Thailand’s ruling on Bitcoin as property says it is not money

Bitcoin qualifies as property, but not money, under Thailand’s Bitcoin property ruling issued on October 28, 2026. The Supreme Court’s decision arose from a robbery on Koh Samui in which a tourist was forced to transfer 2.480801 BTC , worth about $50,000 at the time. Key takeaways Bitcoin falls within Thailand’s civil-law definition of property. Five defendants each received a 10-year prison term and a restitution order. The full-bench decision binds lower courts in similar property disputes. Bitcoin’s legal tender status remains unchanged.