Thailand plans to launch a nationwide regulatory sandbox allowing foreign tourists to convert cryptocurrency into Thai baht for electronic payments to promote tourism development.
The program named TouristDigiPay is expected to launch on Monday, allowing users to exchange cryptocurrency for Thai baht through electronic currency service providers. According to (The Nation), only verified tourists will be able to use the service, needing to open a digital assets and electronic currency account regulated by the Thai Bank and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The tourism payment plan also includes safeguards such as a monthly spending limit and a ban on direct cash withdrawals. Complete plan details will be announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira on Monday.
Officials hope that cryptocurrency can boost the tourism industry.
TouristDigiPay aims to address the issue of decreased visitors, especially with a significant drop in tourists from China. (The Nation) reports that Thailand received 16.8 million tourists in the first half of 2025, a 5% decrease year-on-year.
According to reports, tourists are increasingly choosing other regions such as Japan and Vietnam due to more attractive exchange rates and prices.
Thailand is still exploring the application of cryptocurrency.
The Thai government has been studying the use of cryptocurrency to stimulate tourism growth, completing public consultations on this on August 13 this year. Pichai Chunhavajira first announced the TouristDigiPay program at an investment seminar on May 26.
Several countries and companies have introduced crypto payments to attract tourists.
Bhutan has partnered with Binance Pay to facilitate payments using cryptocurrency. Bezos's Blue Origin plans to accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies for space travel expenses.