How to buy Bitcoin in Thailand: licensed exchanges, PromptPay and a five-year tax break

When Thais search "ซื้อบิทคอยน์" (buy Bitcoin), the same three questions come up: Bitkub or Binance TH? Why won't Bybit load? Do I owe tax when I sell? Thailand's answer to all three is unusually consistent: use a platform licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission, Thailand (SEC). Licensed platforms take PromptPay and Thai bank transfers, sit under local supervision — and from 2025 to 2029, gains from selling on them are exempt from personal income tax.

01Thailand crypto at a glance

Thailand is one of Asia's busiest crypto markets. In Chainalysis's 2026 Global Crypto Adoption Index, published in September 2026, it ranked 8th in the world (17th in 2025). Activity and accounts are different things, though: SEC data cited by industry trackers show about 3.13 million registered accounts in July 2026, but only around 121,000 actively trading.

02SEC licences and the licensed exchanges

Thailand regulates crypto under the 2018 Emergency Decree on Digital Asset Businesses: the SEC assesses applicants and the Ministry of Finance grants licences on its recommendation. As of 1 October 2026, the SEC's licence-check page lists seven digital asset exchanges:

Source: Thai SEC licence check, 1 Oct 2026. KuCoin Thailand (formerly ERX) did not appear on the exchange list that day; check its licence status separately.

Beyond exchanges, the SEC licenses 14 brokers (including INVX, Coins TH, Bitazza, Kulap and Maxbit) and 4 dealers (including XSpring Digital and Coins TH). Brokers may not run their own order book, but they are legal channels too, and gains from selling through them also qualify for the tax exemption. The SEC's "Check First" app lets you look up any platform's licence on the spot.

03Why Bybit, OKX and others are blocked

The Emergency Decree on Technology Crime (No. 2), in force from 13 April 2025, lets the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society block unlicensed services. From 28 June 2025, the SEC blocked Bybit, OKX, CoinEx, XT.COM and 1000X and filed complaints with the Economic Crime Suppression Division.

The scope of enforcement is what stands out. On 27 March 2025 the SEC filed a criminal complaint not only against OKX's operator but also against nine individuals who promoted OKX on YouTube, Facebook, Discord and similar channels, for assisting an unlicensed exchange. On 20 February 2026 it filed a complaint against licensed broker Bitazza and its offshore arm for allegedly running an unlicensed exchange together; Bitazza Global has been blocked since 22 March 2026.

04Best crypto exchanges in Thailand, with fees

Base fees on Thai licensed exchanges sit around 0.25%, higher than the roughly 0.10% at global giants — but you get direct baht deposits, local supervision and the tax exemption in return. The ranking weighs licence, cost, THB deposits and withdrawals, coin choice and app experience; scores are editorial opinions.

1. Editor’s pick · best local exchange

   BitkubBitkub Online · Thailand’s largest

   Thailand’s biggest exchange and one of the first four to be licensed by the SEC in January 2019, with a reported 77% market share in December 2023 and more than 5 million users and downloads. Maker and taker fees are both 0.25%, THB deposits are free, withdrawals start at THB 20, and there are about 160+ coins plus auto-DCA from THB 10. The weak spot is reliability: outages earned it a THB 3.9 million SEC fine in December 2021.

   • Maker/taker 0.25%
   • THB withdrawal from THB 20
   • About 160+ coins
   • DCA from THB 10
   8.7/10

   Official site ↗
2. Binance THGulf Binance · exchange + broker licence

   A joint venture between Binance and Gulf Innova, launched in early 2024 and licensed by the Thai SEC as an exchange and broker. Its official FAQ describes single-use QR deposits of THB 100 to 4 million per transaction, free deposits and a THB 20 withdrawal fee (under 4 million). THB pairs cost about 0.25%, crypto-to-crypto pairs 0.10%, and the coin list is longer than Bitkub’s. Daily maintenance runs 23:30–02:00.

   • THB pairs about 0.25%
   • Crypto pairs 0.10%
   • Free QR deposits
   • Nightly maintenance
   8.6/10

   Official site ↗ Read →
3. Orbix TradeFormerly Satang Pro · KBank group

   Renamed after KBank’s Unita Capital paid THB 3.705 billion for 97% of Satang. It has a major bank behind it, three ISO certifications and its own custodian. The trading fee is 0.25%, THB deposits and withdrawals are reportedly free, and it lists 50+ coins — a good fit if a bank-group parent matters to you.

   • Trading fee 0.25%
   • THB in/out reportedly free
   • Bank-group backing
   • About 50+ coins
   8.1/10

   Official site ↗
4. Upbit ThailandAffiliate of Korea’s Upbit

   The Thai affiliate of Korea’s Upbit (Dunamu), live since January 2021 with SEC exchange and broker licences. A 2025 report counted about 167 assets; THB arrives by bank transfer. We could not verify its fees on the official site; they are reported at about 0.25%.

