Somkid wants to see more innovative firms go public

He added that the government had a policy to back the Stock Exchange of Thailand as a capital market hub for the CLMV countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam).
“Start-ups will also be advocated to get access to capital via the over-the-counter market,” he said. This is in the process of being set up and is expected to be launched in the third quarter of this year.
Santi Kiranand, senior executive vice president of the SET, said the bourse expected around Bt280 billion in new IPO shares to list on the market this year.

ASPEN SELLS INTOUCH SHARES

Aspen Holdings, one of major shareholders of Intouch Holdings, has sold an 11.95-per-cent stake in the latter firm to its own major shareholder Anderton Investments, according to an Intouch filing to the Stock Exchange of Thailand yesterday.
After the share restructuring, Aspen owns 7.55 per cent of Intouch, down from 19.50 per cent earlier, while Singapore-incorporated Anderton now owns 11.95 per cent, up from zero per cent.
Singtel Global Investment owns 21 per cent of Intouch. Intouch says this change in the shareholding structure will not affect its management structure or business operations.
Intouch is a major shareholder of Thailand’s largest cellular operator in terms of subscription base, Advanced Info Service, and Thailand’s satellite operator Thaicom. The company, formerly known as Shin Corp, was founded by the Shinawatra family.
Aspen, which is associated with Singapore’s state investment arm Temasek Holdings, has gradually sold its shares in Intouch. Last November Aspen sold a 21-per-cent share in Intouch to Singtel’s wholly owned subsidiary Singtel Global Investment, which raised SingTel’s economic exposure to Thailand’s telecommunications market.
After that transaction, Aspen held 19.50 per cent of Intouch, down from 40.50 per cent earlier.
Singtel owns a 23.3-per-cent stake in AIS, while Intouch owns 40.4 per cent.
The Intouch share price yesterday surged 2.36 per cent to close at Bt54.25, while that of AIS rose 1.80 per cent to close at Bt170.

INFLATION RATE EDGES UP 

Tracking the recovery in fuel prices, the inflation rate has climbed higher for 11 straight months, ensuring that it will grow steadily in tandem with economic expansion.
The ministry reported that inflation in the first two months of this year grew steadily at 1.49 per cent, after February’s Consumer Price Index edged up 1.44 per cent year on year. Month on month inflation was 0.04 per cent due to higher fuel prices and rises in the prices of some goods, especially cooked food.
Extrapolating the inflation uptrend over the months ahead, the ministry has retained its inflation projection for this whole year at 1.5-2 per cent. 
The forecast assumes the price of Dubai crude oil averages US$45-$55 per barrel, the baht ranges from 35.5-37.5 to the US dollar and gross domestic product grows 3-3.5 per cent.
“After positive signs of rising inflation, the ministry will retain the inflation target for this year, as inflation has grown in positive territory gradually,” Pimchanok Vonkorpon, director-general of the ministry’s Trade Policy and Strategy Office, said yesterday.
She said the expected slight increases in the CPI in the remaining months should benefit the economy and encourage more spending.
Last month, prices of food and beverages rose 1 per cent year on year, while non-food and beverage prices headed up 1.68 per cent.
Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and fuel prices, firmed up in February by 0.59 per cent year on year and by 0.02 per cent month on month. 
Average core inflation in the first two months of the year perked up to 0.67 per cent, which was in line with the Bank of Thailand’s forecast of|0.5-3 per cent.