Ms. Daranee Saeju, Assistant Governor of Payment Systems Policy and Financial Consumer Protection Group at the Bank of Thailand (BOT), has stated that the current development of financial innovation is occurring rapidly and with increasing complexity. Technologies such as Distributed Ledger Technology and Smart Contracts are being utilized to develop new financial service innovations. The BOT recognizes the potential and benefits of these technologies in reducing operational costs of financial service providers and addressing the needs of financial service users.

The BOT has a policy of responsible innovation, promoting the development of innovations in a manner that is accountable to the economic and financial system. Therefore, the BOT has initiated a testing project for Programmable Payment, which is an automated transaction with predefined conditions for the payment of goods and services. This project will demonstrate the potential for applying technology to a wide variety of financial services, accompanied by appropriate risk management processes.

This testing will be conducted under the “Enhanced Regulatory Sandbox”, which expands the scope of the current Regulatory Sandbox Framework to include financial innovations not yet authorized by the BOT. The BOT will work in collaboration with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Office of Insurance Commission, and the Fiscal Policy Office, Ministry of Finance, to evaluate the benefits and risks of financial innovations and to establish potential and suitable supervisory policies.

The Programmable Payment testing project is open to financial service providers and other interested companies. Inquiries and applications are accepted from June 13 to September 13, 2024.

Bank of Thailand

14 June 2024