Chinese tech giant Tencent's cloud computing unit wants to bring its contactless palm scan payment solution and super-app-as-a-service solution to Thailand, in a bid to cash in on the country's digital transformation.
"Thailand is a key strategic market for Tencent Cloud in Southeast Asia, driven by strong demand from large corporations and the government's 'Cloud First' policy," said Jimmy Chen, vice-president of Tencent Cloud International and managing director of Southeast Asia.
The company is leveraging its cutting-edge technology from China, adapting it through localisation and customisation to meet the digitalisation demands of various industries and use cases.
Tencent Cloud's current business partners in Thailand include MFEC and True IDC, Mr Chen said.
Potential customers for the palm scan payment technology include financial services, telecom, retail, education, entertainment and the public sector, said Mr Chen.
He said the palm payment technology will mature as a commercial payment system in Indonesia and Thailand because it offers higher scalability, security and reliability.
Convenience stores are one of the most promising models for this payment, said Mr Chen.
In China, most convenience stores have implemented this payment method, offering a more seamless and user-friendly experience compared with QR code scans, facial recognition or fingerprint authentication, he said.
The company wants its "super-app- as-a-service" to empower enterprises to integrate mini-programmes into their own super-apps, establishing their own mini-programme ecosystem, said Mr Chen.
The mini-programmes or mini-apps are apps that function within a super-app. They can be used immediately without installation or downloading, providing instant access to various features.
"I think Thailand needs local super-apps with new architecture, with a more scalable and open ecosystem," he said.
Mr Chen said the mini-programmes give merchants more options to build their business and marketplaces, while online stores can shorten the time to market and lower development costs compared with traditional apps.
The Chinese population uses WeChat as the super-app has 7-8 million mini-programmes, he said.
Tencent Cloud also collaborates with local partners to develop innovative use cases of artificial intelligence (AI) tailored for local customers.
The company offers an AI agent engine to help users build AI agents.