Banks across Thailand are bracing for a significant shift in how millions of customers move their money online, as sweeping new regulations come into force aimed squarely at curbing the country’s rampant digital fraud. On August 20, 2025, the Bank of Thailand announced a tough new daily limit: most online transfers will now be capped at 50,000 baht—about $1,537—per day for a wide swath of customers. The move, which has been described as one of the country’s boldest steps yet to fight online scams, is set to affect both new and existing mobile and internet banking users.
According to Bangkok Post and reporting by the Associated Press, the new measure is a direct response to a surge in financial fraud that has swept across Thailand and much of Southeast Asia. The criminal industry behind these scams is vast, raking in billions of dollars annually, and has proven especially adept at targeting the most vulnerable—children and older adults. In fact, in just the first half of 2025, children under 15 were involved in a staggering 78,468 scam cases, while people over 65 accounted for an eye-watering 416,453 cases, according to official data cited by Bangkok Post.
Daranee Saeju, the Bank of Thailand’s assistant governor for Payment Systems Policy and Financial Consumer Protection, explained the reasoning behind the new rules. "The new measure aims to curb financial fraud by preventing criminals from receiving and transferring a large amount of money at one time, and enabling timely freezing of illicit funds in order to increase the chances that victims will be able to recover at least some of their money," Saeju said, as reported by the Associated Press. The hope is that by making it harder for scammers to quickly move large sums, authorities and banks will have a better shot at stopping theft in its tracks.
The regulation introduces a three-tier system for daily transfer limits, based on a customer’s risk profile as determined by the banks’ know-your-customer (KYC) rules. For many, the daily cap will be set at 50,000 baht ($1,537). Others, depending on their banking history and the bank’s assessment, may be allowed higher limits—up to 200,000 baht ($6,147) or more. Customers with established, responsible records can continue transferring at their usual levels, providing some flexibility for those with a proven track record.
Implementation is set to roll out in phases. New mobile and internet banking customers will see the cap applied by August 31, 2025, while existing customers have until December 31, 2025, before the limits become mandatory. With approximately 12 million mobile banking users in Thailand, according to Bangkok Post, this regulation is poised to touch a huge segment of the population.
For many Thais, mobile banking has become a daily necessity. The country’s previous safeguards already capped mobile banking transfers at 50,000 baht per transaction (with facial recognition required for each), and 200,000 baht per day in total. But as the scale and sophistication of scams grew, these measures proved insufficient. In June 2025 alone, authorities received reports of 24,500 scam cases related to money transfers, with total losses hitting 2.8 billion baht ($86.1 million). The average loss per case? A hefty 114,000 baht ($3,504). The largest single fraudulent transfer reported reached a jaw-dropping 4.9 million baht ($150,591).
Time, it seems, is of the essence in these crimes. According to Bangkok Post, scammers needed just three minutes on average to siphon off half of the stolen funds, while victims typically took between 19 and 25 hours to report the crime. That gap—between theft and reporting—has been a major hurdle for authorities and banks trying to recover stolen money. The new daily cap is designed to slow down the criminals, making it harder for them to extract large sums before anyone notices.
This regulatory push aligns Thailand with a growing international movement to hold banks more accountable for protecting their customers from digital fraud. Across the globe, consumer advocates and regulators have called for stronger measures, arguing that financial institutions are uniquely positioned to spot suspicious activity and act quickly. The Bank of Thailand’s approach, which tailors transfer limits based on customer risk profiles, is seen as a way to balance security with convenience—especially for those with a history of responsible banking.
"This regulation targets vulnerable groups including children and elderly customers," noted Devdiscourse in its coverage of the new rules. The focus on these groups is no accident: scammers often prey on those least familiar with digital banking or those more likely to trust unsolicited messages and calls. By imposing stricter limits on accounts deemed at higher risk, the central bank hopes to choke off one of the most common avenues for large-scale theft.
Still, not everyone is likely to welcome the changes with open arms. For businesses and individuals who rely on moving larger sums for legitimate purposes, the new caps could mean added hassle—at least until they clear the banks’ KYC hurdles or demonstrate a solid history of responsible transfers. However, the Bank of Thailand has emphasized that customers with established records can continue transferring at their usual levels, aiming to minimize disruption for trusted users.
Globally, Thailand’s move could serve as a model for other countries grappling with the explosion of online scams. The region has seen a dramatic rise in digital fraud, fueled by increasingly sophisticated tactics and a growing pool of unsuspecting victims. The Bank of Thailand’s decision to act decisively—rather than waiting for the problem to worsen—signals a new era of proactive consumer protection in Southeast Asia’s banking sector.
The impact of the regulation will become clearer in the coming months, as banks adjust their systems and customers adapt to the new normal. Whether the daily cap will significantly reduce losses remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the days of moving large sums online in Thailand without scrutiny are over. For millions of Thais, that could mean added peace of mind—but also a reminder to stay vigilant in a digital world where scammers never seem to sleep.
With the new rules, authorities are betting that a little inconvenience today will mean fewer heartbreaks—and empty bank accounts—tomorrow. As the country’s financial sector braces for the change, all eyes will be on whether this bold move can finally put a dent in Thailand’s costly epidemic of online scams.
