International travellers booking hotels in Thailand could soon find it easier to pay in their preferred currencies, following a new partnership between Global Payments and Centara Hotels & Resorts. The collaboration will introduce advanced cross-border payment capabilities across Centara’s properties in Thailand, supporting a smoother hotel booking experience and helping international guests navigate currency conversion when reserving their stays.
The initiative comes as Thailand continues to attract visitors from around the world, with the country welcoming 32.97 million international tourists in 2025. By offering multi-currency payments and a broader selection of payment methods, the partnership aims to make direct hotel reservations more convenient, strengthen customer confidence at checkout and support the continued growth of Thailand’s tourism industry.
Multi-Currency Payments to Simplify Hotel Reservations
Under the agreement, Global Payments will provide cross-border payment technology for Centara’s hotel and resort portfolio in Thailand. The platform will support multi-currency pricing across 153 currencies and 200 payment types, allowing international guests to view prices in familiar currencies and use payment methods suited to their preferences.
The system will also enable Centara to configure foreign exchange sources and lock exchange rates, helping provide greater transparency during the booking process. This is particularly relevant for international travellers who may otherwise face uncertainty over conversion rates and the final amount charged when paying for accommodation abroad.
The new payment capabilities are expected to begin rolling out across Centara’s properties in Thailand in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Strengthening Direct Bookings and Guest Relationships
The partnership reflects a broader shift in the hospitality industry, where hotels are looking to improve their direct booking channels while delivering a more personalised digital experience.
Online travel agencies remain important distribution platforms, but direct reservations can allow hotel groups to build closer relationships with guests and offer benefits such as loyalty rewards, flexible booking conditions and tailored promotions. A complicated checkout process, however, can discourage customers from completing a reservation.
By making international payments more accessible and transparent, Centara aims to reduce these barriers and create a more convenient booking journey. The enhanced payment infrastructure will also help the hotel group maintain greater control over the checkout experience and strengthen engagement with customers who book directly.
Thirayuth Chirathivat, Chief Executive Officer of Centara Hotels & Resorts, said the collaboration would help the group deliver a seamless booking and payment experience for international guests while reinforcing customer loyalty and supporting Thailand’s tourism growth.
Expanding Global Payments’ Travel Network in Asia
For Global Payments, the Centara agreement represents another step in expanding its presence in Asia’s travel and hospitality sector. The company has been building relationships with major travel businesses in Thailand, including airlines, to address payment challenges experienced by international customers throughout their journeys.
By extending its capabilities to the hotel sector, Global Payments aims to connect more parts of the travel experience, from booking flights to reserving accommodation. Its technology supports transactions across more than 175 countries, with the company reporting approximately US$3.7 trillion in annual transaction value.
Phil Pomford, executive lead for Enterprise APAC at Global Payments, said international travellers increasingly expect access to their preferred currency and payment method, regardless of where they make a booking. The partnership extends the company’s cross-border payment capabilities to one of Asia’s established hospitality brands.
Supporting Thailand’s Growing Tourism Market
As international travel becomes increasingly digital, convenient payment options are emerging as an important part of the overall guest experience. For hotel operators, removing uncertainty at checkout can help encourage completed reservations, while providing greater flexibility for customers travelling from different markets. The Global Payments–Centara partnership illustrates how payment technology is becoming an integral part of hospitality strategy rather than simply a back-office function. Its success will depend on how effectively the new capabilities improve the booking process for guests and support hotel operations once the rollout begins.
For travellers planning a stay in Thailand, the development promises a more locally tailored way to pay when booking directly with Centara. For the hotel group, it offers an opportunity to build stronger guest relationships and compete in an increasingly digital travel market. As the rollout approaches in late 2026, the partnership highlights the growing importance of seamless payments in connecting international visitors with the destinations and hotels they choose.
