The Bank of Thailand ( BoT ) is accelerating efforts to introduce tighter regulations for “buy now, pay later” ( BNPL ) loans, in an effort to curb worsening financial discipline, especially among teens and young adults.

The central bank is already in discussions with relevant agencies, says Vitai Rattanagorn, the BoT’s governor, speaking at the 2026 Advanced Economic Journalists’ Capacity Building Programme training event, who adds that public consultations will likely take place within the year, with the bank potentially introducing initial new rules before the end of 2026.

BNPL is a form of short-term financing that allows consumers to purchase goods immediately and pay for them in several instalments over a set amount of time. During the event, Vitai told local reporters and attendees that the central bank is growing increasingly worried that Thai consumers are using BNPL for daily consumption goods, such as foods and drinks, and incurring debt in the process.

The central bank, it says, is in the process of drafting rules for BNPL providers, particularly those who operate digitally.

“Today we have three main steps. The first step is discussing with stakeholders in the industry and finalizing internal guidelines for approval, which is currently underway,” Vitai says, adding that the second step would be public hearings.

Under current regulations in Thailand, the public hearings for new regulations must be done twice, and they are part of a process that could take almost three months.

Only after said public hearings, Vitai points out, can new rules be announced and enforced. “[The] announcement of enforcement may include a grace period for businesses to adapt or apply for licences as needed,” he states. “Some regulations can be issued and enforced immediately within this year.”

However, the Thai central bank governor acknowledges that while the BoT is moving as fast as it can, designing appropriate rules is complex and could cause unintended consequences if not undertaken carefully.

“We are currently expediting the consideration of the criteria, but we acknowledge that it is very difficult and complex,” he notes, adding an example of how even just setting minimum purchase amounts could serve as potential pitfalls.

“If we were to set a minimum value for using BNPL at 200 baht ( US$6 ), it might encourage people who would normally only want to buy 100 baht worth of goods to buy more items to reach 200 baht in order to be eligible for the instalment plan, which would unintentionally promote excessive consumption,” Vitai shares. Similarly, he argues, restricting BNPL for certain categories of goods could create other challenges.

As well, the BoT, Vitai says, is wary of prohibiting certain goods from BNPL schemes that could negatively affect their manufacturers. Likewise, because BNPL products are offered by numerous providers and ecosystems, regulating the fast-growing industry is more difficult compared with providing blanket rules for traditional lenders.