Emergency Decree on Digital Asset Businesses

พระราชกำหนดการประกอบธุรกิจสินทรัพย์ดิจิทัล พ.ศ. 2561

Enacted by royal decree on the Cabinet's advice; administered by the Ministry of Finance and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

Defines cryptocurrency, digital token and digital asset, and requires a licence from the Minister of Finance on the SEC's recommendation to run a digital asset exchange, broker or dealer (Section 26). Running such a business without a licence carries 2 to 5 years' imprisonment and a fine of 200,000 to 500,000 baht, plus up to 10,000 baht a day while it continues (Section 66). Directors responsible for an offence by a company are liable in the same way (Section 94). The decree comes into force the day after its publication in the Government Gazette.[104][86]

For a foreigner: Buying, holding and selling crypto through a licensed Thai operator is lawful for anyone the operator accepts. Buying or selling crypto for other people as a regular business, including informal peer-to-peer dealing, falls under the dealer licence.

Bank of Thailand stablecoin policy

นโยบายของ ธปท. เรื่องสเตเบิลคอยน์

Bank of Thailand

A stablecoin pegged to the baht and meant for payments may count as electronic money under the Payment Systems Act 2017, and anyone planning such a service must consult the BOT first. For stablecoins backed by foreign currency or other assets, and algorithmic stablecoins, the BOT invited comment before setting rules.[105][106]

For a foreigner: The SEC's base-pair list as of March 2025 names Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Stellar, USDT, USDC, and cryptocurrencies used to test settlement in the BOT Programmable Payment Sandbox.

Bank of Thailand position on crypto payments

จุดยืนของ ธปท. เรื่องการชำระเงินด้วยคริปโต

Bank of Thailand (BOT)

The BOT states that digital assets are not legal tender and that paying for goods in crypto is barter between buyer and seller, who accept the risks between them. The BOT does not support digital assets as a means of payment and said it would act with the SEC if such use spread. In 2025 the TouristDigiPay sandbox kept the same line: merchants receive baht, never crypto.[107][59]

For a foreigner: Crypto is not money in Thai law. A shop or landlord that accepts it does so outside BOT-regulated payment systems.

Ban on licensed operators facilitating crypto payments

ข้อห้ามผู้ประกอบธุรกิจที่ได้รับอนุญาตสนับสนุนการชำระเงินด้วยคริปโต

SEC and Capital Market Supervisory Board, after joint review with the Bank of Thailand and Ministry of Finance

Licensed digital asset operators of every type may not support or promote the use of digital assets to pay for goods and services: no advertising or offering payment services to shops, no payment systems or tools, and no wallets opened for that purpose. An operator that finds a client using a trading account for payments must warn the client and can suspend or end the service. The rules took effect on 1 April 2022, with 30 days for existing services to comply.[108][109]

For a foreigner: Paying a Thai shop directly in crypto sits outside the licensed system; Thai platforms can close accounts used this way. The BOT describes such payments as barter between the two parties, who carry the risk.

Technology Crime Emergency Decree and mule-account offences

พระราชกำหนดมาตรการป้องกันและปราบปรามอาชญากรรมทางเทคโนโลยี พ.ศ. 2566

Enacted by royal decree on 9 March 2023; published in the Royal Gazette on 16 March 2023

Lets banks and payment providers share account data and hold suspicious transactions linked to online fraud. Section 9: opening, or letting someone else use, a deposit account, electronic card or e-money account knowing, or when one ought to know, it will be used for technology crime or another offence carries up to 3 years' imprisonment, a fine up to 300,000 baht, or both. Section 10: arranging, advertising or brokering the sale, rent or loan of such accounts carries 2 to 5 years, a fine of 200,000 to 500,000 baht, or both. The decree took effect the day after publication.[91]

For a foreigner: Letting another person use one's Thai bank account is an offence when the owner knows, or ought to know, it will be used for crime; the offence does not require the owner to receive any of the money. Frequent transfers from unrelated people, as in peer-to-peer crypto sales, fit the patterns banks screen for as mule activity.

