All links are external & open in a new tab, except for "Read Review" buttons. Before jumping into this page, an important disclosure.
You'll need a Bitcoin wallet before you buy since some exchanges require one.
Don't have a wallet? Read our guide on the best Bitcoin wallets.
Coinmama Popular Buy Bitcoin Read Review
Coinmama allows customers in almost every country to buy bitcoin with a credit or debit card. They charge an ~6% fee on each purchase.
If buying less than $150 worth of bitcoins, you won't need to verify your identity. This convenience makes small purchases quick and easy.
Want to buy using Coinmama? This step-by-step guide will show you how to use Coinmama.
- Works in almost all countries
- Highest limits for buying bitcoins with a credit card
- Reliable and trusted broker
- Some of the highest fees among credit/debit card bitcoin brokers
LocalBitcoins Popular Buy Bitcoin Read Review
LocalBitcoins is an escrow service which also helps to match bitcoin buyers and sellers. The most common method of payment for purchase is cash deposit. However, users may advertise trades for whichever payment method they prefer.
Buying bitcoins via an in-person meeting, secured and facilitated by LocalBitcoins, may be one of the fastest and most private ways to buy bitcoins in any country.
- Can be private, fast and easy
- In-person trades require no personal information
- Purchases of bitcoin can be made quickly via cash deposit
- Beware of scams; always follow the rules!
- Harder to buy large amounts of bitcoins compared to large exchanges
- Slightly to significantly higher prices than regular exchanges; premium for higher privacy
coins.co.th Popular Buy Bitcoin
coins.co.th is a Bitcoin broker operating in Thailand. Customers can buy bitcoin via bank or cash deposit, bank transfer, mobile payments, or ATMs across the country. They also allow trading in numerous altcoins.
- Very easy to use for first-time buyers
- Great selection of payment methods, including mobile payments
- They allow you to top up your phone's airtime with bitcoin
- Support for many altcoins
- Don't store bitcoins in coins.co.th Bitcoin wallet
- Not a private way to buy since ID verification is required
bitcoin.co.th Popular Buy Bitcoin
Bitcoin.co.th is the easiest way to buy bitcoins in Thailand. You can fund your account with the exchange via cash deposit, bank transfer, or at any ATM.
- Super easy way to buy bitcoins in Thailand
- Many payment methods available
- They allow you to top up your phone's airtime with bitcoin
- Fees not displayed; fees included in buy price
bx.in.th Buy Bitcoin
bx.in.th is owned by Bitcoin.co.th (listed above). You can buy bitcoin online in Thailand via online bank transfer for better rates than on bitcoin.co.th.
- Very low 0.25% fees
- Support for many altcoins
- Fairly private; only name and surname required to register
- Not as easy to use as other exchanges in Thailand
- Exchange can be hard to use for new Bitcoin users; it's geared towards traders Exchange may request further personal info for verification purposes at any time
Bitcoin ATMs Buy Bitcoin
You can use our Bitcoin ATM map to buy bitcoins with cash. Bitcoin ATMs can be a quick and easy way to buy bitcoins and they're also private. That convenience and privacy, however, comes with a price; most ATMs have fees of 5-10%.
- Our map makes it super easy to find a Bitcoin ATM near you
- Bitcoin ATMs often have 5-10% fees per purchase
VirWoX Popular Buy Bitcoin Read Review
Technically, VirWoX isn't even a Bitcoin exchange. It mainly serves as a way for people to buy Second Life Lindens, a currency used in the virtual world Second Life. You can't buy Bitcoin with PayPal directly at VirWoX, but it's possible to first buy Second Life Lindens (SLL) and then trade your SLL for Bitcoin. This process works perfectly, but in the end will cost you about 10% in fees.
This workaround/hack has made VirWoX the easiest and most popular way to buy bitcoins with PayPal.
