New Thailand Securities Analysts Association Chairman Announces That Securities Research Work Will Be Revamped To Develop The Thai Capital Market

The Chairman of Asset Plus Securities Pcl., Mr. Kongkiat Opaswongkarn, revealed, after assuming the position of Chairman of the Securities Analysts Association (SAA), that from now on the role of SAA will be changed. With its new vision, SAA will be a center for the securities research profession. Its plan will be formulated to produce a new generation of quality analysts as well as to raise the standard of the existing generation. The analysts will also have an opportunity to take part as SAA’s board members.

“Under the new SAA policy, the Association will be open to more participation by all securities analyst professionals as members. SAA aims to double the number of securities analysts from 250 to 500 within two years. The minimum requirement for being an analyst is to be certified at least a CFA or at CISA Level1. This minimum requirement will be established to create a quality new generation of analysts. The Association will also encourage analysts to become industry experts. Concerning the role of SAA, it will act as the analysts’ representative in expressing their opinions to the public and related institutions, so as to promote their recognition at both the national and international levels i.e. among the Asian Securities Analysts Federation Inc (ASAF) and the Association of Certified International Investment Analysts (ACIIA),” the new SAA Chairman said.

In the long-term, the SAA will be monitoring the work among its analysts’ peer group with an emphasis on ethics, independent observation, and no benefit seeking from investment banking jobs or from any commission work.

“From now on, the SAA Board will be working together to make the role of SAA clearer and better accepted by all related parties. All analysts will have SAA as their profession’s resource center and will rigorously cooperate to boost up the quality of their research work as well as gain the trust of investors. The standards of the Thai capital market will then be raised,” Mr. Kongkiat concluded.

The SAA was established in 1990, with an initial fund of THB 10 million, by The Stock Exchange of Thailand, the Association of Securities Companies, and the Asia Foundation. Dr. Maruey Phadoongsidhi was SAA’s founding Chairman. Currently the members of SAA include 59 juristic members, 71 life-long individual members, 53 individual members (annual membership), and 65 associate members.

The SAA is located at 65, 42 Tower, 4th Floor, Sukhumvit 42 Road, Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110, Tel: 0 2712 2585, Fax: 0 2712 2586, Website: www.saa-thai.org