BANGKOK, June 18 (Reuters) - The central banks of Thailand and Malaysia launched on Friday a cross-border QR (Quick Response) payment linkage to enable consumers and merchants in both countries to make and receive instant cross-border QR code payments. The move is the first phase in linking the real-time retail payment systems of Malaysia"s RPP/DuitNow and Thailand"s PromptPay, they said in a statement. (https://bit.ly/3gAlG4k) Users in Thailand are now able to use mobile payment applications to scan DuitNow QR codes to make payments to merchants in Malaysia. Under phase two, expected in the fourth quarter of 2021, users in Malaysia will be able to do the same with Thailand. The final phase will enable both countries to make real-time fund transfers and is due to be in place in the fourth quarter of 2022, the statement said.