USDT and USDC added to the SEC cryptocurrencies list

ประกาศสำนักงานคณะกรรมการ ก.ล.ต. ที่ สจ. 9/2568

Office of the SEC (Notification Sor Jor. 9/2568)

From 16 March 2025, Tether (USDT) and USD Coin (USDC) join the list of cryptocurrencies that licensed exchanges may use as base trading pairs and that ICO portals and issuers may accept. The list before this held five entries: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Stellar, and cryptocurrencies used to test settlement in the BOT Programmable Payment Sandbox.[106]

For a foreigner: Licensed Thai exchanges can list trading pairs against USDT and USDC as well as against baht. The September 2026 stablecoin proposals would restrict stablecoin transfers in and out of Thai exchange accounts.

Liability for promoting an unlicensed platform

ความรับผิดจากการโปรโมตแพลตฟอร์มที่ไม่ได้รับอนุญาต

SEC, applying Section 66 of the Digital Asset Decree with Section 86 of the Criminal Code

The SEC treats publicising an unlicensed platform to people in Thailand as assisting or facilitating an unlicensed business, charged under Section 66 of the Digital Asset Decree with Section 86 of the Criminal Code (supporters). In March 2025 it filed complaints against OKX's operator and nine Thai content creators who promoted OKX through Facebook, YouTube, Discord, Telegram and LINE groups. In September 2026 it named Tools for Humanity Corporation and its chief executive as supporters of the UNO app for helping publicise it. Company executives answer under Section 94.[110][15]

For a foreigner: Promoting an unlicensed platform to people in Thailand through social media pages, video channels and chat groups has led to criminal complaints against the promoters: nine creators in the OKX case, and Tools for Humanity Corporation and its chief executive, Alex Blania, in the UNO case.

Digital Asset Decree amendment on foreign operators

พระราชกำหนดการประกอบธุรกิจสินทรัพย์ดิจิทัล (ฉบับที่ 2) พ.ศ. 2568

Enacted by royal decree on 11 April 2025, countersigned by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra; administered by the SEC

Extends the licence requirement to operators based outside Thailand that serve people in Thailand (Section 26, third paragraph). New Section 26/1 deems a foreign operator to serve Thailand if any one of seven traits applies: a Thai-language interface in whole or part; a .th or .ไทย domain or a name signifying Thailand; baht payments or payments through Thai bank or e-money accounts; Thai governing law or Thai courts in its terms; paid search placement aimed at users in Thailand; an office, entity or staff supporting Thai users; or any trait the SEC adds by notification. The SEC dates its effect to 13 April 2025; DFDL describes it as effective on publication (12 April 2025).[111][92][112]

For a foreigner: A foreign exchange that offers Thai language or baht deposits to people in Thailand is operating without a licence and can be blocked. Section 66 penalties fall on the operator, and the SEC charges people who help it under the Criminal Code; its notices tell users of blocked platforms to move their assets out before the block and warn that they have no protection under Thai law.

Technology Crime Decree amendment covering crypto accounts

พระราชกำหนดมาตรการป้องกันและปราบปรามอาชญากรรมทางเทคโนโลยี (ฉบับที่ 2) พ.ศ. 2568

Enacted by royal decree; Cabinet approved on 8 April 2025

Brings licensed digital asset operators into the same duties as banks: share information, screen and suspend accounts or transactions linked to online crime, and refund victims through the same mechanism. A blacklist of people and wallet addresses tied to crime is kept, and operators may not transact with it. Banks, telecom operators, social media platforms and digital asset operators share liability for victims' losses when they fail their regulator's anti-fraud standards. Opening or lending a crypto account as a mule carries up to 3 years, 300,000 baht, or both. The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES) can block websites and apps of unlicensed digital asset operators.[88][92][93][113]

For a foreigner: A Thai exchange account can be frozen on a blacklist match or a police or AMLO notice, as bank accounts are. The SEC reported more than 29,000 crypto mule accounts blocked and about 186 million baht of assets frozen by 30 June 2025.

