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October 2026 · 4 min read

Crypto ETFs arrive in Thailand: one product, two rulebooks

From 16 October 2026 Thai asset managers can launch Bitcoin and Ether ETFs. The fund sits under securities law; the crypto inside it sits with a licensed digital asset custodian. Both answer to the SEC.

Last reviewed

1

What happened

On 8 October 2026 the SEC announced regulations for crypto ETFs in Thailand (SEC news no. 216/2026). It issued 11 notifications, effective from 16 October 2026. In the first phase the funds may invest in Bitcoin and Ethereum, and they list only on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Thai mutual funds and private funds may now invest in Thai crypto ETFs, within existing limits; securities companies may not lend on margin to buy them.

2

Where it sits on the map

A crypto ETF is a mutual fund. Managing a mutual fund is a securities business, licensed by the Minister of Finance on the SEC's recommendation (Securities and Exchange Act, section 90), and each fund needs the SEC Office's approval (section 117).

The crypto inside the fund is a different matter. The SEC's rules require it to be safeguarded only by digital asset custodians regulated by the SEC — businesses licensed under the Emergency Decree on Digital Asset Businesses. One product, two licence families, one regulator.

Figure 8 — Thailand's financial regulatory landscapeThe Ministry of Finance signs most financial licences. Three sector regulators recommend: the Bank of Thailand (banks, payments, supervised lending, foreign exchange), the SEC (securities, funds, digital assets) and the Office of Insurance Commission (insurance). AMLO's anti-money laundering duties and the PDPC's data protection rules apply across all of them.MOFMinistry of FinanceSigns most licencesHOW A LICENCE IS GRANTED1 The regulator assesses and recommends2 The Minister of Finance grantsSome approvals stay with the regulator (below)BOTBank of ThailandCommercial and virtual banksPayment and e-money servicesSupervised lendingMoney changers and transfer agentsDIRECTRegisters some payment servicesSECSecurities and ExchangeCommissionSecurities brokers, dealers, underwritersFund managers and investment advisorsDigital asset exchanges, brokers, dealersCustodial wallets, DA fund managersDIRECTApproves ICO portalsOICOffice of InsuranceCommissionLife insurersNon-life insurersInsurance agentsInsurance brokersDIRECTRegistrar licenses agents and brokersRECOMMENDSRECOMMENDSRECOMMENDSAPPLIES ACROSS EVERY ROWAMLOAnti-Money Laundering OfficeCustomer due diligence and transaction reporting for financial institutions and listed businessesPDPCPersonal Data Protection CommitteeThe PDPA applies to businesses that collect, use or disclose personal data — licensed or not
Figure 8 — Thailand's financial regulatory landscapeThe Ministry of Finance signs most financial licences. Three sector regulators recommend: the Bank of Thailand (banks, payments, supervised lending, foreign exchange), the SEC (securities, funds, digital assets) and the Office of Insurance Commission (insurance). AMLO's anti-money laundering duties and the PDPC's data protection rules apply across all of them.MOFMinistry of FinanceSigns most licences1 The regulator assesses and recommends2 The Minister of Finance grantsBOTBank of ThailandCommercial and virtual banksPayment and e-money servicesSupervised lendingMoney changers and transfer agentsDirect: Registers some payment servicesSECSecurities and ExchangeCommissionSecurities brokers, dealers, underwritersFund managers and investment advisorsDigital asset exchanges, brokers, dealersCustodial wallets, DA fund managersDirect: Approves ICO portalsOICOffice of Insurance CommissionLife insurersNon-life insurersInsurance agentsInsurance brokersDirect: Registrar licenses agents and brokersAPPLIES ACROSS EVERY ROWAMLOAnti-Money Laundering OfficeCustomer due diligence and transaction reportingfor financial institutions and listed businessesPDPCPersonal Data Protection CommitteeThe PDPA applies to businesses that collect, use ordisclose personal data — licensed or not

Figure 8Thailand's financial regulatory landscape — the SEC pathThe regulator recommends; for most licence families the Minister of Finance signs. AMLO's duties and the PDPA apply across every row. As of October 2026. See the full map and table

3

What it means if you are applying

  • Asset managers launching a crypto ETF work within their existing securities licence, need SEC approval for each fund and must show the people, systems and service providers to run it. They may outsource digital asset investment management only to a licensed digital asset fund manager.
  • Digital asset custodians become part of the fund's chain. Holding a fund's crypto, directly or as a sub-custodian, calls for a digital asset custodian licence; custodians with the readiness can also register as the fund's mutual fund supervisor (Securities and Exchange Act, section 121).
  • Both sides are financial institutions for anti-money laundering purposes: securities companies under the Anti-Money Laundering Act (section 3), digital asset businesses under the Emergency Decree (section 7). Customer due diligence and transaction reporting apply on both.

The full map, the who-regulates-what table and every source are on the landscape page.

4

Sources

  1. SEC news No. 216/2026 (8 Oct 2026): SEC issues regulations for crypto ETFs in Thailand
  2. InfoQuest (8 Oct 2026) — SEC issues 11 notifications for crypto ETFs, effective 16 Oct 2026 (Thai) (news or commentary)
  3. SEC news No. 171/2569 (24 Aug 2026): public hearing on crypto ETF rules (Thai)
  4. SEC public hearing on the regulatory framework for crypto ETF (hearing 16/2569)
  5. Securities and Exchange Act B.E. 2535, s. 90 and s. 117
  6. Emergency Decree on Digital Asset Businesses B.E. 2561 (as amended to No. 2 B.E. 2568), s. 3 (unofficial SEC translation)
  7. Emergency Decree on Digital Asset Businesses, s. 26 and s. 26/1
  8. Emergency Decree on Digital Asset Businesses, s. 7
  9. Anti-Money Laundering Act B.E. 2542 (consolidated), s. 3, 13, 20/1 (unofficial AMLO translation)

Accessed and last reviewed . Each figure and table cell is traced to a source above.

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