Tokyo AIM Links With Thai Alternative Investment Market
Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Tokyo AIM, Inc. and the Market for Alternative Investment (MAI), part of the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), have announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore opportunities for closer cooperation.

Future discussions will focus on helping growth companies reach into the capital markets more effectively and the two exchanges are considering a range of possibilities including sharing of market information and personnel exchanges, in order to accelerate the development and ensure the efficient operations of both markets.

“This MoU is to facilitate cooperation between Tokyo AIM and MAI with an expectation that it will expand and deepen the existing relationship between our parent companies the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the SET. Our cooperation will allow Japanese and Thai companies and investors to benefit from the great opportunities both markets offer,” said Tetsutaro Muraki, Tokyo AIM President and CEO.

“A listing on Tokyo AIM will open new financing options to Thai companies and enhance their profile in Japan, while allowing professional Japanese investors to benefit from attractive Thai investment opportunities. I am also hopeful that this MoU will not only contribute to the further development of both exchanges, but through cooperation in capital markets, help to deepen the relationship between Thailand and Japan,” Muraki added.

Chanitr Charnchainarong, President of MAI commented that: “The conclusion of the MoU with Tokyo AIM will allow us to explore a variety of areas for cooperation. In particular, we are studying and preparing to adopt sponsor-supervised listing regulations, using disclosure-based principles, to support entrepreneurs with high growth companies that want to tap the Thai capital market more conveniently as well as introducing more investment alternatives for investors. Tokyo AIM’s experience will help us properly build up the disclosure-based platform.”

“Thailand has seen remarkable economic development in recent years and the number of companies seeking to raise funds to expand overseas is increasing. At the same time, many Japanese companies, particularly in the manufacturing industry, have been expanding into Thailand. Our role is to provide a suitable market platform for those who want to invest and expand alongside this economic growth”, Chanitr concluded.

Tokyo AIM, a market for growing companies which began operations on June 1, 2009, is a joint venture partnership between the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange.

The Market for Alternative Investment was established under the Securities Exchange of Thailand Act and launched in 1999. The objective of the market is to create new fund-raising opportunities for innovative businesses with high potential growth as well as to provide a greater range of investment alternatives for Thai investors.