Not explicitly illegal for an individual, but a provider serving Thai residents without a Thai SEC licence is operating outside the framework.
Sourcing note: we could not confirm the legal position in Thailand against a named primary instrument published by the SEC Thailand. Verify with the regulator before acting on it.
Archive notice: this page was written in 2012, before binary options were banned for retail clients across the EEA, the UK and Australia. It is kept for reference. For the current position, see Legal status by country.
Binary option trading is a type of financial trading module where there is a high payout percentage for the trades that do well. Casino gambling on the other hand is a form of sport in which an individual gets to lay bets on the occurrence of an event. Typically, in gambling, the result of the event is unknown and depends on a good amount of luck. The major difference between gambling and binary option trading is that while binary option trading relies on sound business statistics and modules, gambling relies more on luck and probability.
The differences and the similarities
Binary options rely on online trading techniques and an initial investment with which you can trade. It is a much simpler form of trading compared to the real trading and yet it still makes some money for the participants, both brokers and traders. In addition, you can get very high returns in a very short time. Casino gambling on the other hand, refers to a game of sorts in which various individuals place bets on the probability of an event occurring. For instance, in a racing match, patrons january be given the option of earning some money by placing bets on the probable winner. In addition, the probability of different people winning is normally ranked and different returns assigned to each. Another major difference is the amount of risk that an individual undertakes in the two circumstances. In casino gambling, the risk is undefined and open to control by factors outside the control of the player. However, in binary option trading the trader and the broker are usually in control of a larger number of the risk factors, which can be analyzed based on sound business models. This allows the trader to control the varieties of outcomes that are possible during a trade.On the flip side, it is important to note that gambling does not only rely on luck, but also smart trading techniques, which january influence the outcome. Gambling, especially in casinos is normally designed to keep the patrons entertained and pull them in again and again. Usually, casinos ensure that patrons keep winning in various amounts to keep them hooked. On the other hand, binary option trading operates in a more formal manner, in spite of the result of the market activity. This means that the basis on which trade is performed in these two scenarios is very different.
In addition, binary option trading usually offers refunds to the traders in case of out of money outcome. In essence, this provides a sort of security to the traders and the brokers in the binary trading market. This is an option that is not usually exercised by casinos in gambling. The losers usually lose out on their investment while the winners tend to take home more than they invested.
Both casino gambling and binary option trading rely on specific time deadlines; however, gambling can go on for a more unscheduled period when compared to the binary option trading. As such, you can keep playing over and over until such a time that you are exhausted or the casino is shut down.
Here's a great article at Forbes.com about gambling with binary options.
Funding and withdrawals in Thailand
Local rails here are PromptPay, local bank transfer and card. Deposit method decides whether money can come back out: card payments carry a chargeback route with a time limit, transfers to an offshore entity generally do not. Confirm the withdrawal method, minimum, fee and stated processing time in writing before funding an account. Profits are generally taxable, with the Revenue Department the relevant authority.
Brokers accepting Thai clients
Ranked by our published methodology, which weights licensing at 35% — on an unsupervised counterparty every other quality is contingent. Ratings are derived from the sub-scores, not assigned.
| # | Broker | Rating | Entity holding your funds | Min. deposit | Payout | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deriv | 7.9 | Deriv (BVI) Ltd / Deriv (V) Ltd | $5 | up to ~95% on synthetics | Visit |
| 2 | IQ Option | 5.1 | IQ Option Ltd (international) — unregulated | $10 | up to ~95% | Visit |
| 3 | Pocket Option | 4.7 | Gembell Limited (Comoros) | $5 | up to ~92% | Visit |
| 4 | Quotex | 4.6 | Awesomo Ltd — unregulated | $10 | up to ~98% | Visit |
| Regulated alternative — does not offer binary options | ||||||
| — | Exness | 8.8 | FSCA (South Africa) — ODP · FSP 51024 | $10 | n/a — CFDs and FX only | Visit |
Advertiser disclosure: buttons marked ad are affiliate links and earn us a commission if you open an account. The others do not. The ranking is derived from the published sub-scores either way, which is why the highest-rated provider here is not the one that pays us.
Risk warning: binary options are high-risk speculative instruments and most retail accounts lose money. Nothing on this page is investment advice or a recommendation to trade.