Dusit has become the first Thai hotel group to enable guests to pay for rooms via the popular Chinese social media service, WeChat.

The company has started to accept WeChat Pay, the payment arm of the mobile instant messaging app, which allows customers to settle their account directly via their smartphone upon check-out. Once they receive their bill, guests will be able to scan a QR code and instantly have the money deducted from their WeChat Pay account.

The service will initially be available at Dusit’s hotels in China and owned properties in Thailand, before being gradually expanded to other hotels and countries.

“In China’s top-tier cities, approximately 90% of stores now accept WeChat Pay as a payment method and the platform’s reach is starting to expand globally,” said Lim Boon Kwee, Dusit’s chief operating officer. “Chinese tourists are high value market and increasingly significant to our business, so it’s important we do all we can to cater to their needs.

“By implementing WeChat Pay, our Chinese guests will now be able to benefit from favourable exchange rates and occasional exclusive promotions, so we are confident it will be a huge success,” he added.

According to data from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), 8.75 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand in 2016, accounting for 27% of the total inbound market.