Its positive to see the SET relaxing its draconian listing requirements. The number of IPO’s in Thailand have been very low for the past few years with half (3) of the listings this year being property funds. Hopefully this relaxation in holding co’s will expand the number of new choices here in Thailand.

Kannikar Chalitaporn, president of Siam Commercial Bank (SCB), said yesterday that the new requirement for a holding company to own at least 50 per cent of all shares with voting rights in its subsidiaries, amended from 75 per cent, would encourage holding companies in the infrastructure sector to list on the Thai bourse.

The new regulation will go into effect on September 1.

The 75-per-cent rule was used to ensure that a Thai holding company had absolute control over its units, but holding companies have been unable to secure such a large stake, especially in a joint venture with a foreign partner

 Source: The Nation