Bitcoin for Everyday Payments in Thailand? It's Possible

Among the flood of news about yet another AI language model wrapper issuing its token – which, predictably, grants no actual rights or utilities (and why would it? Why bother issuing shares and giving investors a stake in the business when you can just mint tokens, run no actual business, and bear no responsibility to investors?) – it's refreshing to come across news about businesses that help people use cryptocurrency in their daily lives.

I want to share information about one such startup that really impressed me: PlebQr. It enables you to pay for anything in Thailand using Bitcoin through the Lightning Network.

In Thailand, many merchants, both online and offline, accept payments via QR code scanning through banking apps. PlebQr connects people who have Thai banking apps with those who don't – the locals scan and pay the QR codes, receiving Bitcoin in return.

This means if you have Bitcoin on the Lightning Network, you can pay for almost anything in Thailand. Even small market vendors display QR codes for payments. All you need to do is take a photo of the QR code, send it to PlebQr along with the corresponding amount in satoshis, and wait for someone to process your payment.

The system works, albeit not lightning-fast – you typically wait a few minutes for each transaction. But then again, life in Thailand moves at a relaxed pace, and nobody's in a hurry. The timing actually fits perfectly with the local vibe.

It's a win-win: helpers get to acquire Bitcoin at favorable rates, while customers can avoid dealing with fiat currency altogether.

Want to try this cool system? You'll need Bitcoin on the Lightning Network. The fastest way to exchange any cryptocurrency for Lightning Bitcoin at the best rates is through rabbit.io.