Thailand’s National E-payment Master Plan (NEMP) is a five-pillar approach that aims to transform Thailand into a mostly cashless society through the launch of new digital and online payment options. The strategy, under development since 2014, has made major strides after the government launched the first pillar, known as PromptPay, in early 2017. Interbank transfers are offered at a fraction…
The Thai equity market is one of the most developed and liquid capital markets in Asia. In 2016 the Thai stock market had share turnover velocity of 62%, the highest among the ASEAN 5 (Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines) and the second largest in terms of market capitalisation after Singapore at $437bn, or 117% of GDP. Supported by regulator policies to enhance the…
Thailand is developing its EEC project to attract new foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows for next-generation manufacturing and production as part of the Thailand 4.0 initiative, which emphasises innovation, complex high-tech manufacturing and development of a highly skilled workforce. Investors in the EEC will benefit from an expansive package of incentives, including tax breaks and direct…
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) missed its targets for initial public offerings (IPOs) in 2016 after two deals were delayed due to a change in accounting standards under the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) financial reporting requirements. Despite the temporary contraction, IPO growth is set to accelerate in 2017, with IPO attractiveness buoyed by triple-digit growth in share…
A series of notifications and amendments related to foreign ownership in the Thai insurance sector has seen the market become more liberalised at a rapid pace. Four reforms have been mandated by the government in recent years, and as of mid-2017, another was in draft form. In part, the adjustments reflect country’s favourable stance towards liberalisation, especially in light of the imminent…
The Thailand Futures Exchange (TFEX) has been operating under the Derivatives Act of B.E. 2546 (2003), which allows the TFEX to trade futures, options and options on futures where the permitted underlying assets are: equities, including stock index and individual stocks; debt instruments, meaning bonds and interest rates; commodities, precious metals and base metals; and others indices, such…
The local authorities are moving to liberalise restrictions on foreign investment in structured notes, permitting investors to buy Thai equity-linked notes that are linked to individual foreign companies, as well as foreign currencies. The changes should also help Thailand compete with the region’s primary private banking hubs Singapore and Hong Kong, as well as capitalising on growth opportunities…
The rise of Thailand’s industrial power base, along with ongoing urbanisation of the country’s population, has the government and power producers striving to stay a step ahead of consumers’ increasing appetite for electricity. Since 2002 electricity consumption has increased 55%, from 100,091 GWh to 182,847 GWh in 2016, according to data compiled by the Energy Policy and Planning Office…
In spite of the recent slowdown of economic growth in South-east Asia that followed more than a decade of rapid expansion, the region continues to exhibit vast, untapped growth potential – both in terms of demand, with an increasingly affluent consumer base, and in terms of supply, with an increasingly diverse array of goods and services. Situated at a key crossroads, Thailand is well placed…
Accounting for roughly one-quarter of Thailand’s 68m inhabitants and serving as the economic, social and political heart of the country, maintaining the efficient flow of people and goods in, out and around Bangkok is crucial to keeping the country moving. The Bangkok Metropolitan Region (BMR) dominates the country both financially and demographically, with its six districts encompassing 7785…
