Since I started getting into the investment world, I’ve noticed that many people are confused about where to begin if they don’t have deep knowledge at all. I’d like to share my understanding of mutual funds, which I believe are a very good tool for beginners.

Simply put, a mutual fund is like pooling money with other investors, and then having a professional (Fund Manager) manage it on your behalf. Our money is converted into investment units, and the value will change according to the performance of the assets the fund holds. That’s what’s called NAV (Net Asset Value).

Who is it suitable for? This is important—beginner investors who don’t yet know how to analyze individual stocks, people who don’t have time to follow the news, or anyone who wants to diversify risk but doesn’t know how to allocate it. Also, there are funds that offer tax deductions.

When it comes to types, there are many: Money Market Fund (low risk—suitable for parking money), Fixed Income Fund (debt instruments—moderate risk), Equity Fund (stocks—higher risk but higher upside), Mixed Fund (can adjust allocations according to the market), and Alternative Investment Fund (gold and real estate—more complex).

There are also Index Funds that keep it simple by tracking an index, Sector Funds that focus on a single industry, Foreign Investment Funds that invest overseas, and tax-advantaged funds (SSF, RMF, ThaiESG).

Choosing the right fund is important. I think you need to know yourself first—what are your goals (buy a car? retirement? your child?), what’s your time horizon, and how much risk you can tolerate. Then you can look at the fund’s investment policy, and compare its performance with the index using Maximum Drawdown (maximum loss), Sharpe Ratio, and fees.

For 2569 (2026), I see some interesting trends—AI is thriving, clean energy, sustainable healthcare, and emerging markets like Vietnam. Let’s go ahead and summarize mutual funds that are worth watching.

For Thai dividend stocks, there is SCBDV (Thai Commercial) that focuses on large-cap stocks listed on the SET and pays dividends consistently, and KFSDIV (Krungsri) which mixes stocks of all sizes, with better growth opportunities.

If you want to follow the AI and technology trend, there is KT-WTAI-A (KT) that invests directly through the Allianz Global AI fund, or B-INNOTECH (Bualuang) that invests through Fidelity Global Technology, covering general technology.

For emerging markets, PRINCIPAL VNEQ-A (Vietnam) is an interesting option, where the manager selects Vietnamese stocks with high growth potential.

If you’re not ready to take high risk yet, KTSTPLUS-A (Krung Thai) is a short-term debt instrument with low risk, suitable for saving money, or TISCOFLEXP (TISCO) which is flexible and can adjust its allocation according to the market.

If you want to align with ESG trends, there is KFCLIMA-A (Krungsri) which focuses on Climate Tech and clean energy, or ASP-THAIESG (Asset Plus) which invests in sustainable Thai stocks. And K-GHEALTH (K) in healthcare is also a defensive growth option for long-term growth.

When it comes to fees, you need to look at them carefully—there are sales fees (when buying), management fees, and custodian fees; all of these are combined into TER (Total Expense Ratio). Even if it differs by 1% per year, it can affect returns by dozens of percentage points over 20–30 years.

The advantage of mutual funds is that they diversify risk, are managed by professionals, have high liquidity, require relatively little capital, and offer many options. The disadvantages are that there are fees, you can’t control things directly, it depends on the manager’s skills, and there is a tax burden.

In summary, the mutual funds that are interesting for 2569 (2026) should align with global megatrends—whether that’s AI, ESG, healthcare, or emerging markets. Find 10 mutual funds that fit your goals and risk level, and start building long-term wealth right away.