Advertising rules for licensed crypto operators

ประกาศสำนักงานคณะกรรมการ ก.ล.ต. ที่ สธ. 10/2568

Office of the SEC (Notification Sor Thor. 10/2568 and Guidelines Nor Por. 2/2568)

Licensed operators' advertising and sales promotion must carry a single standard risk warning covering crypto and digital tokens, sized to the ad format; the requirement to show the warning for the whole advertising period was dropped. The guidelines also cover introducing broker agents and promotion on social media. The SEC, BOT, Office of Insurance Commission and Stock Exchange run voluntary finfluencer programmes: Responsible Voices for Finfluencer from May 2025 and Money Story for Influencer from June 2026, for creators with more than 50,000 followers.[114][115]

For a foreigner: Ads from licensed Thai exchanges carry the SEC warning; promotion without it, or for an unlicensed platform, is a sign the source sits outside the licensed system.

Blocking of unlicensed crypto platforms

การปิดกั้นแพลตฟอร์มคริปโตที่ไม่ได้รับอนุญาต

SEC refers platforms; MDES blocks access under the amended Technology Crime Decree

The SEC files a criminal complaint with the Economic Crime Suppression Division and sends the platform to MDES, which blocks access from Thailand on a set date, usually about 30 days after notice. Blocks so far: Bybit, 1000X, CoinEx, OKX and XT.COM on 28 June 2025; Bitazza Global on 22 March 2026; Exmix on 2 May 2026; the Holdstation and UNO apps from 1 October 2026. Licensed Thai operators may not place client assets with a platform under SEC criminal complaint.[116][117][118][15][119]

For a foreigner: The SEC describes the block as cutting access channels to the platform from Thailand. Each SEC notice advises users to withdraw or move assets before the block date.

Government Token (G-Token) rules

หลักเกณฑ์โทเคนดิจิทัลของรัฐบาล (G-Token)

SEC, following a Cabinet resolution of 13 May 2025 approving Ministry of Finance issuance

A G-Token is a digital token issued by the Ministry of Finance as borrowing under the Public Debt Management Act 2005, paying principal and a return set by the ministry. G-Tokens are exempt from offering approval, prospectus filing and the ICO-portal requirement; licensed exchanges and dealers may offer them without a broker licence, and securities companies may offer them without a digital asset licence. The rules took effect on 21 July 2025.[120]

For a foreigner: Whether and when a G-Token was issued, and whether foreign residents may buy it, is not stated in the SEC release.

Anti-fraud standards and shared liability for crypto operators

ประกาศสำนักงานคณะกรรมการ ก.ล.ต. ที่ สธ. 22/2568

Office of the SEC (Notification Sor Thor. 22/2568), under the amended Technology Crime Decree

Sets cybercrime-prevention standards for licensed digital asset operators; an operator that fails them shares liability for a client's losses. The rules took effect on 13 August 2025 and sit alongside an industry mule-account standard the SEC and the Thai Digital Asset Operators Trade Association (TDO) adopted on 12 March 2025. Operators receive lists of suspected mule accounts from the authorities and screen clients against them.[93]

For a foreigner: Expect extra checks, holds or questions on a Thai exchange account when deposits come from third parties or the pattern matches mule activity.

TouristDigiPay crypto-to-baht sandbox

โครงการ TouristDigiPay

SEC with the Ministry of Finance, AMLO and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports; e-money side supervised by the Bank of Thailand

A regulatory sandbox in which SEC-licensed exchanges, brokers and dealers, each paired with a BOT-licensed e-money provider, let foreign visitors sell crypto for baht into a visitor e-wallet and pay merchants by Thai QR code. The SEC secretary-general put spending caps at 50,000 baht a month at small merchants and 500,000 baht a month at merchants that pass know-your-merchant checks, 550,000 baht in total; Binance TH's chief executive described the limit in November 2025 as up to 500,000 baht per person per month. Cash withdrawal is blocked while the wallet is active, and unspent baht converts back to crypto only up to the amount originally converted. The supporting rules took effect on 24 September 2025; operators could apply from 25 September to 26 December 2025, and each approved operator gets 18 months of testing.[59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66]

For a foreigner: The SEC's launch release limits the service to foreign visitors staying in Thailand temporarily, so residents fall outside it. No SEC English news release from September 2025 to September 2026 names an approved operator or a launch date; Bangkok Post reported in November 2025 that the SEC expected readiness by year end, and on 30 July 2026 the SEC listed a site at touristdigipay.net, using the scheme's name, as unlicensed.

