BANGKOK, Thailand – A Bangkok district chief has ordered restaurants to display stickers confirming they accept Thai currency, following online criticism of a Chinese restaurant accused of refusing local payment, officials said on Friday. Sombat Krueakiratitham, director of Huai Khwang district, said environmental and sanitation officials were sent to inspect venues along Pracha Rat Bamphen Road, a commercial area known for Chinese businesses, to ensure compliance with financial regulations.
The inspection followed complaints that a local Chinese restaurant had refused Thai baht and demanded payment in Chinese yuan.
District workers on Friday began distributing “Thai Baht Accepted Here” stickers to 79 legally registered restaurants with Chinese co-owners and 13 Chinese supermarkets in the area to reassure customers. The restaurant involved in the incident clarified that the issue arose from a communication breakdown during a temporary mobile banking outage. A staff member said they had asked a customer for cash when the digital transfer system failed, adding that the 328 baht bill was finally settled via a Thai bank QR code. The Chinese owner of the establishment denied ever accepting yuan, stating all business revenue is processed through Thai banking channels.
Other shopkeepers in the area said that while some Chinese tourists occasionally asked to pay in yuan, businesses routinely refused due to exchange rate fluctuations. District officials said more than 80% of the restaurants in the neighborhood are registered corporate entities subject to routine inspections by the Ministry of Commerce and local government. (TNA)
