Bangkok--3 Jan--SET The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) plans in 2008 to encourage listed companies to boost their corporate governance (CG) scores 5%. This is intended to upgrade good governance among listed firms and to help SET earn more trust from local and international investors. “Currently, listed companies’ corporate governance (CG) scores are 71 points, as assessed by the Thai Institute of Directors (IOD), a 3% increase from 2006’s 69 points,” said Mr. Suthichai Chitvanich, The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Executive Vice President. “The SET plans that this will go up by 5% in 2008 to 74 points.” The CG standards are based on those set by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and on suggestions made in the World Bank’s Corporate Governance — Reports on the Observance of Standards and Codes. In 2008, SET’s Corporate Governance Center will continue to promote greater understanding of good CG among SET-listed companies’ executives by encouraging 10% more of their Boards of Directors to attend special IOD training, said Mr. Suthichai. “By realizing the importance of CG and its direct benefits to the organizations and their shareholders, SET plans to persuade them to apply CG at work while adding more value to the companies, their shareholders and stakeholders.” In 2007, SET welcomed over 400 SET-listed companies’ board members to the directors’ training, exceeding its target of 360. To date, 70% of the 4,000 directors of listed firms have taken part in this seminar. They are expected to be a major force in bringing their firms’ CG to international standards. Additionally, in 2007 the CG Center’s advisors visited over 70 listed companies to guide them on implementating the SET’s CG principles. The CG advisors also held 46 other CG seminars and 30 CG forums for several Thai organizations during 2007. The SET has released a CG self-assessment manual for companies’ reference, plus several manuals on how to act in accordance with CG concepts, and joined the Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy at Thammasat University and the Professor Sangvien Indaravijaya Foundation in teaching CG as an elective course for undergraduate students starting in the second semester of the 2007 academic year. This is the first time a CG course has been taught at the tertiary level in Thailand. For more information, please contact the Corporate Communications Dept.: Ladawan Kantawong Tel: 0-2229-2036 / Kulvida Jintakawong Tel: 0-2229-2037 / Nattaporn Boonprapa Tel: 0-2229-2049 / Watsamon Saowakhonsathien Tel: 0-2229-2797