Thanks to stems from how you're either thanking yourself, someone else, or something else for helping you achieve something. Because of, is just saying it happened due to something. They both can be used interchangeably. Example: I passed my exams, thanks to my hours of studying. I passed my exams due to hours of studying. I passed my exams, because of my hours of studying. Do NOT use thanks to if it's just a "because" though and not a "because of". You would have to change the grammar. Example: I passed my exams, because I studied. I passed my exams, thanks to I studied. (THIS WOULD BE WRONG) You would have to write: I passed my exams thanks to my effort in studying.

thanks to表示“幸亏……”，表原因，但是比because of 多了层感叹的色彩，从汉语意思也可以区分。

Thanks for help.

Thanks you to I have made 1 million dollars. Because of you my friend is going to die. :P

Let's take a negative situation. Thanks to you i didn't pass the exam :( do you feel it? Ironig with anger. Because of you almos the same but doesn't sound so hard. It's like an explanation, witq no hard feelings. Because of you the window was broken.