One of the objectives of the Thai capital market development plan is to enable the public to access and utilize the capital market for savings and investment purposes. SET has taken steps to create opportunities and reduce restrictions to enable prospective investors to access investment services by taking advantage of technological advances which lead to the development of new financial service platforms that correspond with consumer behaviors today, including new services to sell mutual fund units. Currently, there are businesses that wish to provide financial services in this area, driven by new business models that enable them to reach a mass market. Despite their technical expertise, these companies are unable to enter the market because of regulatory hurdles.     

Therefore SEC has revised rules to make it easier for companies to engage in this business, for example, abolishing the rule requiring unit-selling agents to sell investment units of different management companies and waiving the requirement to use the term “securities company” in the company’s title if the company has previously been engaged in other businesses. Additionally, in order to protect investors, SEC has required business operators which provide services exclusively through online outlets to sell only non-complex investment funds.