Recently Techsauce had the pleasure of interviewing with Mrs. Kesara Manchusree, The President of The Stock Exchange of Thailand to gain a better understanding of what equity crowdfunding is and how it can benefit startup businesses in Thailand. 

The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) was incorporated under the Securities Exchange of Thailand Act, B.E. 2517 (1974) to be the market for the trading of listed securities. SET was also tasked with promoting personal financial planning and providing related services.

As the President of the Thai Stock Exchange, what have you implemented/changed that has benefited the country in terms of economic stability?

We are part of the capital market, and in Thailand, we are helping the startups to grow. We like to help the Thai economy by promoting the Thai economy. We are looking to help raise funding for startups.

Can you tell us a bit about the Thai stock exchange and what you offer businesses?

The Thai Stock Exchange is over 43 years old already and its been growing exponentially and very steadily over the years. We rank as number 1 in ASEAN exchanges due to the liquidity and IPO. The business and our vision are very profitable which gives us the chance to fund startups and expand our business.

What is Equity Crowdfunding and how can it benefit the startup community?

Equity crowdfunding in Thailand is supported by venture capitalists and the retail market. The Platform is also for the institutional investor and is covered by private investors such as venture capitalists. Clients who have money and experience can really help to make a difference with the equity crowdfunding platform. They have to pass their test by the SET and help strengthen the ecosystem of  Thailand.

We have also been running platforms that help over 6000 people for the education system of Thailand, including professors for the universities and also for startup programs. We have set up our venture capitalists fund through the platform of the stock exchange of Thailand. At the moment in Thailand, we have over 20 public crowdfunding platforms that are listed on the Thai stock exchange. We also have private equity programs set up with the private and government banks of Thailand. This is really encouraging and nurturing the startups of Thailand.

Do you find that the turbulent political years have had an effect on Thailand in terms of business and how the world trades and connects with Thailand?

In terms of the Thai stock exchange, we have seen high growth in South East Asia over the years. The index is also on an all-time high in January of this year. The political uncertainty hasn't really affected us that much and business is still growing internally and internationally.

What other incentives and support can you offer businesses/ startups in Thailand?

We are helping to list and promote the startup companies and have a social responsibility for investors. We have a large number of companies listed, in comparison to the other ASEAN countries. We have around 17 listed whereas other countries only have 2 or 3 companies listed on their stock exchanges. We are really promoting innovation and this is the centre of our business and funding.

Where do you get the finances from for Crowdfunding? Do you have private investors that support the equity crowdfunding platform?

We have both Thai and foreign venture capitalists, however, we mainly focus on the Thai venture capitalists.  Below we have the top 8 startups that have been funded by the Thai stock exchange and are our most successfully funded companies so far.

What advice do you have for startups that are looking for investment and how does Equity crowdfunding differ from other forms of investment?

As it stands there are two forms for startups. There is the equity crowdfunding that we supply and give real money to companies. There is the ICO for startups too, but in Thailand, the government just released control over the ICOs which puts a tax on people that invest in the ICOs. We have to wait for a while to see how the ICOs will progress in Thailand.

Do you have any plans for the future of business development in Thailand, connecting the global market with Thai startups and stabilizing the economy?

For the big companies, we have a close relationship with other exchanges and have linkages with the hon kong connect for example. in terms of startups and ICOs, there is much more cooperation from country to country within ASEAN.

We have a lot of funding for startups which is enabling growth for business but we would like to see more funding to help strengthen the economy in the coming years.

We can see that Fintech is well established and is making real progress along with the health tech and Agritech sectors. These are the industries we would like to focus on as it benefits the country the most. We are helping to nurture these tech startups.

For more information on the Stock exchange of Thailand head over to their website:

https://www.set.or.th/set/mainpage.do?language=en&country=US