Thai authorities are shifting their focus away from headline crimes and toward the hidden plumbing of the financial system.
The government now believes that large volumes of illicit capital are slipping through gaps between traditional markets and digital finance — and gold trading sits squarely at the center of the problem.
Key Takeaways
Thailand is tightening oversight across gold trading and crypto to cut off illicit and “grey money” flows.
Authorities plan to centralize financial data to track transactions and detect laundering in real time.
Gold-driven currency flows have pushed the baht higher, prompting limits to protect exports and tourism.
In response, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has instructed regulators to tighten oversight across gold dealers, crypto platforms, and currency exchanges as part of a broader campaign to choke off so-called “grey money” flows.
A Single View of the Financial System
Rather than introducing isolated rules, the government’s approach starts with data. Officials plan to build a centralized national Data Bureau that links transaction information across banks, bullion dealers, crypto exchanges, and regulators.
The idea is to replace fragmented supervision with continuous monitoring. By merging datasets, authorities aim to detect unusual patterns in real time and generate risk profiles that expose how funds move from cash, to gold, to crypto — and back again.
Gold Moves From Safe Asset to Surveillance Target
Gold trading, long treated as a traditional and relatively benign market, is now under intense scrutiny. Regulators argue that criminals increasingly use physical gold as a laundering bridge because it can absorb large sums with limited reporting.
The Anti-Money Laundering Office has been instructed to lower the reporting threshold for gold bar purchases well below the previous 2 million baht level. The goal is to shut down “smurfing,” where large transactions are deliberately broken into smaller pieces to stay under disclosure limits.
This marks a significant shift in how Thailand views its gold market — no longer just a hedge or investment tool, but a potential conduit for financial crime.
Crypto Rules Tighten in Parallel
Digital assets are being pulled into the same enforcement net. Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission has been ordered to strictly apply the Travel Rule, which forces crypto service providers to identify both sides of wallet-to-wallet transfers.
By aligning crypto oversight with international standards, officials want to prevent digital assets from becoming the next escape route as gold regulations tighten.
Currency Stability Adds Urgency
Behind the crackdown is another concern: the Thai baht. Heavy gold trading volumes have contributed to an unusually strong currency, complicating life for exporters and the tourism sector.
Bank of Thailand Governor Vitai Ratanakorn has warned that gold trades conducted in baht-based applications are distorting foreign exchange flows. In response, authorities are preparing limits on how much foreign currency individuals can exchange daily, while also weighing caps on speculative gold trading.
Market Scale Reveals the Problem
The scale of Thailand’s gold market explains the government’s sense of urgency. At times, daily gold trading volumes have surpassed activity on the country’s stock exchange. During peak periods, gold-related deals accounted for more than half of all US dollar transactions nationwide.
Industry figures estimate total gold trading reached around 10 trillion baht last year, double the level seen just a year earlier. Despite strong exports, Thailand remained a net importer of gold, highlighting how deeply the metal is embedded in domestic financial flows.
Major bullion dealers, which control most of the market, are already adjusting. Plans are underway to upgrade online platforms so trades can be settled directly in US dollars, reducing pressure on the baht and easing currency volatility.
A Signal Beyond Thailand
Thailand’s move sends a broader message to the region. By tightening controls on gold, enforcing stricter crypto standards, and centralizing financial data, Bangkok is signaling that traditional and digital markets will no longer be regulated in isolation.
The campaign is not just about crime — it is about regaining control over how money moves, how currencies behave, and how hidden risks accumulate when oversight lags behind market innovation.