Peer-to-peer trading and the dealer licence

การซื้อขายแบบบุคคลต่อบุคคล (P2P) กับใบอนุญาตผู้ค้าสินทรัพย์ดิจิทัล

SEC, applying the 2018 Digital Asset Decree and the 2025 amendments

No Thai law bans an individual from selling their own crypto to another person. The SEC warns that trading or exchanging crypto for others, or acting as a broker, dealer or agent, in the ordinary course of business without a licence is punishable under Section 66 (2 to 5 years and 200,000 to 500,000 baht). On 24 October 2025 the SEC and the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau raided a Worldcoin (WLD) exchange service at an iris-scanning site and arrested suspects; in January 2026 the SEC filed complaints against five individuals who traded Worldcoin (WLD) for the public through Thai-language social media. The SEC also treats foreign P2P platforms that meet the Section 26/1 traits as unlicensed exchanges.[86][87][88][89]

For a foreigner: An occasional private sale of one's own coins differs from running a buy-and-sell service; no volume threshold appears in the SEC releases read. Baht received from P2P buyers can come from scam victims, which exposes the seller's bank account to freezing under the mule-account rules.

Crypto as an underlying asset for derivatives

ประกาศคณะกรรมการ ก.ล.ต. ที่ กธ. 2/2569

SEC (Notification Kor Thor. 2/2569 under the Derivatives Act 2003)

Cryptocurrencies and digital tokens are designated as underlying assets under the Derivatives Act from a notification dated 5 March 2026. The SEC is working with the Thailand Futures Exchange (TFEX) on contract specifications, consulted until 20 May 2026 on letting crypto operators hold derivatives licences in the same company, and has comment open until 30 September 2026 on letting brokers offer overseas crypto derivatives traded on regulated exchanges with central clearing.[121][122]

For a foreigner: Crypto futures on offshore platforms that are not licensed in Thailand remain outside the licensed system; the licensed route is still being built.

Travel Rule for digital asset transfers

ประกาศสำนักงานคณะกรรมการ ก.ล.ต. ที่ สธ. 9/2569

Office of the SEC (Notification Sor Thor. 9/2026, dated 25 August 2026), coordinated with the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO)

Licensed operators must collect originator and beneficiary details for every crypto transfer, send them with the transfer to the receiving provider, check the counterparty provider, and verify that the customer owns or controls any self-hosted wallet they send to or receive from. Records are kept for at least five years. The rule takes effect on 27 February 2027.[14]

For a foreigner: Withdrawals from a Thai exchange to a personal wallet, and deposits from one, need proof that the wallet belongs to the account holder from 27 February 2027. Transfers to foreign exchanges carry the sender's identity data.

Thai-listed crypto ETFs

กองทุน ETF คริปโตที่จดทะเบียนในไทย

SEC (SEC Board December 2025; Capital Market Supervisory Board February 2026)

Draft rules let asset management companies launch passive spot crypto ETFs listed only on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Bitcoin and Ethereum are the eligible assets at first; a fund must hold on average at least 80% of net asset value in its single crypto asset over each accounting year; custody sits mainly with SEC-licensed custodians, with qualified foreign custodians allowed when needed. Buyers must confirm they understand the risks. Products linked to foreign crypto ETFs will not be allowed in the first phase. Comment on the drafts opened on 24 August 2026.[123][124]

For a foreigner: Once launched, a crypto ETF trades through an ordinary Thai securities account, which has its own account-opening rules for foreigners.

Draft Act amending the Digital Asset Decree

ร่างพระราชบัญญัติแก้ไขเพิ่มเติมพระราชกำหนดการประกอบธุรกิจสินทรัพย์ดิจิทัล พ.ศ. 2561 พ.ศ. ....

