Stablecoins, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services and high-value gold transactions face new rules as the Bank of Thailand (BOT) expands its regulatory oversight.
Governor Witai Rattanakorn also announced plans to reduce credit bureau enquiry fees and tighten oversight of money changers.
The central bank expects to introduce the five measures between November 2026 and March 2027.
The proposed gold trading restrictions will target cash payments exceeding THB 10 million.
BOT also plans tighter oversight of non-bank lenders, payment providers, foreign exchange operators and asset management companies as their businesses grow in size and complexity.
Cash and Gold Transactions Face Closer Scrutiny
The plans follow 18 measures introduced over the past year to address household debt, SME financing, consumer protection and illicit financial activities.
BOT tightened controls on cash transactions of THB 5 million or more.
The central bank reported a decline of over 57 percent in the value of cash withdrawals compared with January 2026.
Reporting requirements for physical gold withdrawals exceeding two kilograms per day also coincided with a decline of more than 85 percent.
BOT also cut fees across 19 financial services, potentially saving consumers and businesses up to THB 8 billion annually.
Thailand Tackles Household Debt and SME Funding Gaps
BOT’s debt relief programme with Sukhumvit Asset Management has covered more than 182,000 non-performing loan accounts, nearing its target of 200,000 this year.
The central bank also kept the minimum credit card repayment rate at 8 percent to support approximately two million debtors.
Its SMEs Credit Boost programme has facilitated over THB 80 billion in lending, while SMEs Secure Plus allows lenders to consider alternative collateral alongside cash flow.
BOT plans to launch an SMEs Credit Portal in January 2027 to connect businesses with lenders.
The initiative forms part of broader plans to introduce new credit guarantees, develop an Alternative Data Exchange and encourage greater competition in SME financing.
Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on image by StockOtaku via Magnific
