Thailand Drops $150M Blockchain Bond Bomb—Retail Investors Get First Crack

Bangkok bypasses traditional banks with a digital-first bond offering—because who needs middlemen when you’ve got distributed ledgers?

The Thai government’s blockchain play targets local retail investors, sidestepping Wall Street’s usual gatekeepers. Bonds land on a permissioned chain, promising ’democratized access’ (and probably a few sleepless nights for legacy finance lobbyists).

Bonus cynical jab: Watch institutional players suddenly discover ’the beauty of blockchain’ now that mom-and-pop investors might cut into their vig.

Officials say the returns will outpace current bank deposit rates, which remain below 1.5%, though exact yields were not disclosed. The tokens will be tradable on regulated Thai exchanges but restricted to local citizens.

This push toward financial inclusion follows broader trends in tokenized finance, with Thailand’s securities watchdog also developing a blockchain-based trading platform for institutional investors. Unlike cryptocurrencies, these government-issued tokens are designed for stability, offering a controlled on-ramp to the digital economy.