Drafted by the SEC, reviewed by the Office of the Council of State, approved by the Cabinet

The Cabinet approved four draft capital market laws on 25 August 2026, one of them an Act amending the 2018 Digital Asset Decree. The SEC summary lists six areas across the four drafts, including support for electronic processes in the capital market, a role for SEC officials as joint investigators in high-impact cases, and administrative (Pinai) fines. The drafts go to Parliament next and take effect only after publication in the Royal Gazette.[125]

For a foreigner: Nothing changes for users until Parliament passes the Act. The published summary does not describe changes to who may open an account on a Thai exchange.

Stablecoin transfer limits and own-wallet rule

เพดานการโอนสเตเบิลคอยน์และเกณฑ์โอนเฉพาะกระเป๋าของตนเอง

SEC Board (principles approved September 2026), with the Bank of Thailand

Proposed rules for stablecoins moving through licensed operators: a customer may receive stablecoins only from, and send them only to, an account or wallet verified as the customer's own; transfers to or from anyone else's wallet are banned. Inbound and outbound transfers are each capped at 5 million baht per person per day per operator, with exceptions for transfers between SEC-licensed operators that both apply the Travel Rule, for businesses the BOT approves case by case, and for stablecoin/baht market makers. Off-platform (OTC) deals by brokers and dealers must be at least 3 million baht with prices published, and brokers may not use liquidity providers for stablecoin/baht pairs. Public comment closes 25 September 2026; the SEC and BOT said in August 2026 that rules are expected within 2026.[100][11][101]

For a foreigner: If adopted, sending USDT from a friend's wallet or an unverified wallet into a Thai exchange account is blocked, and daily stablecoin moves above 5 million baht per exchange need an exception. The SEC names USDT volume and circumvention of international money-transfer rules as the reasons.

Net capital and local custody rules for crypto operators

เกณฑ์เงินกองทุนสภาพคล่องสุทธิและการรับฝากในประเทศของผู้ประกอบธุรกิจคริปโต

SEC

Draft notifications add counterparty, settlement and fund-management risk to operators' net capital, let Thai brokers route orders and custody through Thai exchanges, move custody risk charges to tiers, and require a separate wallet for each customer's assets held by custodians. The stated aim is less reliance on foreign service providers. Comment closes on 11 October 2026.[126][11]

For a foreigner: Brokers that pass orders to overseas source exchanges face tighter rules; the September 2026 stablecoin proposals also require source exchanges and liquidity providers to be regulated somewhere.

Q Wallet USDC-to-baht pilot

โครงการนำร่อง Q Wallet แลก USDC เป็นเงินบาท

Kasikornbank, in a Bank of Thailand regulatory sandbox

Bangkok Post reports that Kasikornbank's Q Wallet, a blockchain wallet tested in a BOT sandbox, let foreign visitors convert USDC into THBS, a programmable payment unit pegged to the baht, and pay by Thai QR at more than 100 participating merchants without a local bank account. The pilot was scheduled to run until 31 December 2025; an extension is not confirmed.[127]

For a foreigner: This was a visitor pilot with a fixed end date, not a service open to residents.

Crypto gains as assessable income, 15% withholding

The Emergency Decree amending the Revenue Code (No. 19) B.E. 2561 adds two income types to Section 40(4): shares of profit or similar benefits from holding digital tokens (40(4)(g)), and gains from transferring cryptocurrency or digital tokens above cost (40(4)(h)). Both carry 15% withholding under Section 50(2)(f) for resident and non-resident individuals, creditable against the annual tax. Gains go into the annual personal income tax return at the progressive rates.[84][102]

Example: Revenue Department rate table applied to 400,000 baht of net taxable income: 0% on the first 150,000; 5% on 150,001-300,000 (7,500 baht); 10% on 300,001-400,000 (10,000 baht); total 17,500 baht. Brackets run from exempt up to 150,000 baht to 35% above 4,000,000 baht. (Arithmetic applied to the RD table; the RD page gives no crypto example.)

