Thailand plans overhaul of securities laws to enhance financial oversight

Thailand’s Cabinet on August 25 approved four amendment bills designed to reshape the country’s capital-market laws, granting its Securities and Exchange Commission new powers to investigate serious financial crimes and tightening oversight of auditors and financial advisers. What the reforms actually change The four bills amend several foundational statutes, including the Securities and Exchange Act B.E. 2535, which dates back to 1992, and the Emergency Decree on Digital Asset Businesses B.E. 2561 from 2018. The SEC will gain expanded authority to expedite investigations into serious capital-market offenses. That means faster enforcement timelines and more direct supervision over gatekeepers like auditors and financial advisers. The amendments also modernize rules around electronic documentation, making digital processes legally valid in contexts where paper used to be king. Secondary market regulations and fundraising processes both get updates as well. One amendment specifically targets alignment of the Emergency Decree on Digital Asset Businesses, the legal backbone governing crypto exchanges, token offerings, and digital asset custodians operating in Thailand. SEC Secretary-Ge...