Thailand SEC Orders Bitget Block From December 5

Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has asked the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society to block access to Bitget’s website, related domains and mobile app from 5 December 2026, and has filed a criminal complaint alleging the exchange served Thai users without a licence. For Thai users who rely on offshore exchanges to move crypto, including payments linked to crypto casino accounts, the deadline is a practical issue as well as a regulatory one.

What the SEC announced

The regulator announced the action on 5 November, according to reports by Cointelegraph, MediaNama and Crypto Briefing. It said BG Limited, the company behind Bitget, provided digital asset exchange services to people in Thailand between 2022 and 2025 and charged fees without holding a Thai licence. The case has been referred to the Economic Crime Suppression Division.

According to the reports, the SEC pointed to a Thai-language website showing prices in baht equivalents and to Thai-language promotion on X, Telegram and TikTok as evidence that the service targeted Thai customers. A filed complaint is an allegation, not a finding: no court has ruled on the case.

The legal basis

MediaNama reported that the complaint relies on Sections 3 and 26 of the Emergency Decree on Digital Asset Businesses B.E. 2561 (2018), with penalties under Section 66. Section 26 requires anyone operating a digital asset exchange, broker or dealer business in Thailand to hold a licence. The SEC also filed a separate complaint against a Thai social media promoter, citing the same decree and Section 86 of the Criminal Code, which covers assisting an offence.

The block itself is possible because of amendments in 2025 that extended Thai enforcement powers to foreign platforms serving local users without a licence. Reports describe the change slightly differently, but the effect is that the SEC can request that the ministry restrict access rather than relying only on criminal cases.

Bitget’s response

A Bitget spokesperson told Cointelegraph the company was reviewing the announcement, had no further information to share and that user assets remain safe. Bitget’s own terms already list Thailand as a restricted jurisdiction.

The action follows Bitget’s 20 October announcement that it plans to acquire GMO-Z.com Cryptonomics, a licensed Thai exchange and brokerage, through a local entity. That deal is subject to regulatory and change-of-control approval, and the SEC has not publicly linked the two matters.

What users should do before 5 December

The SEC urged people holding assets on Bitget to consider moving them before the block takes effect. Reports say the notice does not order an asset freeze or forced sale, but it is not clear how withdrawals will work for Thai users once access is restricted. The regulator also advised users to check whether a platform is licensed through the Thai SEC website or its SEC Check First app, and to report concerns on its 1207 hotline.

A pattern of tighter enforcement

The Bitget case fits a wider tightening in Thailand. The SEC filed a complaint in March 2025 over the promotion of OKX’s unlicensed activity, and this year Thai authorities have also moved against offshore gambling platforms, including the block on crypto casino Shuffle.com.

For anyone in Thailand, the link between unlicensed exchanges and gambling payments is the main risk. Online gambling is illegal in Thailand, and offshore exchanges have often been the route users take to buy USDT or other tokens. When one of those routes is cut off, users can be left with funds on a platform they can no longer reach easily, or turn to peer-to-peer trades that carry fraud and frozen-account risks. Licensed Thai exchanges apply know-your-customer checks and report suspicious activity.

If you are a crypto user in Thailand, will the Bitget block change how you move funds? Tell us in the comments.

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