Five-year exemption for crypto gains on licensed Thai platforms

Ministerial Regulation No. 399 (B.E. 2568), published in the Government Gazette on 5 September 2025, exempts individuals from personal income tax on gains from transferring cryptocurrency or digital tokens through an SEC-licensed digital asset exchange, broker or dealer, for transfers from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2029. Companies are excluded. The exemption turns on the sale going through a licensed Thai operator, so offshore, peer-to-peer and private sales outside licensed operators are not covered.[85][98]

Example: Illustration, not from the sources: buy 1 BTC on a licensed Thai exchange for 2,000,000 baht and sell it there in 2026 for 2,600,000 baht; the 600,000 baht gain is exempt. The same sale on an offshore exchange gets no exemption under this regulation. After 31 December 2029 the exemption ends unless extended.

Foreign income taxed when brought in, in any year

Revenue Department Order Por. 161/2566, signed 15 September 2023, reads Section 41 paragraph 2 of the Revenue Code so that a Thai tax resident who earns income from work, business or property abroad must add it to taxable income in the year it is brought into Thailand, whatever year it was earned. It applies to income brought in from 1 January 2024. Before this, income brought in after the year it was earned escaped Thai tax. Partial remittances are taxed pro rata.[81][82][83]

Example: From the RD guide: income earned from 1 January 2024 by a foreigner who stayed 180 days or more in Thailand in the year of earning is taxed when brought in, even in a later year; income earned in a year of fewer than 180 days is not. A resident who earned 1,000,000 baht abroad in 2025 and transfers 400,000 baht of it to Thailand in 2026 reports the 400,000 baht for 2026 (arithmetic on the RD rule).

Income earned before 2024 stays outside the new rule

Order Por. 162/2566, dated 20 November 2023, amends Por. 161/2566 so it does not apply to assessable income that arose before 1 January 2024. Such income can be brought into Thailand in a later year without Thai tax under the old reading.[81][82][83]

Example: Savings earned abroad in 2022 and moved to Thailand in 2026 are not taxed on arrival (RD guide, case 1). Proof of when the money was earned may be requested.

Tax residence: 180 days in a calendar year

An individual present in Thailand for 180 days or more in a calendar year, counted in total, is a Thai tax resident for that year and taxable on Thai-source income plus foreign income brought in. Non-residents pay tax only on Thai-source income. The RD's 2024 guide for foreigners says 180 days or more; the RD English personal income tax page says more than 180 days.[82][102][103]

Example: RD guide, case 2: foreign income of a foreigner who was not a Thai tax resident when it was earned is not taxed when later brought into Thailand.

Proposed exemption for foreign income brought in within two years

The Revenue Department's director-general, Pinsai Suraswadi, said in June 2025 the department was drafting a ministerial regulation to exempt foreign-sourced income brought into Thailand in the year it is earned or the following year; income brought in from the third year would be taxed normally, and the change would not be retroactive. The stated aim was repatriation of an estimated 2 trillion baht held abroad. As of July 2026 the measure had not been published in the Royal Gazette, according to Thai law firms; one attributes the stall to the dissolution of Parliament before the 8 February 2026 election.[103][156][157][81]

Example: As described by Bangkok Post (not law): income earned abroad in 2025 and brought in during 2025 or 2026 would be exempt; brought in during 2027, taxed. Under the rule in force today, the 2025 income is taxed in whichever year it arrives.

Crypto sold abroad and the proceeds brought in

No Revenue Department guidance specific to crypto sold on foreign platforms turned up in this research. Under the general rules, a gain above cost on crypto is assessable income (Section 40(4)(h)); for a Thai tax resident, gains treated as foreign-sourced become taxable when brought into Thailand under Por. 161/2566, unless earned before 1 January 2024 (Por. 162/2566). The MR 399 exemption covers only transfers through SEC-licensed Thai operators. Whether a gain on an offshore exchange is foreign-sourced, and how the gain portion of a partial transfer is measured, is not settled in the sources read.[84][81][82][85]

Example: No worked example in the sources. The RD guide says a partial remittance is taxed pro rata and that tax paid abroad can be credited under a double tax agreement, capped at the Thai tax on that income.

