Lending rules: Thailand
What the published rules require for unsecured consumer loans in Thailand, in the order a loan is made, and how TS LMS handles each step.
Last reviewed 22 October 2026 · Email me when these rules change
Lender type covered Non-bank 'personal loan under supervision' licensee (BOT-supervised; includes digital personal loans)
- 01
What licence do you need to lend in Thailand?
Licence and conduct rules
What the rules require
A non-bank making unsecured consumer loans needs a 'personal loan under supervision' licence under Revolutionary Council Announcement No. 58, designated by the Ministry of Finance Notification of 30 July 2020. The Bank of Thailand (BOT) receives applications and gives its opinion to the Minister, sets operating rules, examines licensees and may order corrections or temporary suspension. Operators must be limited or public limited companies with paid-up capital of at least THB 50 million. A 'digital personal loan' is a sub-type: credit up to THB 20,000, repayment within 6 months, alternative data used to assess repayment, and disbursement and repayment mainly through digital channels.
Effective: being checked against the official text · Rules as of January 2024 · Source: Ministry of Finance Notification Re: Business Subject to Approval to Clause 5 of the Revolutionary Council Decree 58 (Personal Loan Under Supervision), 30 July 2020 (unofficial translation) · คู่มือสำหรับประชาชน: ธุรกิจสินเชื่อส่วนบุคคลภายใต้การกำกับ (Public handbook: personal loan business under supervision), updated January 2024
How TS LMS handles it
Products, credit rules and limits are set up for each lender and country. Changes to credit policy and to products need a second person's approval, and every change is kept in the audit log.
- 02
Is there an interest rate cap in Thailand?
Interest rate cap
What the rules require
For unsecured personal loans under supervision, interest, service charges, fees and penalties of all kinds combined may not exceed 25% per year (effective rate); the cap is 24% for loans secured by vehicle title, and digital personal loans follow the unsecured-loan cap. The BOT sets these caps by notification (SorNorSor 12/2563 of 31 July 2020, as amended by SorNorSor 13/2566 of 20 December 2023) within the Ministry of Finance ceiling of 28% per year (effective rate).
Effective: being checked against the official text · Rules as of January 2024 · Source: คู่มือสำหรับประชาชน: ธุรกิจสินเชื่อส่วนบุคคลภายใต้การกำกับ (Public handbook: personal loan business under supervision), updated January 2024 · Ministry of Finance Notification Re: Business Subject to Approval to Clause 5 of the Revolutionary Council Decree 58 (Personal Loan Under Supervision), 30 July 2020 (unofficial translation) · ดอกเบี้ยและค่าธรรมเนียมของสินเชื่อส่วนบุคคลภายใต้การกำกับ (Interest and fees of personal loans under supervision)
How TS LMS handles it
Each product can carry an annual rate ceiling and always carries a ceiling on the total cost of credit; a quote above either is refused.
- 03
How are loan fees regulated in Thailand?
Fees and disclosure of cost
What the rules require
Fees and penalties count toward the 25% effective-rate cap, and the BOT sets fee rates within that ceiling. Operators must disclose fees and interest completely and clearly in prospectuses, applications, contracts and other documents, and interest may not be compounded unless the debt is converted to a current-account contract with the consumer's prior written consent. Under BOT measures announced on 17 January 2024, no prepayment fee may be charged on any type of personal loan. Debt collectors may not demand collection fees or expenses above the rates set by the Debt Collection Supervisory Committee.
Effective: being checked against the official text · Rules as of 17 January 2024 · Source: Ministry of Finance Notification Re: Business Subject to Approval to Clause 5 of the Revolutionary Council Decree 58 (Personal Loan Under Supervision), 30 July 2020 (unofficial translation) · BOT's media briefing on addressing Thailand's household debt problems (17 January 2024) · Debt Collection Act, B.E. 2558 (2015) (unofficial translation, Office of the Council of State)
How TS LMS handles it
Every charge on a product counts towards the rate check, each product carries a ceiling on the total cost of credit, and staff cannot set a charge above the product's.
- 04
What affordability checks are required in Thailand?
Assessment of ability to repay
What the rules require
BOT Notification No. 3/2568 on Responsible Lending (31 January 2025), which repealed SorKorChor 7/2566 and applies in full to non-bank personal loan under supervision companies, requires lenders to assess the affordability of customers, including joint debtors, when approving new loans or raising credit lines. They must consider the total debt burden, including current and upcoming obligations, so that customers keep residual income adequate for their livelihoods after all debt payments; the debt service ratio (DSR) may be used as a key factor. For unsecured personal loans, the credit limit is linked to average monthly income or deposit inflows: below THB 30,000 a month, up to 1.5 times per lender with no more than three lenders; THB 30,000 or more, up to 5 times. Digital personal loans are assessed under their own rules, using alternative data on ability and willingness to repay.
Effective: being checked against the official text · Rules as of 31 January 2025 · Source: Notification of the Bank of Thailand No. 3/2568 Re: Regulations on Responsible Lending (31 January 2025, unofficial translation) · สินเชื่อส่วนบุคคลภายใต้การกำกับ (Personal loans under supervision) – Satang Story · คู่มือสำหรับประชาชน: ธุรกิจสินเชื่อส่วนบุคคลภายใต้การกำกับ (Public handbook: personal loan business under supervision), updated January 2024
How TS LMS handles it
Income and the debt-to-income ratio are assessed and kept with the credit decision; a limit above the suggested amount needs a written reason.
- 05
Can loan contracts be signed electronically in Thailand?
Loan agreement and electronic signature
What the rules require
How TS LMS handles it
Where loans are signed electronically, the agreement is stored unchanged and signed only after approval, and the signature record keeps who signed, when, the agreement's fingerprint and the device. Money is released by a second staff member who is not the approver, and not if the payout account differs from the one approved.
- 06
What identity checks and anti-money laundering duties apply in Thailand?
KYC and AML/CFT
What the rules require
How TS LMS handles it
ID document and face checks, and sanctions and PEP screening, are built in. A sanctions match blocks approval and release until compliance clears it with a second officer's confirmation, and a PEP match needs a written enhanced due-diligence note before staff approval.
- 07
What are the data protection and credit bureau rules in Thailand?
Personal data and credit bureau
What the rules require
How TS LMS handles it
Personal data is kept for set periods by type and then removed, and a borrower's request to access their data can be answered from the system. Contacting a borrower's emergency contact requires the borrower's recorded consent.
- 08
How is debt collection regulated in Thailand?
Debt collection
What the rules require
How TS LMS handles it
Calls and messages are limited to set hours, and calls to a set number a day. Contact with third parties can be switched off entirely, or allowed only as an exception with the borrower's consent and, where set, compliance approval, using a script that never mentions the debt. Every contact is logged.
This page summarises published rules for general information; it is not legal advice. Rules change: check the current text with the authority before acting.