Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra met with a group of digital asset investors in Bangkok on Tuesday to discuss a proposal aimed at establishing Thailand as a regional hub for digital assets.
Shinawatra is also endorsing the idea of a sovereign strategic reserve to strengthen the long-term “resilience of Thailand’s financial system and economy,” according to a source familiar with the matter.
Shinawatra’s meeting included participants from Japan’s Metaplanet, led by Simon Gerovich, and UTXO Management, led by David Bailey, a crypto advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, according to a supporting document seen by Decrypt.
Other firms present at the meeting included Nakamoto Holdings, which merged with KindlyMD earlier this month; digital infrastructure fund Sora Ventures; AsiaStrategy; telecom distributor Moon Inc.; digital asset holding firm Mythos Group; and Bangkok-based asset manager Kliff Capital.
The meeting “marks the first milestone in realizing our vision of unlocking Thailand’s potential to become ASEAN’s Bitcoin DAT hub,” Kip Tiaviwat, founder and partner at Kliff Capital, told Decrypt.
Thailand has maintained its status as Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy, though it has struggled with weak growth, household debt, and a slowing tourism sector, according to July 2025 data from the World Bank. Crypto could offer an additional avenue for growth.
The country’s vision can be achieved through “the collaboration between global industry leaders and a key national figure who shares and drives the vision,” Tiaviwat said, citing Thai locals’ familiarity with Bitcoin and crypto as a key advantage.
Shinawatra built his fortune through Shin Corporation, now Intouch Holdings, a holding company focused on the telecommunications sector.
In December last year, Shinawatra was appointed as an informal advisor to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The former Prime Minister has also faced multiple corruption allegations over the years, including scrutiny in the 2006 sale of Shin Corporation to Singapore’s Temasek stemming from criticisms over tax treatment and foreign ownership rules.
Shinawatra is currently involved in ongoing court proceedings related to past corruption cases and political disputes, which are likely to continue influencing Thailand’s political landscape in the near term, according to a Reuters report from last week.
Efforts have been made to contact the former Prime Minister.