The event, hosted by CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets, started on Monday and runs until Friday.

It is expected to attract more than 500 institutional investors and representatives of 150 leading firms in Asia, SET president Patareeya Benjapholchai said in statement released yesterday.

High-ranking officials from the bourses in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam are also participating.

"Each stock exchange in Asean might have small market capitalisation, but they look interesting grouped together. They have a combined market capitalisation of US$1.17 trillion [Bt41.12 trillion]," she said.

Joining forces to present information is an effort to catch the attention of foreign investors, she said.

The SET is presenting new products and projects under development such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs), options, debt instruments, corporate governance, sunrise industries and securities borrowing and lending.

The SET can provide information directly to fund managers who want additional data to make investment decisions, Patareeya added.

"It is an opportunity to restore confidence in the Thai stock market's fundamentals and invite institutional investors to invest in new instruments to come to the market this year such

as ETFs and SET 50 Options," she said.

The five companies joining the road show are Central Pattana, BEC World, Kiatnakin Bank, Major Cineplex Group and Bumrungrad Hospital.

The SET's plan to lead a road show to Japan is now under reconsideration after the Finance Ministry bowed out, the bourse chief said.