Bangkok--4 Mar--SET The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET)’s executives noted a high degree of interest from Japanese investors when they attended Daiwa Investment Conference (Tokyo) during February 18 — 20, at the invitation of Daiwa Securities SMBC. Japanese institutions have included Thailand in their portfolios and are aware that investment here will be easier with the removal of certain impediments, SET President Patareeya Benjapolchai reported. This renowned forum for institutional investors attracted about 1,000 participants, with around 70 Japanese and 20 other Asian listed companies giving presentations. This year, for the first time, the event brought together eight exchanges--NYSE, Euronext and the stock exchanges of Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, India, Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand—which provided updates on their economic, investment and capital market conditions and plans. “Ease of access to basic data and information on the Thai market meets Japanese preconditions for long-term investment. They are also positive about the possible easing of obstacles regarding the transfer of rights offerings and foreign holding limits. SET will be discussing these issues with related parties later,” Ms. Patareeya said. The Exchange will work with brokers who have a significant number of Japanese investors in providing information in Japanese on websites and in documents. SET will establish a Japanese-language site and link it with brokers’ sites. Daiwa Securities is keen to operate a securities business in Thailand and is looking for the right partner. A major outcome of SET’s participation in Daiwa’s conference will be to increase the number of Japanese investing here, Ms. Patareeya added. At the Daiwa road show, SET provided updated information on Thailand’s economy and key indicators and the government’s economic stimulus policy. The delegation pointed out that the Thai capital market’s sound fundamentals are enabling it to successfully weather the current economic crisis and that, compared to regional averages, Thai listed companies have a stronger operational performance with lower financial risk. Furthermore, the capital market continues to introduce innovative financial products, such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and derivatives. 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