Bangkok--12 Oct--SET The Market for Alternative Investment (mai) and Office for SME Promotion (OSMEP) will host the conference, Venture Capital: success and opportunity for entrepreneurs, to promote venture capital as a fundraising source for Thai businesses. The event will be on Wednesday October 17, 2007, at 13:00 hours, at the Intercontinental Hotel, Bangkok. Seminar participants will learn how to successfully access and obtain funds from public and private sector venture capital organizations, mai President Mr. Chanitr Charnchainarong said. “Venture capital strengthens business’s capital base. Furthermore, if, after initial support, a venture capital firm exits a joint venture by listing a company on the Exchange, this benefits and adds supply to the stock market,” Mr. Chanitr added. “Most Thai small and medium enterprises (SMEs) lack a long-term funding source and are accustomed to borrowing from commercial banks, who are concerned with SMEs’ high debt-to-equity (D/E) ratio. However, using venture capital helps balance their D/E ratio. This seminar will help entrepreneurs gain a better understanding of the advantages of this funding source,” OSMEP Director General Ms. Jitraporn Techacharn said. Speakers at Venture Capital: success and opportunity for entrepreneurs are Ms. Wiwan Tharahirunchote, Executive Vice Chairman, Kasikorn Asset Management Limited, Mr. Kunakorn Mekchaidee, President, Thai Venture Capital Association, Mr. Upakrom Thaweephoke, Deputy Managing Director, Tirathai PCL, Mr. Winyu Chaiyakul, Chief Operation Officer, Blue Spice Co., Ltd., and Mr. Montri Aroon, Director-Venture Capital Fund Management, OSMEP. Mr. Chanitr will give the keynote address entitled: The importance and advantages of venture capital. For more details about this event or to reserve a place, please contact SME Thailand Magazine tel. 0-2270-1123-4. For more information, please contact the Corporate Communications Dept.: Ladawan Kantawong Tel: 0-2229-2036 / Sarinluck Jitkawong Tel: 0-2229-2037 / Nattaporn Boonprapa Tel: 0-2229-2049 / Watsamon Saowakhonsathien Tel: 0-2229-2797