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Alipay users remain keen on Thailand
Thailand remained the second-most popular destination for Chinese tourists to spend money via the Alipay platform during the Labour Day holiday (April 29 to May 1).
Millions of Chinese have just returned from their annual Labour Day holiday. Overseas spending on the Alipay mobile application skyrocketed during May Day this year compared with last year, said the company. Alipay processed five times as many in-store transactions overseas this year from 2017. Asia dominated the top 10 list of destinations in terms of transaction volume, with Thailand retaining No.2 following Hong Kong, while South Korea posted third.
Japan, Macau and Taiwan were fourth, fifth and sixth, identical to last year.
Malaysia, where merchants first began accepting Alipay in May 2017, finally cracked the top 10 this year for transaction volume.
Alipay reported destinations in Europe and North America observed the fastest growth for its app usage compared with last year, with several countries seeing transaction volume growth of over 1,000%.
Several Asia-Pacific destinations including Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore also saw significant growth in transaction volume.
Average spending per person was 1,122 yuan (5,617 baht) for Thailand, 1,117 yuan (5,592 baht) for Singapore, and 1,021 yuan (5,112 baht) for Malaysia.
Average total spending per user increased by 59% to 1,508 yuan (7,550 baht) from last year’s 946 yuan (4,736 baht).
Average total spending was the highest in Spain, at 7,965 yuan, followed by France and Italy. European destinations accounted for half of the top 10 countries in terms of total spending per user.
Just under two-thirds of those who used Alipay overseas were female. Those born in the 1980s and 1990s accounted for 85% of all those who used Alipay overseas.
American-style fast food chains, Hong Kong-style cafes, and coffee shops processed the most overseas Alipay transactions amongst eating establishments.
Among the 29 countries that support tax refunds via Alipay, South Korea recorded the highest amount in yuan terms, followed by France and Germany.
Golden Week, a seven-day holiday (Oct 1-8 in 2018), is the peak annual period for Alipay.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/finance/1460422/alipay-users-remain-keen-on-thailand