The Southeast Asian travel agency, Smiling Albino, announced they would begin accepting bitcoin for payment on August 1. The company is based out of Bangkok, Thailand. They work with clients to provide specialized and tailored traveling throughout Southeast Asia. They will accept bitcoin transactions for organizing customized travels in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar. The destination management company has been providing these luxury travel services for about 15 years.
Smiling Albino’s Clientele and Its Reason for Accepting Bitcoin
The company mentioned the reason why they started accepting bitcoin in a press release. They say they have a sophisticated and tech savvy clientele and that their clients are the movers and shakers of their industries, so they need payment methods that match their station in life.
Smiling Albino’s Director of Business Development Stephanie Rowe summed up this position. She said, “Our core clients are leaders in their fields and innovators. By adapting early to cryptocurrency we hope to facilitate, for some of our clients, easy payments for on-the-fly bookings or add-ons during their trips. Staying ahead in financial transactions is just one of the many ways we show we’re leading the way in luxury travel”.
Overall, Smiling Albino suggested they are accepting bitcoin because it is a more efficient way to book travels. Their customers are paying overseas and this reduces unseen costs and unnecessary overhead for their clients.
More Companies Start Accepting Bitcoin
Since Japan accepted bitcoin as a national currency, many companies have joined in on the bitcoin mania. It is no surprise that many of these companies hail from Asia and other eastern parts of the globe.
For instance, in order to wet the appetite of bitcoin users, Smiling Albino Destination Management Company Accepts Bitcoin for Luxury Travels in Southeast AsiaJapanese bitcoin exchange Bitpoint recently partnered with Nippon Pay to bring bitcoin as a reliable payment method to many users. Nippon Pay is a multi-payment platform that specializes in expediting mobile payments. They leverage Wechat Pay, Alipay, and Unionpay as part of their service. This greatly expands the influence of bitcoin across Japan and other parts of Asia. Payment additions for South Korea, Thailand, and Taiwan are also being implemented.
Images via Shutterstock and smilingalbino.com