Credit for foreign tax under double tax agreements

A Thai tax resident who paid tax abroad on income later brought into Thailand can credit that tax against Thai tax where a double tax agreement allows it. The credit cannot exceed the Thai tax on that income. Supporting documents must be in English or Thai; the RD recommends a tax payment certificate from the foreign tax authority.[82]

Example: No numbers in the source.

OECD crypto reporting (CARF): first exchanges by 2028

Thailand is on the OECD list of jurisdictions committed to the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework, in the group undertaking first exchanges by 2028 (27 jurisdictions, including Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the UAE). Under CARF, crypto service providers report customers' transactions to their tax authority, which exchanges them with the customer's country of residence. The Thai domestic law and the first reporting year were not found in this research.[10]

Example: No numbers in the source. Under the framework, once exchanges start, a CARF-reporting platform abroad reports a Thai tax resident's crypto transactions to its own tax authority, which passes them to the Revenue Department; Thai platforms report non-residents' data the other way.

Kasikornbank: visas accepted for a savings account

Kasikornbank's savings account page lists, for foreigners: passport; a Non-Immigrant visa (all types); and documents matching the purpose of stay, such as a work permit or a school or university certificate. It states that accounts are not opened for holders of a TR visa or other visas meant for travel, naming Visa on Arrival, visa exemption and the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV).[76]

For a foreigner: At Kasikornbank a DTV, a visa exemption stamp or a visa on arrival does not qualify; a Non-Immigrant visa plus purpose documents does. The page does not list the LTR visa or Thailand Privilege separately; it links a separate 'Long Term Resident Solution' page.

Siam Commercial Bank: passport and work permit

SCB's deposit FAQ lists the documents for a savings account as an ID card, with foreigners using a passport and work permit, or a government or state-enterprise employee card.[77]

For a foreigner: SCB's published rule names a work permit; the FAQ does not describe alternatives for retirees or other visa holders.

Bangkok Bank: in person, documents set by the branch

Bangkok Bank's foreign customer FAQ says an account must be opened in person at a branch in Thailand and cannot be opened from abroad; Non-Resident Baht Accounts are opened at the head office, 333 Silom Road. Its savings account page gives no document list for foreigners and refers them to a branch.[78][79]

For a foreigner: Requirements vary by branch at Bangkok Bank; the bank publishes none for foreigners.

Bank practice for foreigners varies by bank and branch

No Bank of Thailand rule lists which visas a bank must accept; each bank sets requirements under its own anti-money-laundering and know-your-customer policy. Published policies differ: Kasikornbank accepts any Non-Immigrant visa with purpose documents and excludes short-stay visas and the DTV; SCB names a work permit; Bangkok Bank leaves it to the branch. The BOT's September 2026 framework commits banks to stronger KYC, CDD and enhanced due diligence for high-risk customers.[76][77][79][158]

For a foreigner: Practice on the ground at branches, including for retirement, LTR and Privilege visa holders, is not published by most banks and was not verified here.

Mule accounts handled at the person level, cross-bank

The BOT raised mule-account management from the account to the individual: from 1 August 2024 all commercial banks share suspect data through the Central Fraud Registry (CFR). When a person is flagged, banks suspend electronic channels on all that person's accounts until verification and can refuse new accounts. Where a bank sees suspicious behaviour without a complaint, it suspends electronic transactions at minimum. Holders of accounts named in police reports or by AMLO must contact the Anti-Online Scam Operation Center on 1441.[99]

For a foreigner: One flagged account can freeze app and online access at every Thai bank the person uses, and block opening a new one.

Wider mule-account screening from January 2025

Banks must suspend outgoing transfers and refuse new accounts for people whose accounts carry a high risk of mule use even before any victim reports a loss; block money coming into clearly identified mule accounts; and warn senders who may be paying a mule account. Detection criteria now include transfer patterns and amounts, and banks share lists of people showing suspicious behaviour, not only those in AMLO or fraud reports.[90]

For a foreigner: Frequent incoming transfers from unrelated people, as in peer-to-peer crypto selling, fit the transfer patterns banks screen for, and an account can be restricted without a police complaint.

