On 17 March 2025, The Office of Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand (“SEC”) improved the criteria to exempt digital asset fund manager licenses for securities companies and asset management companies.
This exemption applies to firms that already hold licenses for managing mutual funds (MF) and private funds (PF) that invest in digital assets.
Purpose of the criteria improvement are as follows:
- Support the Growth of Investment Tokens – Encourage greater participation from traditional finance businesses in the market;
- Enhance Investment Flexibility and Diversification – Provide more investment opportunities for MF and PF funds;
- Improve Investor Accessibility – Facilitate easier access to the investment token market, both in primary and secondary markets; and
- Strengthen the Investment Token Ecosystem – Foster a more comprehensive and well-developed market environment.
The SEC conducted a public hearing in Q4 of 2024, where most stakeholders expressed support for the proposed changes.
This revision is expected to enable securities firms and asset management firms to invest in digital assets more efficiently while maintaining appropriate regulatory oversight.
The announcement was published in the Royal Gazette and effective from 16 March 2025 onwards.