The court rejected a defendant's argument that Bitcoin has no intrinsic value.
Wed 28 Oct 2026 · 07:32 EDT · 2 min read
In Regulation
Share
Thailand’s Supreme Court has upheld a 10-year prison sentence in a crypto robbery case, ruling that Bitcoin is property that can be protected under the country’s criminal law.
The decision, numbered 4929/2569, followed a case in which a victim was forced to transfer about 2.48 BTC after being assaulted and threatened on Koh Samui in September 2022.
The stash was worth approximately $50,000 at the time, and its value has since risen more than fourfold to around $200,000.
According to the case account, the defendant helped coordinate a group of foreign accomplices who attacked the victim at a coffee shop, threatened his family’s safety and took his phone to force the Bitcoin transfer.
Prosecutors charged the defendant with offenses including joint robbery, coercion and assault. Lower courts found him guilty and sentenced him to 10 years in prison after reducing the original 15-year term based on cooperation during the investigation.
The crypto and markets news you actually need—every morning.
Daily. Free. Join 34,000+ readers across crypto, finance, and policy.
We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.
The defendant appealed, arguing that Bitcoin lacked intrinsic value and therefore could not qualify as property taken under the law.
The Supreme Court rejected the argument, finding that the crypto asset has demonstrable economic value, can be traded on international markets and can be converted into cash. It also considered Thailand’s Digital Asset Business Act, which defines crypto as electronic data created for use as a medium of exchange.
The Supreme Court upheld the conviction based on consistent testimony from the victim, his wife and witnesses, along with photographic evidence and records of the Bitcoin transfer. Furthermore, the court maintained the order that the defendant had to return 2.48 BTC or pay compensation.
Disclosure: This article was edited by John Chen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.