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The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) has announced a three-year plan titled “Towards Sustainable Growth with Innovation” to the end of 2020, said chairman Chaiyawat Wibulswasdi at a press conference yesterday.
The SET will increase the number of listed firms in the market, both among companies registered in Thailand and overseas. 
The SET will develop new investment tools through digital platforms and provide more information on saving in view of the country’s approach to an ageing society, he said.
The stock exchange will support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in raising capital under the LiVE platform and also promote CLMV countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam) to raise capital from the SET.
President Kesara Manchusree said the SET targets an increase of Bt550 billion in market capitalisation from newly listed companies planning to raise capital in the market. The SET's market capitalisation at the end of year 2017 stood at Bt17.92 trillion, up 15.62 per cent from the end of year 2016.
 The SET also expects 100 startups and SMEs to register through LiVE platform this year, she said.
Meanwhile, the SET Index ended its winning streak yesterday, closing at 1,792.81, down 2.64 points or 0.14 per cent from Friday’s close. Trading value was Bt78.35 billion. Foreign investors recorded net sales of Bt3.3 billion. 

PUSH FOR EXPORTS 

The Ministry of Commerce (MOC) will present an indicator to measure 168 countries’ import potential of Thai products to Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak this week as a means to push up Thai exports to destinations where Thailand has experienced low export volumns. 
 Pimchanok Vonkorpon, director-general of the MOC’s Trade Policy and Strategy Office, said that based on the recent survey for the index, Thailand has exported its products below its destinations' import potential of Thai products in 51 countries, out of total 168 countries, particularly India, Germany, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom (UK).
 The ministry will set these countries as the targets to drive free trade agreements (FTAs) to enhance Thailand’s export potential there, given high rates of import duty for Thai export products to these countries.
 Among 120 countries, of 168 countries recently surveyed with the highest import potential figures, 24 countries have witnessed a balance between Thai export and their import potential of Thai products. These 24 countries included China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the United States. In 45 countries including Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, Thailand exported higher than their import potential of Thai products.
 When the UK leaves the European Union (EU), Thailand could gain an opportunity to export more of its products, particularly in groups of aviation, automobiles and parts, jewellery and accessories, and food, to the country.
 Therefore, a Thailand-EU FTA will focus more on negotiation by market, while Thailand will drive exports in the form of clusters.