Thailand Opens the Door to Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs While Hosting the IMF

Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued 11 notifications on October 8, allowing exchange-traded funds that hold Bitcoin and Ethereum to be listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET).

The rules take effect on October 16, in the middle of the 2026 IMF–World Bank Group Annual Meetings, which run from October 12 to 18 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok. The meetings are being held in Thailand for the first time since 1991.

Eleven Notifications, Two Eligible Assets and an 80% Exposure Floor

The SEC’s announcement limits eligible assets in the initial stage to Bitcoin and Ethereum, a list the regulator set out in a separate notification, and says any future additions will be assessed on liquidity, market acceptance, network security, and investor protection. Each fund must be passive, track the price of a single crypto asset, and maintain an average net exposure of at least 80% of its net asset value to that asset in each accounting year. Fund assets can only be held by SEC-regulated digital asset custodians, although the regulator said it may later allow qualified foreign custodians.

The rules followed two rounds of public hearings, on the principles in April and May 2026 and on the draft notifications in August and September, and the SEC said most respondents supported both. Domestic mutual funds and private funds, which until now could invest only in foreign crypto ETFs, may also buy Thai crypto ETFs within existing investment limits.