Thailand’s First Virtual Banks Seen Launching by Mid-2026

Thailand virtual banks 2026 are expected to begin operations by mid-year, with three approved consortiums preparing to roll out services by June 2026, and potentially earlier if ready, a Bank of Thailand assistant governor said.

The central bank requires successful applicants to start business within one year of finance ministry approval granted on June 19, 2025.

The winning groups include ACM Holding and Ascend Money’s TrueMoney backed by CP Group; a Krungthai Bank-led consortium with AIS and PTT Oil and Retail; and an SCB X-led group with South Korea’s KakaoBank and China’s WeBank.

Regulators have stressed financial inclusion and cybersecurity as Thailand virtual banks 2026 target underserved individuals and small and medium-sized enterprises.