Stock Exchanges in Thailand Extend Trading Hours
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) and the Market for Alternative Investment (MAI) have increased their trading hours, now commencing the afternoon session 30 minutes earlier from March 25.
This allows for a total of five hours of daily trading on both exchanges.
This adjustment brings the SET's schedule in line with other regional markets and provides investors with increased trading options.
Trading in the afternoon will now begin with a pre-opening from 1:30 pm to 2:00 pm, followed by the regular session until 4:30 pm.
Morning sessions continue as usual, from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm, preluded by a pre-opening period from 9:30 am.
The Thailand Futures Exchange Plc (TFEX) has also shifted its afternoon trading period earlier by 30 minutes for various financial instruments, including equity futures, options, currency futures, and interest rate futures.
Interest rate futures on TFEX now trade from 1:45 pm to 4:00 pm, while trading for equity and currency futures extends until 4:55 pm.
The extension comes after directives from Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to evaluate the impacts of prolonged trading with the intention of attracting more foreign investors.
Opinions are divided on the potential success of the initiative. Pawarisa Lertkijkhunanont, from Asia Plus Securities, hopes for an increase in daily turnover to 50 billion baht, despite acknowledging minimal risks to the SET.
Notably, Thailand has experienced a net foreign sell-off this year, amounting to US$881 million, along with a 3.4% drop in the SET index.
Conversely, Suwat Wattanapornprom of Krungsri Capital Securities is skeptical that the extended hours will have a significant effect without substantive improvements in the Thai stock market's fundamentals.
The recent decline in the SET index is attributed to poor performance results of listed companies, leading to doubts about attracting foreign investment merely through extended trading hours.
This adjustment brings the SET's schedule in line with other regional markets and provides investors with increased trading options.
Trading in the afternoon will now begin with a pre-opening from 1:30 pm to 2:00 pm, followed by the regular session until 4:30 pm.
Morning sessions continue as usual, from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm, preluded by a pre-opening period from 9:30 am.
The Thailand Futures Exchange Plc (TFEX) has also shifted its afternoon trading period earlier by 30 minutes for various financial instruments, including equity futures, options, currency futures, and interest rate futures.
Interest rate futures on TFEX now trade from 1:45 pm to 4:00 pm, while trading for equity and currency futures extends until 4:55 pm.
The extension comes after directives from Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to evaluate the impacts of prolonged trading with the intention of attracting more foreign investors.
Opinions are divided on the potential success of the initiative. Pawarisa Lertkijkhunanont, from Asia Plus Securities, hopes for an increase in daily turnover to 50 billion baht, despite acknowledging minimal risks to the SET.
Notably, Thailand has experienced a net foreign sell-off this year, amounting to US$881 million, along with a 3.4% drop in the SET index.
Conversely, Suwat Wattanapornprom of Krungsri Capital Securities is skeptical that the extended hours will have a significant effect without substantive improvements in the Thai stock market's fundamentals.
The recent decline in the SET index is attributed to poor performance results of listed companies, leading to doubts about attracting foreign investment merely through extended trading hours.
