Carbon Credits in Thailand: T-VER Programme

TL;DR

The Thailand Voluntary Emission Reduction (T-VER) programme is the national voluntary carbon-credit scheme run by the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO, องค์การบริหารจัดการก๊าซเรือนกระจก) since 2014. Project categories: renewable energy, energy efficiency, forestry, waste management, transport, fugitive emissions, industrial processes. Credits ("TVERs") can be retired, sold, or used for offset claims; some Thai companies use them in scope-3 disclosure.

Project Lifecycle

1. Concept note → TGO eligibility.
2. Project design document (PDD).
3. Validation by accredited DOE (Designated Operational Entity).
4. Registration by TGO board.
5. Implementation + monitoring (MRV).
6. Verification by DOE.
7. TVER issuance + registry tracking.

Project Categories (Indicative)

Market Linkages

• Domestic offset market.
• FTX-TIM trading platform discussions in policy.
• Article 6 (Paris Agreement) — Thailand TGO and MoNRE coordinate.
• Voluntary Carbon Market (Verra / Gold Standard) — separate from T-VER.

Common Mistakes

• Confusing T-VER (Thai voluntary) with Verra-issued VCUs.
• Missing additionality + baseline rigour.
• Project credit double-counting on disclosure.

FAQs

1. Are T-VER credits compliance-eligible?

Compliance market is developing; current use is voluntary plus emerging programmes.

What the T-VER Programme Is

The Thailand Voluntary Emission Reduction Program (T-VER) is run by the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO), a public organisation. It lets project developers generate tradable carbon credits (measured in tonnes of CO₂-equivalent) from activities that reduce or remove greenhouse gases — such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, waste management, and forestry/reforestation. Credits are issued after a project is registered with TGO and its emission reductions are validated and verified by TGO-approved bodies against the programme's methodologies.

How Credits Are Generated and Used

The lifecycle broadly runs: design the project against an approved methodology, register it with TGO, monitor the actual reductions, have them verified, and receive issued credits. TGO has also introduced a higher-integrity tier (often referred to as Premium T-VER) aligned more closely with international standards to support cross-border use and Article 6 cooperation under the Paris Agreement. Today T-VER credits are used mainly in the voluntary market — for corporate net-zero and carbon-neutrality claims — while Thailand's mandatory/compliance framework continues to develop. Buyers and sellers should guard against double-counting and keep clear documentation of retirement, since credibility of the offset claim depends on it.

2. Can foreign companies buy T-VER credits?

Yes — credits can generally be transacted with domestic and, subject to the programme rules, international buyers, but cross-border use and any Article 6 transfer must follow TGO's current rules to avoid double-counting.

Related Reading

• Business in Thailand Hub
• Environmental Law Hub
• Energy & Mining Law Hub