Thailand Tightens USDT Rules

Thailand is stepping up its oversight of large financial transactions. The Bank of Thailand has introduced a new requirement for anyone depositing at least 5 million baht (approximately $150,000) in cash to provide proof of the funds' origin. At the same time, the central bank and the country's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) are reviewing high-value stablecoin transactions, with a particular focus on USDT.

Under the new rules, anyone making a cash deposit of 5 million baht or more will need to explain where the money came from. The threshold applies to both major investments and certain business-related transactions.

The changes are not limited to cash deposits. The Bank of Thailand notes that stablecoins are increasingly being used instead of traditional bank transfers for moving large amounts of money. As a result, regulators will also extend their oversight to high-value transactions conducted on blockchain networks.

The joint review by the Bank of Thailand and the SEC is designed to improve monitoring of transactions that connect the digital asset market with the traditional financial system. Regulators aim to close existing gaps that allow some financial activities to remain outside the scope of current regulations.

USDT has become a key focus for Thai authorities due to concerns over the difficulty of identifying the true owners and beneficiaries of funds. The stablecoin is widely used for peer-to-peer trading and cross-border money transfers throughout Southeast Asia.

According to Thai regulators, stablecoins could potentially be used to bypass domestic money transfer channels. For this reason, authorities will focus on monitoring large-value transactions rather than restricting the use of cryptocurrencies. The new measures are intended to strengthen oversight of selected financial flows, not to ban digital assets.