Mobile banking limits and face scans

BOT minimum standards: banks may not send links by SMS or email; one mobile banking user per app and one device; notification of every transaction; a facial biometric check for opening an account through an app, for transfers above 50,000 baht per transaction, and for raising the daily transfer limit above 50,000 baht. Banks must detect and temporarily hold suspicious transactions in near real time and run a 24-hour fraud hotline.[80]

For a foreigner: Large app transfers and limit changes need a face scan matched to the ID on file, typically the passport for foreigners.

Penalties for lending, renting or selling an account

Opening or letting someone use a bank, e-money or crypto account for crime: up to 3 years, up to 300,000 baht, or both. Arranging or advertising the purchase, sale, rent or loan of accounts: 2 to 5 years, 200,000 to 500,000 baht, or both. Crypto accounts were added by the April 2025 amendment.[91][92][93]

For a foreigner: The offences apply to anyone in Thailand, foreign nationals included.

Financial-sector framework against illicit activity

The BOT and 11 industry bodies, including the Thai Bankers' Association, foreign bank and e-payment associations and non-bank lenders, adopted a framework to tighten KYC, CDD and enhanced due diligence, scrutinise high-risk cash transactions, build a database of high-risk individuals linked to the Central Fraud Registry, and issue industry anti-money-laundering guidelines.[158]

For a foreigner: Account opening and reviews for customers treated as higher risk are set to get stricter across banks and e-money providers.

Thai exchanges: baht in and out through the customer's own Thai bank account

Binance TH's FAQ describes baht deposits by Thai QR code or bank transfer from a registered Thai bank account, with a bank-book copy and ID required for large transfers. SEC measures announced in April 2026 require name matching on deposits and withdrawals at securities companies, and the September 2026 stablecoin proposal limits crypto transfers to the customer's own verified wallets.[94][95][11][63]

For a foreigner: The Binance TH FAQ describes no baht route other than a Thai bank account; other exchanges were not checked. The TouristDigiPay e-wallet, where offered, is limited to short-stay visitors.

Exchange KYC for foreigners: Binance TH's visa list

Binance TH asks foreign applicants for a passport, a second photo ID (Thai or home-country ID card or driving licence) and a Thai visa, each valid for at least 3 more months, plus documents for the declared purpose: work permit or employer letter; company papers; school letter; medical certificate; property documents; Thai securities statement; residence proof for retirement (O-A, O-X or retirement stamp); Thailand Elite/Privilege card; Thai spouse or child documents; or an LTR visa with an embassy certificate and residence proof. Review takes 3 to 5 days.[96][97]

For a foreigner: The DTV and visa exemption stamps do not appear in the accepted list. Myanmar nationals cannot complete KYC from 13 July 2026.

Visitor e-wallets without a bank account

Kasikornbank's TAGTHAi Easy Pay is an e-wallet for foreign visitors opened with a passport at a KBank exchange booth and topped up only by exchanging foreign currency there. It pays Thai QR merchants up to the wallet balance, caps personal QR payments at 1,700 baht per transaction and 50,000 baht a month, and allows ATM withdrawals of up to 10,000 baht per transaction and per month as partial refunds.[159]

For a foreigner: A fiat-only option for short stays; it takes no crypto and no baht top-ups from a Thai account.

Non-resident baht accounts

Non-residents hold baht in Non-Resident Baht Accounts under BOT foreign exchange rules. In September 2023 the BOT eased supporting-document requirements for non-residents with trade and investment in Thailand and let qualified non-resident companies manage baht liquidity without the end-of-day balance limit.[160][78]

For a foreigner: Bangkok Bank opens Non-Resident Baht Accounts only at its Silom head office.

Deposit protection: 1 million baht per bank

Baht deposits are protected by the Deposit Protection Agency up to 1 million baht per depositor per financial institution from 11 August 2021.[79]

For a foreigner: Baht in a Thai bank account is covered up to the limit; crypto held on an exchange is not a bank deposit.