Thailand’s Supreme Court has ruled that Bitcoin qualifies as property under criminal law, upholding a 10-year prison sentence in a robbery case involving the forced transfer of $50,000 worth of cryptocurrency.
Summary
- Thailand’s Supreme Court has ruled that Bitcoin qualifies as property under criminal law because it has measurable market value, can be owned, and can be exchanged for cash.
- The ruling stems from a September 2022 robbery on Koh Samui, where a group of foreign nationals threatened and assaulted a victim before forcing him to transfer 2.480801 BTC worth $50,000.
- The court rejected the defendant’s argument that Bitcoin had no intrinsic value and upheld his 10-year prison sentence along with an order to return the cryptocurrency or compensate the victim.
According to local media, the ruling, numbered 4929/2569, was issued by the Supreme Court’s full bench and concerned a September 2022 robbery on the island of Koh Samui, where a group of foreign nationals threatened and assaulted a victim before forcing him to purchase and transfer 2.480801 BTC.
The court rejected the defendant’s argument that Bitcoin had no intrinsic value and therefore could not qualify as property capable of being stolen under Thai law.
Instead, the judges determined that cryptocurrency has an identifiable market value, can be owned and exchanged for cash, and meets the legal requirements for property in a robbery offense.
Thailand Supreme Court says Bitcoin has economic value
The legal dispute centered on whether cryptocurrency could be considered property when it exists as electronic data and is not recognized as legal tender in Thailand.
During the appeal, the defendant argued that the Bitcoin transferred by the victim had no value of its own and therefore did not constitute the unlawful taking of another person’s property.
In examining the argument, the Supreme Court considered Sections 137 and 138 of Thailand’s Civil and Commercial Code, which define tangible property and extend property rights to intangible objects that have value and can be possessed.
The judges referred to Thailand’s 2018 Emergency Decree on Digital Asset Businesses, which defines cryptocurrency as electronic data created on digital networks for use as a medium of exchange.
The ruling further cited the Bank of Thailand’s position that cryptocurrencies are not legal tender and their prices can fluctuate considerably depending on market demand.
However, the court found that Bitcoin’s market value, ability to be exchanged for cash, and capacity for individual ownership were sufficient to establish its status as property in the criminal proceedings.
Since the victim had exchanged $50,000, equivalent to approximately 1.878 million baht at the time, for Bitcoin before transferring it to the attackers, the court determined that the cryptocurrency represented property with measurable economic value.
The judges consequently dismissed the defendant’s legal challenge and upheld the robbery conviction.
How the $50,000 Bitcoin robbery unfolded
The case dates back to September 2022, when the defendant allegedly helped coordinate transportation and accommodation for a group of foreign nationals traveling to Koh Samui.
Court records described how the group arranged a rented van, motorcycles, and resort accommodation before approaching the victim and his Russian wife at a coffee shop on September 15.
Five men confronted the couple and made threatening statements about their knowledge of the family’s movements and the safety of their young child.
The confrontation turned violent when members of the group punched the victim in the face and ear and attempted to seize his phone.
Under pressure, the victim used his phone to convert $50,000 into 2.480801 BTC and transferred the cryptocurrency to a wallet controlled by one of the attackers.
Following the transfer, the group fled using the rented vehicles, while the defendant helped arrange ferry tickets for their departure from the island.
Prosecutors subsequently charged the defendant under several provisions of Thailand’s Criminal Code, including robbery, coercion, assault, and participation in a jointly committed offense.
Court upholds 10-year sentence and Bitcoin restitution
The trial court initially sentenced the defendant to 15 years in prison for participating in a robbery involving vehicles used to facilitate the crime and escape.
However, the sentence was reduced by one-third to 10 years after the court considered evidence provided by the defendant during the proceedings.
The court ordered the return of the stolen Bitcoin or compensation equivalent to 1.878 million baht, with the regional appeals court subsequently upholding the judgment.
In its final ruling, the Supreme Court agreed that witness testimony, photographs, transaction records, and evidence of the coordinated attack supported the conviction.
The judges found that the victim had transferred the cryptocurrency because of threats and physical violence, rejecting the suggestion that the transaction had been voluntary.
Thailand has faced other cryptocurrency robberies
The ruling follows several cryptocurrency-related violent crime investigations in Thailand, where attackers have attempted to obtain digital assets by threatening wallet owners.
Earlier this month, crypto.news reported that armed robbers stole $820,000 in cryptocurrency from a Chinese expatriate with Turkish citizenship during a home invasion near Pattaya.
Three armed suspects allegedly forced the victim to transfer cryptocurrency at gunpoint before escaping with cash and luxury watches.
In January 2025, Thai police investigated another violent crypto robbery involving a Russian national who was assaulted at a Phuket hotel following a dispute over an alleged cryptocurrency debt.
Separately, Thai immigration police arrested a Chinese suspect on October 16 in connection with an alleged transnational money laundering network involving cryptocurrency and foreign currency exchanges.
Investigators linked the network to transactions exceeding 500 million yuan and more than 133 bank accounts, while the suspect faced immigration charges in Thailand.