   • SEC-licensed
   • About 167 assets
   • Fees unverified
   7.6/10

   Official site ↗
5. INVXInnovestX Securities · SCBX group

   The securities app from Siam Commercial Bank’s SCBX group, licensed by the SEC as a digital asset broker. Stocks and crypto live in one app, which suits investors already inside the SCB ecosystem. Check fees and coin list on the official site.

   • SEC broker licence
   • Stocks + crypto in one app
   • Fees unverified
   7.2/10

   Official site ↗
6. International card option · not Thai SEC-licensed

   CEX.IOFounded 2013 · international platform

   A long-running international exchange where you can buy crypto with Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay or Google Pay. For Thai residents we have to be plain: it is not licensed by the Thai SEC; Thai customers are served by its international entity, CEX OVRS LLC (Nevis); gains made there do not qualify for the 2025–2029 tax exemption; and it does not support PromptPay or baht. Residents should start with the licensed platforms above.

   • Card 0.49–4.99% + service charge
   • Spot 0.15% / 0.25%
   • No PromptPay
   • No Thai tax exemption
   6.6/10

   Open account→ Read →

05How to buy Bitcoin with PromptPay, step by step

1. Pick a platform from the SEC list

   Choose a licensed platform such as Bitkub, Binance TH, Orbix Trade or Upbit Thailand, and confirm its licence in the “Check First” app.

2. Sign up and verify

   Thai residents use their national ID card; foreign residents usually need a passport plus documents such as a work permit. Requirements vary by platform.

3. Link a Thai bank account in your name

   KBank, SCB, Bangkok Bank, Krungthai, Krungsri and other major banks work. The account name must match your exchange account.

4. Deposit baht by PromptPay QR

   Binance TH uses a single-use QR for THB 100 to 4 million per transaction; Bitkub and others accept bank transfer or QR. Deposits are usually free.

5. Buy, then decide where to keep it

   Place a limit or market order. Move long-term holdings to your own wallet if you like — but remember that gains from selling via a wallet or P2P do not qualify for the exemption.

Thailand's licensed exchanges rarely take card payments; baht comes in over bank rails. If you need to buy with a card, international platforms are an option, but they are not SEC-supervised and gains there do not qualify for the exemption. Compare rails in crypto payment methods, and see the details in buying crypto by bank transfer.

06The 2025–2029 tax exemption: licensed platforms only

On 5 September 2025, Thailand published Ministerial Regulation No. 399 in the Royal Gazette. For income from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2029, individuals' capital gains from selling crypto and digital tokens through SEC-licensed exchanges, brokers or dealers are exempt from personal income tax.

The key word is "licensed". Sales on foreign or unlicensed platforms, on DeFi and decentralised exchanges, via P2P or wallet-to-wallet, plus staking, lending, mining, airdrops and derivatives, are not covered and are taxed as ordinary income at progressive rates of up to 35%.

One more trap: since 2024 the Revenue Department's remittance rule means foreign-sourced income brought into Thailand by tax residents can be taxable, and the exemption does not override it. If you have gains on an international platform, check with a tax adviser. For a regional comparison, see crypto tax in Asia.

07Stablecoins, the payments ban and the tourist sandbox

Stablecoins: since 16 March 2025, the SEC has approved USDT and USDC as base trading pairs on licensed platforms and for ICO and token investment. For how to buy them and pick a network, see our USDT guide.

The payments ban: since 1 April 2022, licensed operators may not facilitate crypto as a means of payment. So in Thailand you can legally buy and sell Bitcoin, but you cannot use a licensed platform to pay for coffee with it.

TouristDigiPay: the one exception is an official sandbox for foreign visitors, running for 18 months from Q4 2025. Tourists convert crypto to baht through licensed operators into an e-wallet, then pay Thai merchants by QR — the merchant receives baht. The cap is THB 500,000 a month, or THB 50,000 at small merchants, with oversight from the Ministry of Finance, the SEC, AMLO, the Bank of Thailand and the Ministry of Tourism.

08Wallets and staying safe

Bitkub and Binance TH both have custodial wallets in their apps, fine for small working balances. Bitkub also runs the Bitkub Next wallet and Bitkub Chain for the KUB ecosystem. For long-term holdings, consider MetaMask, Trust Wallet or a hardware wallet such as Ledger — see best crypto wallets and hardware wallets.

Scams in Thailand lean on call-centre fraud, romance "pig-butchering" schemes and fake trading mentors. Anyone who asks you to move money to a platform that is not on the SEC list, or to share your seed phrase, is a scammer. Banks are also cracking down on mule accounts, so accepting unexplained P2P payments can get your account frozen — see our P2P guide.

Comparing the region? Read our guides to Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.

FAQ

Sources

• Thai SEC — digital asset business licence check · checked 1 Oct 2026
• Securities and Exchange Commission, Thailand · checked Oct 2026
• Binance TH — deposit and withdrawal FAQ · checked 1 Oct 2026
• Chainalysis — 2026 Global Crypto Adoption Index · 23 Sep 2026
• CEX.IO — countries and territories not currently supported · checked 1 Oct 2026

Keep reading