- The easiest and basically only way to purchase bitcoins with PayPal or Skrill
- Comes with a price: it will cost around 10% in fees to buy with PayPal
Mycelium Local Trader Buy Bitcoin
Mycelium Local Trader helps you find local Bitcoin sellers. Once you locate a seller, you meet up in-person and conduct the trade. Mycelium charges absolutely no fees. While Mycelium Local Trader works great in highly-populated areas, users in low population areas will have trouble finding sellers.
- Easy and cheap way to buy bitcoins with cash
- Private way to buy bitcoins, no personal information required beyond cellphone number
- Users in sparsely populated areas will have trouble finding sellers
Changelly Buy Bitcoin
Changelly lets you buy bitcoin with Litecoin, Dogecoin, altcoins and many other digital tokens. Changelly works in nearly every country but you will need another cryptocurrency in order to purchase bitcoins. Exchanges happen almost instantly because Changelly never actually controls your tokens but just exchanges them.
- Easiest and fastest way to buy bitcoins with altcoins
- Fees are reasonable for larger traders
- Need altcoins or other digital tokens to use
bitcoin-otc Buy Bitcoin
Bitcoin-OTC is an over-the-counter marketplace for the peer to peer exchanging of bitcoin. It is almost like a Craigslist for Bitcoin. Users must create ads or locate other ads to find sellers of bitcoin. Bitcoin-OTC is somewhat complicated and hard to use, but may be the only option for users in some countries without an exchange.
- Can be a good way to find Bitcoin sellers if no other options exist
- Need to keep eye out for scams
- Need to build trust and feedback for your account before trading larger amounts
History of Bitcoin in Thailand Bitcoin and Thailand are a natural fit, given the multiplicity of foreign currencies flowing into Thailand. The success or failure of Bitcoin in Thailand depends on the government's attitude towards cryptocurrencies.
Like most of the world, the government in Bangkok has been, to say the least, hesitant to embrace Bitcoin and their overall negative attitude has led to rumors that the government had banned cryptocurrencies all together. Whatever Thailand's stance on Bitcoin was in the past doesn’t matter as the country approved its first and second fully-legal and fully-regulated Bitcoin exchanges.
The country began to take a hard stance against Bitcoin in July, 2013 after Bitcoin Company Limited presented the idea of Bitcoin operations in the country to the Bank of Thailand. The Bank was mainly concerned with the lack of regulation or even applicable laws and capital controls.
Status of Bitcoin in Thailand
A healthy community of local Bitcoin enthusiasts meets weekly in Bangkok . Thailand is home to three big meetup groups, and according to coinradaratm.com there are two Bitcoin ATMs. The Bitcoin community in Thailand is thriving and growing, the ruling that Bitcoin was not “currency” isn’t considered a ban on using or holding Bitcoin. LocalBitcoins volume chart on coin.dance, show a really steady and consistent growth in volume since 2013.
Companies using Bitcoin
While the Thai government did shut down the country's biggest Bitcoin exchange, it later allowed it to resume operations.
Until 2016 Bitcoin exchanges in Thailand were unregulated. However, an exchange opened in 2014 to complement Bitcoin Company LTD. The company's E-Commerce registration was approved on June 20, 2014 by the Huay Khwang District Office and the exchange’s website coins.co.th is open for business.
Coins Thailand Co. Ltd. is now the second fully regulated Bitcoin exchange in Thailand alongside Thai Bitcoin marketplace with only these two exchanges obtaining e-commerce registrations. But Bitcoin is still being traded as a commodity and not as currency.
There are 2 exchanges bitcoin.co.th and coins.co.th, whose payment options include leading Thai Banks such as Bangkok Bank and SCB. Clarity about the Thai government's opinion on Bitcoin could be the catalyst for Bitcoin adoption to take off in Thailand.
Merchants Accepting Bitcoin
The Thai government does not appear ready to change this anytime soon while merchants are not obligated to accept it as legal tender. The good thing is however that more and more merchants are accepting Bitcoin, which now number over 30 according to some estimates.
Legality of Bitcoin
Bank of Thailand declared bitcoin illegal in 2013, but some bitcoin companies have been able to obtain business licenses.
Bank of Thailand suggested that bitcoin is not illegal but warned against its use in 2016.
