said he believed the restaurant may have assumed he was unfamiliar with Thailand’s regulations, as he is Chinese. However, he questioned whether the business was operating in compliance with Thai law. He also urged Chinese-owned businesses operating in Thailand to follow local regulations.
Several social media users shared their own experiences in the comments section of the video. One Thai woman claimed that the restaurant regularly kept its front door locked and that customers were required to notify staff before entering or leaving the premises.
Other users called on relevant government agencies to investigate the restaurant and other businesses in the area to determine whether they were operating legally. Some added that the area was already transformed into a Chinatown.
The issue prompted Workpoint News to visit Huai Khwang and speak with operators of other restaurants in the area.
According to the media, staff at each business interviewed said they accepted Thai currency and Thailand’s QR payment system. They added that Chinese customers also commonly paid using Thai cash or Thai digital payment methods.
Workpoint News reported that the restaurant at the centre of the allegations had not provided comments to media outlets.
@jaideebingandfreind ร้านจีน เปิดอยู่ที่ไทย แต่ไม่มีบัญชีไทย รับเฉพาะ cash และสแกนวีแชท แบบนี้ถูกต้องหรือไม่? #ห้วยขวาง #คนจีน
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