Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission will introduce tougher compliance requirements for brokers, asset managers and other capital market intermediaries as part of a broader effort to combat financial crime. The Thailand mule accounts crackdown will take effect on Aug. 16 and is designed to strengthen safeguards against money laundering, cyber-enabled fraud and the misuse of investment accounts. Under the new rules, firms will be required to enhance customer due dilig

The Missing Layer in Family Office Investing (Article 2 of 4) CSRD, AI disclosure norms, and the expanding governance perimeter — why private wealth can no longer sit outside the regulatory frame. There is a widely held assumption in private wealth management that AI and ESG governance regulations are designed for large public companies. Publicly listed, heavily scrutinised, institutionally owned. Not for the family office managing a mid-market portfolio across three jurisdic

Families across Asia are increasingly moving away from traditional property-based wealth transfers and introducing younger generations to investing through stocks, funds and insurance products. The Asian inheritance planning trend reflects changing attitudes towards wealth preservation and long-term financial growth. In South Korea, Choi Nam-joon gave his eight-year-old son three Samsung Electronics shares worth KRW500,000 (USD332) as a birthday gift, saying the investment wa

Schroders Wealth Management has appointed Sharon Sim as Head of Business Development for Asia as the firm continues expanding its regional wealth-management platform. The Schroders Asia business development role will be based in Singapore and will focus on identifying growth opportunities, strengthening client relationships and building strategic partnerships across the region. The appointment follows the recent naming of Evonne Tan as chief executive for Asia and reinforces

Hong Kong’s new cross-border yacht framework could transform luxury vessels into more liquid and practical Greater Bay Area assets for family offices and high-net-worth individuals. The Hong Kong yacht reforms follow a State Council directive issued on May 29 exempting Hong Kong and Macao-registered yachts from customs guarantees at designated mainland ports. Under the new Hong Kong yacht reforms, eligible yachts can enter ports in nine Greater Bay Area cities without cancell

Family offices are looking to reduce exposure to North American assets and increase allocations to China, Asia and western Europe as geopolitical tensions, debt concerns and uncertainty over the US dollar reshape investment strategies, according to UBS. The family office China allocation findings come from the bank’s Global Family Office Report 2026 covering 307 family offices across more than 30 markets. Although North America remains the largest regional allocation at 52%,

Hong Kong has experienced stronger investment activity following recent conflicts in the Middle East, according to Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po. The Hong Kong capital inflows trend has been supported by international investors seeking stability and access to Asian markets. Chan told lawmakers that European and American investors accounted for approximately 40% of inflows into Hong Kong’s stock market rally since September 2024, while Southbound Stock Connect contribute

DBS plans to open 18 new and upgrade 36 existing locations across Asia-Pacific by the end of 2027 in what the bank described as its largest physical expansion of wealth services to date. The DBS wealth centres expansion will cover Singapore, Hong Kong, China, India, Indonesia and Taiwan. The first locations under the DBS wealth centres expansion are expected to open in the third quarter of 2026. DBS said the programme will increase its Treasures wealth-centre footprint in Sin

Family offices managing billions of dollars are becoming increasingly cautious about geopolitical tensions, sovereign debt risks and the long-term role of the US dollar while continuing to increase exposure to artificial intelligence investments, according to the latest UBS Global Family Office Report. The family office asset allocation survey covered 307 family offices with average assets under management of USD1.3bn. UBS found that 64% of respondents view geopolitical confl

HSBC chief executive Georges Elhedery and other senior executives are personally engaging with clients in Hong Kong as the bank seeks to revive its underperforming investment banking operations, according to Bloomberg. The HSBC investment banking Hong Kong initiative includes direct client outreach, personalised communications and stronger engagement with key corporate relationships across the Greater Bay Area. Elhedery has reportedly marketed projects directly to clients, se

Asia-Pacific’s affluent investors remain broadly optimistic despite geopolitical tensions, inflation pressures and market volatility, according to research by private bank Lombard Odier. The Asia wealthy investors survey covered more than 390 high-net-worth individuals across regional markets and found confidence remains strong despite growing uncertainty. Recession was identified as the leading concern by 53.5% of respondents, followed by worries about a major equity-market

Family offices in China are shifting from rapid expansion towards higher-quality development as the country prepares for what industry executives describe as the largest intergenerational wealth transfer in its history. The China family office wealth transfer wave is expected to involve more than RMB20tr (USD2.8tr) over the next decade, according to a white paper released by WRISE Group and research firm Puyi Standard. WRISE said the China family office wealth transfer trend

Hong Kong’s Financial Services Development Council said the city’s rise above Switzerland as the world’s leading booking centre for cross-border wealth represents an important achievement but not the endpoint of its ambitions as an international financial centre. The Hong Kong wealth hub assessment follows findings in Boston Consulting Group’s 2026 Global Wealth Report highlighting the shift. FSDC executive director Rocky Tung said the Hong Kong wealth hub remains well positi

Hong Kong banks are tightening scrutiny of mainland Chinese clients opening savings and investment accounts as Beijing intensifies efforts to curb illegal cross-border trading and capital outflows. The Hong Kong mainland client checks have expanded across several major lenders in the city, according to people familiar with the matter. Some large Chinese banks in Hong Kong have reportedly suspended the opening of investment and wealth-management accounts for mainland residents

ESG-AI Governance for Family Offices and Wealth Managers A weekly series published in partnership with AsiaFirst The Gap Nobody Is Pricing In by Alfons Futterer How an ungoverned AI and ESG blind spot is quietly eroding returns in private portfolios — and why most family offices have not yet noticed. Eighty-six percent of family offices are now using AI in their operations. Sixty-five percent plan to increase AI as a strategic priority in their portfolios. And yet, in a recen

Singapore aims to reduce private bank account opening times for wealthy clients to within one month by the end of 2026 as authorities seek to strengthen the city-state’s position as a trusted global wealth management hub. The Singapore private bank onboarding initiative is being led by the Monetary Authority of Singapore together with the Private Banking Industry Group. MAS managing director Chia Der Jiun said onboarding currently takes around six weeks or longer for more com

HSBC Private Bank has appointed Edward Chiu as Onshore Taiwan Market Head effective June 1, 2026, as the bank strengthens its onshore wealth management operations in Taiwan. The HSBC Taiwan private banking appointment comes as competition intensifies for affluent and ultra-high-net-worth clients across North Asia. Chiu has more than 20 years of experience in wealth management and affluent banking in Taiwan and has served as Head of Premier Elite at HSBC Taiwan since 2024. He

Asian family offices explored investment opportunities in Britain during the recent Coutts Family Office Forum in Singapore as the UK intensified efforts to attract capital from wealthy investors across Asia-Pacific. The Asian family offices UK discussions focused on cross-border investment opportunities, wealth management expertise and partnerships between Britain and Asia’s expanding private wealth sector. Martin Kent, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific, said

HSBC is targeting growth in its Hong Kong customer base to 7.5 million, roughly matching the city’s population, as the bank accelerates expansion of its wealth management operations and seeks to attract more international investors. The HSBC Hong Kong wealth strategy follows the addition of nearly two million customers during the past two years, bringing total customers to seven million at the end of 2025. Hong Kong chief executive Maggie Ng said the city’s role as a wealth m

Hong Kong banks are opening more luxury wealth centres in premium commercial locations as competition intensifies for high-net-worth and family office clients amid lower interest rates and rising demand for fee-based advisory income. The Hong Kong luxury wealth centres expansion reflects a wider shift away from traditional branch banking towards exclusive advisory venues tailored for affluent customers. HSBC recently opened its fifth Hong Kong luxury wealth centres location a