If you’re based in Asia and want to gamble online, you’ve got several currencies you can choose from. Of course, not every Asian currency is strong or reliable enough to be used by players in multiple countries. There are a few that are, and one of these is Thai baht. A couple of countries unofficially use the currency, specifically for betting at Thai baht online casinos, alongside the currency’s home of Thailand.
Anybody interested in betting with Thai baht will find a collection of THB online casinos below to join. These accept payment methods that can are receptive to deposits made in the currency, and all are trusted and verified casinos. We’ll help you to find the ideal Thai baht casino to wager at below, with our list of safe betting sites.
As recently as 2018, the Thai baht was credited with being one of the best-performing currencies in the world. Indeed, it is often credited with being the tenth most used currency globally. The baht has its origins in units of mass, much British pounds sterling, making the currency far older than many of its counterparts.
Until 1902, baht was fixed on silver, with fifteen grams equal to a baht. The currency was then pegged to British pound sterling (at a rate of ฿13 for every £1). During the Second World War, the Thai baht was pegged to the Japanese yen before finally becoming fixed to the US dollar from 1953 until 1997. Since it was floated in 1998, THB has risen from ฿56 to the dollar (in 1998) to ฿32, where it sits today.
Thai Baht is popular with Asian gamblers because of its relative stability compared to other currencies and its openness and acceptance amongst internet casino payment providers. While gambling may be banned in Thailand, this hasn’t stopped the baht from becoming a much-valued betting currency.
Thailand outlaws most forms of gambling. However, its online gambling laws are relatively new. For years, the country has deemed internet betting illegal but done precious little to prevent it. However, in 2020, Thailand began to block websites that offered Thai players access to gambling services. According to the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, they estimate that $32 million (or a billion baht) changes hand through offshore betting sites each year.
Today, over 190 online betting sites are blocked. Thai players have protested their censorship rights and continue to bet online despite this. No moves have been made against blocking the Thai baht from being used in gambling-related transactions.
As touched on, Thailand may have blocked offshore casinos and betting sites, but they haven’t made many moves to block the transfer of Thai baht from personal bank accounts to gambling websites. This reason, coupled with the fact that players in other Asian countries use THB, has seen many payment providers accept Thai baht for casino gameplay.
Some of the most popular payment providers accepting Thai baht include: