Thailand cryptocurrency tourism program

Key Points:* Thailand’s TouristDigiPay program empowers tourists to use cryptocurrency.

• The initiative aims to offset the decline in tourism, especially from China.
• There’s a heavy emphasis on regulatory compliance and innovation. Thailand has launched the TouristDigiPay program, allowing foreign tourists to convert cryptocurrencies into Thai baht for electronic payments, enhancing tourism recovery in a regulatory sandbox environment.

The initiative aims to counteract a 20% decline in Chinese tourists and positions Thailand as a digital leader in Southeast Asia, impacting crypto stability and tourism spending.

TouristDigiPay Program Poised to Revitalize Thai Tourism

Thailand’s TouristDigiPay program, launched on August 18, 2025, enables foreign tourists to convert cryptocurrencies into Thai baht for electronic payments. Spearheaded by the Thai SEC and Bank of Thailand, the scheme aims to boost tourism through regulated sandbox oversight and anti-money laundering checks. The effort addresses the 20% decline in Chinese tourists and limits monthly spending to up to 500,000 baht per tourist account.

This initiative signifies a shift towards leveraging digital assets to reinvigorate Thailand’s tourism sector, underlining the country’s commitment to being a digital innovation leader in Southeast Asia. The program ensures oversight through regulatory sandboxes, while emphasizing secure transaction frameworks and compliance with Thailand’s anti-money laundering standards.

Pichai Chunhavajira, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Thailand, said, “The scheme will operate within a regulatory ‘sandbox’ to ensure proper oversight and risk management, particularly to prevent the direct use of digital assets as a means of payment.”

Mixed reactions surfaced from industries and financial figures, with comments focusing on the regulatory framework’s robustness. Deputy Prime Minister Pichai Chunhavajira highlighted that the government will closely monitor the program’s impact, aiming for a potential 10–15% increase in crypto-related tourism spending if successful.

Economic Context and Bitcoin’s Role in the Initiative

Did you know? Thailand’s approach to integrating cryptocurrency in tourism is reminiscent of Portugal’s initiatives from 2022, which showed increased tourism spending. This historical context offers insight into potential outcomes of the TouristDigiPay program.

Bitcoin (BTC), priced at $116,745.62 as of August 18, 2025, holds a market cap of $2.32 trillion and a dominance of 58.55%, according to CoinMarketCap. The 24-hour trading volume was $47.85 billion, with a decrease of 0.67% in the past day. Bitcoin’s circulating supply stands at 19,907,881 out of a 21 million maximum, with recent 30-day changes reflecting a decline of 1.10%.

Bitcoin(BTC), daily chart, screenshot on CoinMarketCap at 01:36 UTC on August 18, 2025. Source: CoinMarketCap Financial researchers at Coincu highlight potential areas of growth and regulatory transformations within Thailand’s innovative sandbox approach. Historically, similar initiatives showed tangible boosts in tourism spending. The insights stress the importance of market adoption and a comprehensive regulatory framework in realizing these projections.

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