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Thailand's Securities and Exchange Commission is preparing new regulations to support crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs), crypto futures trading and tokenized investment products.
SEC deputy secretary-general Jomkwan Kongsakul said the regulator plans to issue formal guidelines supporting the establishment of <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitcoin-etfs-come-into-year-like-lion" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">crypto ETFs</a> in Thailand “early this year,” the Bangkok Post <a href="https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/investment/3180638/sec-to-expand-digital-asset-framework" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">reported</a> on Thursday.
“A key advantage of crypto ETFs is ease of access; they eliminate concerns over hacking and wallet security, which has been a major barrier for many investors,” Kongsakul said.
The SEC will also regulate and enable <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/analysts-tip-risk-appetite-return-bitcoin-futures-oi-climbs-13" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">crypto futures</a> trading on the Thailand Futures Exchange (TFEX), while other key initiatives include establishing market makers for liquidity and recognizing digital assets as an official asset class under the Derivatives Act.&nbsp;
Thailand is angling to become a regional crypto hub for <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/thailand-tokenize-150-million-government-bonds" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">institutional investors</a> as retail trading remains popular even as crypto payments are banned, with the country’s largest exchange, Bitkub, seeing daily volumes of around $60 million.
<h2 id="tighter-rules-for-financial-influencers">Tighter rules for financial influencers</h2>
Kongsakul said the SEC’s board had approved crypto ETFs in principle and is at the stage of finalizing investment and operational rules.
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 <img src="https://s3.cointelegraph.com/uploads/2026-01/019be452-92e8-7699-a647-4f4218cd6dc4.jpg" title="" alt="Thailand plans crypto ETF rules as institutional interest increases">
 <figcaption style="text-align: center;">
 Jomkwan Kongsakul (middle), pictured speaking at a conference in 2019, says the Thai SEC is moving to support crypto ETFs with rules. Source: <a href="https://x.com/BizHRAsia_UNDP/status/1203903358903312384/photo/1" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">UNDP</a>
 </figcaption>
</figure>
The SEC said crypto would be treated as “another asset class” and investors could allocate up to 5% of a diverse portfolio to digital assets.
Related: <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/thailand-crypto-gold-anti-grey-money-crackdown" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Thailand targets ‘gray money’ with unified oversight of gold and crypto</a>
The SEC is also tightening oversight of so-called “financial influencers,” with Kongsakul saying that “any recommendation related to securities or investment returns will require proper authorisation as either an investment advisor or introducing broker.”
The agency is also collaborating with the Bank of Thailand on a tokenization sandbox, and the SEC “will encourage issuers of bond tokens to enter the regulatory sandbox,” Kongsakul added.
<h2 id="kucoin-thailand-moves-to-resolve-the-sec-suspension">KuCoin Thailand moves to resolve the SEC suspension&nbsp;</h2>
Meanwhile, the Thai SEC suspended KuCoin Thailand’s operations earlier in January after its capital fell below the minimum requirements for five consecutive days, local news outlet The Nation <a href="https://www.nationthailand.com/business/digital-assets/40061525" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">reported</a> on Wednesday.&nbsp;
The company attributed the issue to a shareholder dispute between Singapore’s CI group and KuCoin Global that prevented the approval of a planned capital increase, rather than actual financial liquidity problems.
KuCoin, which <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/kucoin-launches-regulated-thailand-exchange-after-erx-acquisition" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">entered the Thai market</a> in June 2025, is also planning for its local entity to apply for a digital-asset broker license, which it says would allow it to offer a wider range of financial products.
Magazine: <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/magazine/crypto-moving-dubai-abu-dhabi/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Here’s why crypto is moving to Dubai and Abu Dhabi</a>

Thailand plans crypto ETF rules as institutional interest increases

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