(Main picture shows Bangkok.)

The fund lends against listed equity positions, allowing major shareholders to raise capital without selling down their stakes. Broker lending desks have offered similar financing in Thailand, but a pooled vehicle of this scale dedicated to the market is new. The strategy will also consider opportunities on other exchanges in Asia-Pacific, the parties said in a statement yesterday. 

The launch targets a market moving back into favour with foreign investors. The SET Index rose 26.3 per cent in the first half of 2026 to close at 1,591.24, one of the best performances in the region, while foreign investors bought a net $881 million of Thai equities over the period, having sold a net THB108 billion in 2025. 

Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission's 2026-2028 strategic plan prioritises liquidity and international competitiveness, with a new individual savings account scheme, TISA, launched this year and a market-maker programme under study for small and mid-cap stocks.

Ownership of the market remains concentrated: exchange data shows 451 of the 791 companies listed on the SET and the MAI are family businesses, accounting for 57 per cent of listed companies and 43 per cent of total market capitalisation. 

The fund will target renewable energy, digital infrastructure and data centres, electric vehicles and green manufacturing, sectors facing rising capital needs. In May, the Asian Development Bank unveiled a $70 billion programme through to 2035 to connect Asia's power grids and digital networks, with Southeast Asia being central to the build-out.