Thailand's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has issued regulations governing cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs), clearing the way for funds that invest in Bitcoin and Ether to trade on the Stock Exchange of Thailand under a framework that takes effect on October 16, 2026.

The announcement sets the start date for the new regime, which will determine the assets funds may hold, the exposure levels they must maintain, and the conditions under which Thai investors can access the products. With the effective date now fixed, fund managers, licensed custodians, and securities firms have a defined timeline for putting the regime's operational requirements in place before trading can begin.

The rules limit eligible assets during the initial phase to Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH). According to the Thai SEC, funds operating under the framework must maintain an average net exposure of at least 80% of their net asset value to a single cryptocurrency over each accounting year. That threshold effectively structures each fund as a concentrated vehicle in one of the two eligible assets rather than a diversified crypto portfolio.

The ETFs must also track the prices of their underlying assets and use custodians licensed by the regulator to safeguard holdings, the SEC said. The custodian requirement ties product design directly to the regulator's stated focus on overseeing how digital assets are held under the new framework.

Trading will be restricted to the Stock Exchange of Thailand, and investors will be required to acknowledge the risks before purchasing the products. In an additional safeguard, securities firms will be prohibited from providing margin loans to finance ETF purchases, closing off leverage-financed buying through brokerages under the regime.

The framework allows Thai mutual funds and private funds to invest in locally listed crypto ETFs, subject to existing investment limits. Previously, those funds could invest only in foreign crypto ETFs. The new rules extend that access to products listed in the domestic market, widening the set of vehicles through which Thai pooled funds can gain exposure to the two eligible cryptocurrencies.

At the same time, the regulator will initially restrict alternative products linked to foreign crypto ETFs, including depositary receipts, and will limit securities firms' facilitation of foreign crypto ETF investments to institutional and ultra-high-net-worth clients. Read together with the mutual-fund provisions, the initial phase opens the broadest access through locally listed products, while foreign-listed routes stay confined to the largest client categories and indirect instruments are held back. Because both the eligible-asset list and these access restrictions are framed as initial-phase measures, the two-cryptocurrency, single-venue configuration in force from October 16, 2026 represents the framework's starting parameters, with any later adjustment to eligible assets or access channels requiring further SEC rulemaking.

The Thai SEC said the new rules form part of Thailand's efforts to expand regulated cryptocurrency investment opportunities while strengthening investor protection and oversight of digital asset fund management and custody.

The regulations were reported by BitcoinKE on October 10, 2026.