BANGKOK – Thailand plans to simplify stock-listing procedures as part of a broader drive to strengthen capital market competitiveness and attract global investors.
The Thai Capital Market Attractiveness Initiative aims to bolster investor confidence and position the Thai market as a regional fund-raising hub, according to a statement on Oct 6 from the Taskforce for a Competitive and Attractive Market. The move is meant to address both demand- and supply-side challenges.
“We need urgent actions to restore the appeal of the Thai stock market among the international investors,” Mr Asadej Kongsiri, president of Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), said at a press conference. “More listings of companies in the new growth industry should be promptly added to draw those investors’ interest.”
Thailand’s benchmark stock index has dropped more than 7 per cent in 2025, the worst performer among Asia’s major stock markets, as international funds withdrew about US$2.9 billion (S$3.7 billion). Streamlining initial public offering (IPO) and foreign listing processes, attracting high-quality companies and scaling up listed firms’ value may help bring flows back to the country.
The new initiative reflects a coordinated effort between the government and private sectors to drive structural reform and ensure long-term competitiveness, said Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) secretary-general Pornanong Budsaratragoon.
The programme’s next phase will include bond markets, investment units and a digital capital market, she added.
The initiative introduces four pillars – quality demand, attractive supply, trusted market and supportive ecosystem. The Finance Ministry, SEC, SET and Federation of Thai Capital Market Organisations jointly announced the project on Oct 6.
The collaboration is “a significant turning point”, emphasising efforts to attract new economy businesses, enhance transparency and expand investment product offerings to sustain market resilience amid global volatility, according to Mr Asadej. BLOOMBERG