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Published on January 3, 2008

Their aim is to help all parties related to the Thai stock market to survive.

The SET's clumsy organisation has been blamed for its low level of competitiveness, compounded by its small size and the fact that it is one of just a few bourses yet to demutualise.

SET president Patareeya Benjapholchai said adjustments and laying down infrastructure were crucial.

"The SET plans to adopt new technology to increase its efficiency and to develop infrastructures including the trading system, integration and post-trade automation and inter-market surveillance," she said.

It plans to introduce new products and services this year to serve both local and foreign investors. These include stock options, Transferable Custody Receipts and a new series of equity-market indexes called the FTSE SET Index Series, andshortening securities delivery and price settlement to two days.

To lift its competitiveness, the SET is also planning to lower trading barriers created by regulations, push the Finance Ministry to reduce corporate income tax and offer suggestions on raising funds through warrants, capital-increase shares and debt instruments.

The SEC will focus on self-regulation, said secretary-general Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala.

It will arrange quarterly meetings with associations relevant to the bourse to exchange opinions on raising efficiency by setting rules and increasing flexibility for securities and debt-instrument issuers.

"We will concentrate on information disclosure to allow investors to make decisions rather than the current situation, where the SEC screens all information," he said.

Siriporn Chanjindamanee