Thailand SEC files criminal complaint against Bitget, plans Dec. 5 access block

What the Thai SEC alleged

Bitget offered crypto trading services between 2022 and 2025 and charged trading fees, according to the SEC. The regulator said the exchange also promoted those services through Thai-language websites and social media channels, and that these activities violated Thailand's digital asset business licensing requirements.

Those are allegations, not findings.

The SEC filed the complaint with Thailand's Economic Crime Suppression Division for investigation, and that isn't the same thing as charges. Prosecutors will decide whether to bring charges, while courts will determine criminal liability. So where does that leave the exchange? It's the subject of a criminal complaint that's now with investigators, and it's facing a separate access block with a fixed start date.

How the Dec. 5 block works

The SEC said it had notified the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society to cut off access from Dec. 5. The restriction will cover Bitget's website, other associated domains and its mobile app, so it isn't limited to a single URL.

The ministry's power here comes from a 2025 decree that lets it restrict access to unlicensed crypto trading platforms (the stated aims are protecting investors and combating financial crime). The block and the criminal case run on separate tracks: the ministry handles access under that decree, while the complaint moves from investigators to prosecutors and, if charges come, the courts.

For Thai users, the regulator's message was a practical one. It advised them to take action regarding assets held on the platform before the deadline.

No comment from Bitget

Bitget didn't immediately respond to Cointelegraph's request for comment on the complaint or the planned block. For now, the only account on the record is the regulator's.