New Crypto Wallet Lets Tourists Pay in Thailand With Bitcoin
Thailand has introduced a new program designed to make it easier for international travelers to spend cryptocurrency during their visits.
The TouristDigiPay initiative will allow tourists to seamlessly convert digital assets into Thai baht, enabling quick QR-based payments across participating merchants.
Regulated Sandbox for Crypto Tourism
The project, guided by the Thai Securities and Exchange Commission, will run inside a regulatory sandbox to ensure compliance with KYC and AML standards. Foreign visitors will need to open accounts with approved digital asset and e-money providers, who will issue a dedicated Tourist Wallet. This wallet will handle instant conversions of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin into local currency and can also be linked to foreign debit and credit cards.
Spending Caps for Merchants
To prevent misuse, authorities are imposing spending caps. Large merchants with card terminals can process up to 500,000 baht per month, while smaller merchants will be limited to 50,000 baht. These limits are intended to strike a balance between promoting digital finance and maintaining oversight.
Strengthening Tourism With Crypto
The move comes as Thailand looks to bolster its vital tourism sector, which generated $26.25 billion from 20 million visitors between January and August this year. Deputy Government Spokesperson Sasikan Watthanachan said the country views regulated crypto use as a way to encourage more tourism-related spending while maintaining financial stability.
Broader Crypto-Friendly Policies
Thailand has increasingly embraced digital assets in recent months. Stablecoins such as Tether (USDT) and USDC have been authorized for commercial use, and the government recently introduced a five-year tax exemption on profits from selling digital assets, effective from January 2025 to December 2029.
By combining regulatory oversight with practical tools like the Tourist Wallet, Thailand is positioning itself as one of Asia’s most crypto-friendly destinations for international travelers.
The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or trading advice. Coindoo.com does not endorse or recommend any specific investment strategy or cryptocurrency. Always conduct your own research and consult with a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions.
Alex is Editor-in-Chief of Coindoo and co-founder of Millennial Media Group, with nearly a decade of experience covering financial markets - crypto first, then everything else. It started in 2016 with Bitcoin. Like most people at the time, he didn't fully understand it - so he kept digging. Blockchain, tokenomics, the projects, the cycles. That curiosity never stopped, and eventually pulled him into traditional markets too: equities, commodities, macro. Not because he left crypto behind, but because you can't properly understand one without the other. What drives him is straightforward: he wants to know why something is happening, not just that it's happening. Most market coverage stops at the headline - price up, price down, here's a chart. Alex finds that kind of reporting actively unhelpful. If you walk away from an article without understanding the mechanism behind the move, what did you actually learn? He holds a degree in Tourism from New Bulgarian University - not the most obvious path into financial markets, but markets have a way of pulling in people who are simply too curious to stay out. He has authored over 200 in-depth analyses and more than 10,000 articles across crypto and traditional finance. He still thinks every day in markets teaches him something new. That's probably why he hasn't stopped.
