Tourist Digipay moves forward as five years of tax relief sets the stage

Since early 2025, Thailand has been pushing its digital asset strategy through a steady series of policy changes. Every month, new developments were seen, ranging from relaxed regulations to crypto exchange recognition and tax reform. In one of the latest developments, the country officially launched Tourist Digipay. This is a program that allows foreign visitors to convert cryptocurrency to Thaibaat for local spending.

Tourist Digipay will be launched under a regulatory sandbox

August 18th, Thailand It was introduced Tourist Digipay is a regulated scheme that allows tourists to convert crypto into BAHT for payments across the country. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced that the program will operate for 18 months under a regulatory sandbox. It is being developed jointly with the Ministry of Finance, the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

Under this framework, foreign visitors can convert cryptocurrencies through licensed digital asset companies and electronic money providers. Transactions require identity verification under knowledge of AMLO enforced Customer (KYC) and Customer Due Diligence (CDD) rules. Tourists can then use BAHT balance for electronic payments, primarily via QR codes accepted throughout Thailand. The system enforces strict restrictions. Spending closes at 500,000 baht per month for terminal-based transactions and 50,000 baht for smaller vendors.

Cash withdrawals are only permitted after the account is closed, and high-risk businesses identified by regulators cannot participate. Authorities emphasized that merchants will not receive direct crypto payments. Instead, all ciphers are converted to baht before spending. According to SEC Executive Director Pornang Budsaratragoon, the program integrates the digital asset trading system with the country’s electronic money infrastructure under the Bank of Thailand.

Tourism recovery goals behind the deployment

Tourist Digipay arrives at a time when Thailand’s tourism sector is facing challenges. Data from World Tourism Research Institute The arrivals of 16.8 million people in the first half of 2025, down from 17.7 million people in the same period last year. Visitors from East Asia fell 24%, while arrivals from China fell 34%.

Officials see TouristDigipay as part of a broader strategy to modernize the payments ecosystem and attract crypto-friendly travelers. Previous pilots, including a trial in Phuket, have prepared a launch venue. Officials expect digital options for foreign visitors will help increase spending and increase convenience for tourists who lack cross-border payment tools.

The programme is based on consultations completed by the SEC, which was completed in August by using digital assets to stimulate growth in both the economy and tourism. These discussions informed the sandbox framework and safeguards against fraud and misuse.

Tax exemptions frame the 2025-2029 policy window

Alongside the newly launched Tourist Digipay, Thailand maintains a strong commitment to a secure crypto space. In June 2025, Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat confirmed that the five-year capital gains tax exemption was an exemption from crypto transactions. Embassy press release. The exemption applies to transactions through exchanges, brokers or dealers licensed under the Digital Asset Business Order.

The exemption is currently being held from January 2025 to December 2029. By limiting eligibility for regulated platforms, the government hopes to guide domestic transactions towards official venues while blocking offshore or unlicensed markets.

According to the ministry, the policy is designed to stimulate market activity, attract foreign capital and build a local digital ecosystem. Officials predict that increased investment and consumption could generate revenues of around $1 billion a year.

The Treasury offers a broader roadmap for digital assets

Crypto exemptions are not the only positive approach to Bangkok’s healthy cypto space. In other series of developments, Thailand’s Ministry of Finance has consistently promoted digital innovation along with its tourism efforts.

Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajra expressed his support for digital assets at an investment seminar in Bangkok in May. He urged clear rules that balance innovation with financial stability. During the initiative, the ministry revealed the deployment of “G-Tokens” and the deployment of blockchain-based investment units.

The token aims to improve access to savers and raise Thailand’s profile in the global bond market. At the beginning of the year, the SEC approved TETHER USDT and Circle USDC to trade across authorized exchanges. In parallel, the authorities advanced a tokenized securities system for institutional investors. Together, these reforms laid the foundation for the Tourist Digipay program.

Regional and Global Comparison

Thailand’s use of digital assets to boost tourism reflects a broader international pattern. Bhutan has partnered with Binance Pay and DK Bank to force tourists to pay Crypto. In the United Arab Emirates, a contract with Crypto.com allows travelers to pay for flights and in-flight purchases in digital currency. Meanwhile, US space company Blue Origin signed a deal with Shift4 payments in August and accepted Bitcoin for commercial space travel.

These cases demonstrate how governments and businesses position Crypto as a tool for tourism and consumer engagement. The deployment of the Thailand Tourist Digipay project combines years of regulatory reform with economic experiments. From approval of Stablecoin to tokenization and five years of tax exemption, the government has steadily laid the foundation for wider adoption.

Tourist wallets remain limited to FIAT QR payments, but the crypto layer continues with regulatory reviews. The results determine whether tourists can convert digital assets directly to BAHT immediately. By linking tourism revival with financial innovation in order to join countries like Bhutan, the United Arab Emirates and the United States to experiment with crypto integration.

The rollout is one of the most visible applications of Thailand’s regulatory approach, combining innovation and monitoring. The authorities positioned TouristDigipay not as an isolated project but as part of a broader reform that includes a five-year capital gains tax exemption from digital asset transactions. Together, these policies highlight Thailand’s efforts to strengthen the digital economy and revive the tourism sector, which is facing slower arrivals.