Thailand Launches Bangkok Blueprint to Fight Global Digital Fraud
Bank of Thailand Governor Vitayarat Rattanagorn unveiled the Bangkok Blueprint at the IMF‑World Bank meetings, aiming to strengthen global defenses against cross‑border digital fraud. He highlighted how AI and digital finance expand credit access but also raise fraud risks, urging international cooperation and strong safeguards. The blueprint outlines twelve guidelines under five pillars to help countries build fraud‑resilient financial systems.
Bank of Thailand Governor Vitayarat Rattanagorn spoke at the G30 International Banking Seminar during the 2026 IMF‑World Bank Group annual meetings, saying the global financial system faces increasingly interconnected risks—high public debt, geopolitical divisions, non‑bank finance, and shared technology dependence. He said central banks must balance encouraging innovation with maintaining financial stability.
Digital finance has broadened access to financial services; today nearly eight out of ten adults worldwide have a formal account, up from about half in 2011. AI offers more than speed or cost cuts—it can boost productivity, aid decision‑making, create new business models, and improve credit assessments for small and medium enterprises and people with limited credit histories. Combined with tokenizing assets, AI can also raise the efficiency of cross‑border payments, pricing, and securities settlement.
Thailand already has the digital payments infrastructure to support these changes. PromptPay has been operating for ten years, with more than 83 million registered users and transaction value reaching 54 trillion baht in 2025—more than double the country’s GDP. Vitayarat said PromptPay has reshaped retail payments, extending digital financial services to remote communities and small shops.
However, faster, more interconnected technology also raises risks. Fraud can spread quickly, and cyber incidents or operational disruptions can affect many financial institutions and across borders. Over the past decade, financial‑sector fraud and cyber events have risen sharply.
To address this, the Bank of Thailand is applying its Responsible Innovation Framework, which rests on three pillars: sound technology, good governance, and appropriate economic mechanisms. This framework aims to foster innovation while protecting consumers, ensuring broad access, and maintaining confidence in the financial system. Common standards also help reduce fragmentation and create business opportunities.
Vitayarat noted that digital fraud is a global problem because crimes cross borders, so international cooperation is essential. If defenses are not aligned, illicit activity may shift to weaker systems.
For this reason, the IMF and the World Bank, together with the Bank of Thailand, launched the Bangkok Blueprint for Fraud‑Resilient Financial Services. The blueprint sets out twelve key considerations under five pillars—prevention, detection, response, information sharing, and accountability—to build financial services that can withstand fraud. It is designed for each country to adapt to its own context, while promoting cross‑border standards and cooperation through clear responsibility allocation, effective data sharing, and proper incentives, enabling coordinated action that can scale amid evolving technology, business models, and risks.
