International Carbon Credit Guideline

Laws and Policies

Gold Standard

Published/finalised

Thailand has finalized its eligibility framework for international carbon credit transfers under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. The guideline sets rules for which project types qualify, how authorization and corresponding adjustments (CAs) are handled, and the process for issuance and transfer of credits.
Scope and general principles:
- All transfers of carbon credits from mitigation projects in Thailand for international purposes must comply with this Guideline.
- Article 6.2 transfers require a bilateral cooperation agreement between Thailand and a partner country, approved at Cabinet level.
- Only credits from approved project types are eligible.
Eligible project types:
1. Carbon capture utilization/removals: Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU), and Direct Air Capture (DAC).
2. Renewables fuel substitution: Green hydrogen, offshore wind, tidal, geothermal, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), green ammonia.
3. Energy efficiency: high-efficiency electric boilers, motors, furnaces.
4. Power/heat efficiency: Energy storage, green pallet production from agricultural waste for combined heat and power.
5. Transport: Electrification of transportation systems, hydrogen vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) with a fuel cell, electric vehicles or improvement of engine efficiency.
6. Industrial processes: Improvement of the process or technology of chemical or petrochemical production, low-carbon cement, CO₂-based methanol, fluorinated gas reduction.
7. Agriculture livestock: Soil management, rice methane reduction, improved animal feed/breeds, bio-methanol from waste and scraps.
8. Waste wastewater: advanced food waste treatment, wastewater systems.
9. Forestry land-use: reforestation, sustainable forest management, forestation for carbon sequestration.
10. Other activities approved by the National Climate Change Committee, aligned with national mitigation policies.
Eligibility requirements:
- Must go beyond Thailand’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) commitments.
- Must contribute to Thailand’s Long-Term Low Greenhouse Gas Emission Development Strategy (Thailand LT-LEDS), carbon neutrality, net zero targets and sustainable development.
- Must enhance domestic capacity or technology transfer.
- Must generate measurable, reportable, and verifiable (MRV) mitigation outcomes.
Authorization for international use:
- Developers must request a Letter of Authorization from the Director-General.
- Approval criteria include:
• Consistency with Thailand’s climate policies and international obligations.
• Credit volume must not exceed NDC limits.
• Fair and appropriate benefit-sharing with Thailand.
• Alignment with comitment established in Thailand’s NDC Action Plan.
- Once approved:
• Article 6.2 projects follow bilateral procedures.
• Article 6.4 projects involve coordination between the Designated National Authority (DNA), which is the Department of Climate Change and Environment, Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO), and the Article 6.4 Supervisory Body.
• Other international agreements follow the procedures specified under the specific agreement.
Issuance and transfer of credits:
The Director-General of the Department of Climate Change and Environemnt shall have the authority to approve the issuance of carbon credits for international transfer, subject to the following procedures::
- Issuance:
• Article 6.2 project: It is registered with TGO and recorded in Thailand’s registry.
• Article 6.4 project: It is registered with the Article 6.4 Supervisory Body.
• Project under international agreement: Registered with designated agencies.
- Transfer:
• Project owner requests transfer through the Director-General of the Department of Climate Change and Environemnt.
• Once the Director-General has assessed the request, the project owner and TGO shall be notified of the results.
• For TGO projects: TGO cancels credits, records transfer and issues confirmation to the project owner.
• For non-TGO projects: Cancellation proof must be submitted to TGO before registry records transfer.
• Credits must be used strictly for the purpose authorized; no diversion.