QR code table ordering: a practical guide for Thai restaurants
Guests scan, order and pay from their own phone, and the ticket goes straight to the kitchen. Done well, it frees your staff in the rush. Done badly, it annoys everyone. Here is the difference.
How it works
- Each table has its own QR code. Scanning it opens your menu in the phone's browser, already set to that table.
- The guest picks dishes, options and notes, in Thai, English or their own language.
- The order appears on a kitchen screen or printer with the table number.
- The guest pays by PromptPay QR, or at the end as usual.
What you need
- A menu with clear names, prices, photos and options
- A tablet or screen in the kitchen (or a ticket printer)
- Stable WiFi or 4G in the kitchen
- Table QR stands that survive sun, rain and spilled drinks
- A simple staff routine: who watches new orders, who runs food
Common mistakes
- A QR that opens a PDF menu. Guests cannot order from it, and it is slow to load.
- No photos. Tourists order what they can see.
- Forcing guests to download an app or create an account.
- No way to call a waiter. Some guests still want a person.
- QR codes that change when the menu changes. Use fixed table links, so you never reprint.
Questions to ask any provider
- Do you take a commission on each order, or a fixed fee?
- Does the money go straight to my PromptPay or bank account?
- Can I change dishes, prices and sold-out items myself, instantly?
- Does it work in the languages my guests speak?
- Who owns the customer and order data?
- What happens if the internet drops during service?