Regulatory AlertsThailand: fintech & payments regulation
RegulatedSEC Thailand regulates digital assets; Bank of Thailand governs payments
- Lead regulator
- Securities and Exchange Commission Thailand (SEC)
- Also involved
- Bank of Thailand (payments/banking) · Ministry of Finance (policy)
- Core law
- Emergency Decree on Digital Asset Businesses B.E. 2561 (2018)
- Entry capital
- —
- Approval timeline
- —
- Customer assets
- —
- Data protection
- PDPA 2019 · PDPC
- Sandbox
- —
Thailand maintains a bifurcated regulatory framework. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) oversees digital asset businesses, including exchanges and custodians, under the 2018 Emergency Decree. Traditional payment services, money transmission, and banking interfaces are regulated by the Bank of Thailand (BOT) and the Ministry of Finance. The regulatory stance is active, with recent amendments extending extraterritorial jurisdiction to foreign digital asset operators targeting Thai residents.
Which licence do you need?
| Your activity | Requirement | Capital | Timeline | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payment processing / gateway | Uncertainverify with regulator Payments regulated by BOT; docs focus on digital assets | — | — | — |
| E-money & wallet issuance | Uncertainverify with regulator E-money falls under BOT; docs focus on digital assets | — | — | — |
| Domestic money transfer | Uncertainverify with regulator Domestic transfers regulated by BOT; docs focus on digital assets | — | — | — |
| Cross-border remittance | Uncertainverify with regulator Cross-border remittance regulated by BOT; docs focus on digital assets | — | — | — |
| Agent network | Uncertainverify with regulator Agent networks for payments regulated by BOT; docs focus on digital assets | — | — | — |
| Open banking / account information | Uncertainverify with regulator Open banking framework under BOT; docs focus on digital assets | — | — | — |
| Foreign-exchange services | Uncertainverify with regulator FX regulated by BOT; docs focus on digital assets | — | — | — |
New — what changed recently
- 2025-01-01Emergency Decree on Digital Asset Businesses (No. 2) B.E. 2568 — Extends SEC licensing requirements to foreign digital asset operators targeting Thai residents.[1]
Market-entry checklist
- 1Determine regulatory scopeConfirm if the business model involves digital assets (SEC) or fiat payments (BOT).
- 2Apply for SEC licenseSubmit application to SEC if operating as a digital asset exchange or custodian.
- 3Comply with AML/CFTImplement strict anti-money laundering protocols as mandated by the Emergency Decree.
- 4File prospectus for offeringsObtain SEC approval and file a prospectus for any public digital token offerings.