In a guide dated Aug. 10, 2026, Global Law Experts says a crypto exchange, broker or dealer needs a license to operate in Thailand. That license is an approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand (SEC) and the Minister of Finance. COREDO, in a guide checked Oct. 11, 2026, lists the minimum capital each license type requires. The listed levels range from 5 million to 50 million Thai baht (THB).
Key facts, per COREDO
- Legal basis: The Emergency Decree on Digital Asset Businesses B.E. 2561 (2018).
- Who issues licenses: The Ministry of Finance, on the SEC's recommendation.
- License types: Exchange, broker and dealer, each needing a separate SEC license.
- Who can apply: A company registered under Thai law, either a limited or a public limited company.
- Capital and deposit: From 50 million THB capital and a 25 million THB deposit for an exchange, down to 5 million and 2.5 million THB for a dealer.
Who approves a Thai crypto license
Global Law Experts describes a division of duties under the 2018 decree. The Ministry of Finance has overall supervisory authority. The SEC handles the day-to-day work of licensing, writing rules and enforcing them. The decree bars anyone from running a digital-asset exchange, brokerage or dealing business without a license. Both the SEC and the Minister of Finance must approve that license.
The decree and the three license types
COREDO names the "Emergency Decree on Digital Asset Businesses B.E. 2561 (2018)" as the legal foundation for crypto regulation in Thailand. It says the decree sorts digital-asset operators into three main types: exchange, broker and dealer. Each type needs a separate SEC license. The Ministry of Finance issues each license after the SEC recommends it.
Capital and deposit tiers by license type
COREDO lists the minimum registered capital and bank deposit for each license type. An exchange needs 50 million THB in registered capital and a 25 million THB deposit. A broker needs 25 million THB in capital and a 12.5 million THB deposit. A dealer needs 5 million THB in capital and a 2.5 million THB deposit. The exchange tier is the highest on both measures. The dealer tier is the lowest.
Thailand crypto license tiers listed by COREDO
Which license type needs the most capital or deposit? Sort the three types by either amount.
| License type | Minimum registered capital (million THB) | Bank deposit (million THB) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exchange | 50 | 25 | Source: Cryptocurrency Licence in Thailand — COREDO (coredo.eu) |
| Broker | 25 | 12.5 | Source: Cryptocurrency Licence in Thailand — COREDO (coredo.eu) |
| Dealer | 5 | 2.5 | Source: Cryptocurrency Licence in Thailand — COREDO (coredo.eu) |
The amounts come from COREDO's guide alone and show capital and deposit levels only.
Analysis: what the tiers mean for an applicant
For a founder, the type of business is the first decision. COREDO ties each type to its own license and its own capital tier. A firm planning more than one of these activities would, on that account, need more than one license. On the listed figures, an exchange plan has the largest capital and deposit requirement. A dealer plan has the smallest. A broker plan falls between them. The applicant's legal form matters just as early. The same guide says only a company registered under Thai law, as a limited or public limited company, can apply. A group based abroad would therefore need a Thai company before it could file. Both the SEC and the Ministry of Finance take part in the decision, so an application has two bodies to satisfy. For readers asking whether crypto is allowed in Thailand, both guides describe a licensing system for these businesses rather than a ban.
What is confirmed and what is not
Both guides say the SEC and the Ministry of Finance share the licensing role. They describe that role in different terms. Global Law Experts says the license must be approved by the SEC and the Minister of Finance. COREDO says the ministry issues it on the SEC's recommendation. Both guides name exchange, broker and dealer businesses as licensed activities. Only COREDO, of the two, gives capital and deposit figures. These accounts were not checked against the decree or the SEC's own rules.
Where to check the legal wording
COREDO identifies the 2018 Emergency Decree on Digital Asset Businesses as the legal foundation for crypto regulation in Thailand. Global Law Experts describes the SEC as the body that handles day-to-day rulemaking. An applicant can consult the full decree and the SEC's current published rules before filing.
Sources: SEC Digital Asset Licence In Thailand | Global Law Experts (globallawexperts.com), Aug 10, 2026 · Cryptocurrency Licence in Thailand — COREDO (coredo.eu)
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