BOT caps credit-card cash withdrawal fees to ease public burden

The Bank of Thailand (BOT) has issued an announcement revising the rules governing credit-card businesses, changing the conditions on fees and expenses charged for cash withdrawals made by credit card.

The move is aimed at ensuring the rules reflect changing service costs and increasing fairness for users of financial services.

The announcement was published in the Royal Gazette on June 1, 2026. It amends the BOT’s announcement on rules, procedures and conditions for operating a credit-card business, and takes effect from the day after its publication in the Royal Gazette.

The BOT said financial technology and service systems had continued to develop in recent years, changing the operating costs of credit-card business operators.

At the same time, consumers have increasingly shifted to digital channels. The BOT therefore deemed it appropriate to review the rules on fees and expenses related to cash withdrawals through credit cards, so that charges better reflect actual costs.

The key change is that credit-card operators may collect only the fees and expenses specified by the BOT, and must not exceed the prescribed standard rates.

The aim is to ensure that such fees are in line with real service costs, reduce possible financial burdens on consumers, and create a single standard across the industry.

The amended rules are also part of efforts to strengthen protection for financial-service users, ensuring that services are more transparent and that consumers can more clearly compare the cost of using different services.

They will also help make fee-setting by service providers more appropriate and better aligned with changing technology and competition.

The BOT issued the announcement under the authority of the Financial Institutions Business Act 2008 and related laws.

Its objective is to maintain a balance between consumer protection and the promotion of fair competition in Thailand’s financial system.

The revised rules therefore mark another important step by the BOT in pushing credit-card services to become fairer, more transparent and more closely linked to actual costs. This should help reduce people’s expenses and strengthen long-term confidence in the financial system.