The Thailand Futures Exchange (TFEX) is undertaking a major role shift to become a "risk management tool" for investors, launching new products such as Mini Gold and short-term contracts to make access easier for retail investors.
Trewit Wangwarawut, Managing Director of the Thailand Futures Exchange Public Company Limited (TFEX), said at the Meet The Press event that the Stock Exchange's key goal this year is to change the perception that TFEX is merely a complex speculative market, aiming instead for retail investors to access and use it as a "risk management tool."
"TFEX is not just a tool for speculators but a risk management tool for investors. Investing is like drawing with a pencil—you buy stocks, funds, or gold to build your portfolio. But without an 'eraser,' if you make a mistake, you cannot fix it. TFEX acts like an eraser, helping reduce or prevent risks when investments don't go as expected."
To further explain TFEX, the reporter will present a hypothetical example as follows.
Suppose Mr. A has a stock portfolio worth 500,000 baht. One day, the market starts showing signs of risk of decline, but Mr. A does not want to sell because he believes in the long-term outlook. He can use TFEX as a risk management tool without having to sell his holdings.
For example, if Mr. A fears a stock decline, he can use SET50 Futures to profit from a downward market. If the stock market does fall, the profits from TFEX will offset losses in Mr. A's portfolio. If the market does not fall, his portfolio continues to grow. Simply put, TFEX helps reduce portfolio risk without selling assets.
With this explanation, it becomes clear how TFEX serves as a risk management tool for investors.
One of this year's highlights is the upcoming launch of Mini Gold Online Futures, a futures contract referencing global gold prices but with a smaller size.
Previously, investing in one Gold Futures contract, equivalent to 10 ounces of gold, required a margin over 100,000 baht, making it difficult for retail investors to access. Mini Gold reduces the contract size to 1 ounce—one-tenth the size—requiring only tens of thousands of baht to start, while still allowing profit or risk hedging from gold price movements. Investors do not need to hold physical gold and can profit whether prices rise or fall. TFEX is also studying the issuance of Mini Silver contracts.
Additionally, TFEX plans to introduce new contracts to accommodate both short- and long-term investors, such as:
Short-date Options with short durations, such as weekly contracts, enabling investors to hedge risk during short-term market volatility.
Spot-like products, new types of futures contracts that more closely resemble actual spot asset purchases.
Strategy Builder, a tool to help design options strategies and preset risk levels in advance.
In addition to new products, the Stock Exchange plans to revamp the Streaming Mobile app this year to enhance usability and facilitate investors’ use of derivatives alongside their stock portfolios.
The long-term goal is to promote TFEX as an "essential platform" in every investor's portfolio, not just a niche tool.
The TFEX Managing Director also shared that currently about 4 million Thais invest, but fewer than 10% use TFEX. In 2025, TFEX recorded total trading volume of 100.4 million contracts, averaging 416,352 contracts per day, down from the previous year due to a slowing stock market. However, in early 2026, average daily volume increased to 534,258 contracts, up 28%, reflecting rising demand for risk management tools amid market volatility.
The most popular products remain those linked to the stock market, such as SET50 Futures, SET50 Options, and Stock Futures, which together account for 77% of total trading volume, as investors use them to hedge stock portfolios.