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Stock Exchange Of Thailand: MAI Undertakes Proactive Marketing Plan To Increase Number Of Companies Plus Providing All-In-One Information Services

Date 02/09/2002

In a move to increase confidence in the Market for Alternative Investment (MAI), the MAI will undertake an aggressive marketing plan to totally revamp its image. This will start with a new logo and slogan, "mai: Growth Opportunity for Businesses that Think Big". The MAI will also provide more investment information by making the MAI Index available and through the upgrade of its website, www.mai.or.th It also intends to organize an alliance with related organizations in the industry to hold educational activities to support SMEs on an ongoing basis. It will collaborate, for example, with the Office of Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion on a seminar "Thai SMEs and New Financial Resolutions" on 2 September 2002 to be held at the SET Building.

The Chairman of the Capital Market Opportunity Center (CMOC), Ms. Sopawadee Lertmanaschai, announced that there are currently eight listed companies on the MAI. This is despite the MAI's marketing team having visited more than 120 companies that have the potential to list and having conducted seminars and roadshows, as well as promoting itself through its network organizations. It found that some companies contacted still do not appear to have sufficient information about the regulations and procedures for doing fundraising, hence missing the opportunities available for this through the MAI. While many of these companies are still not familiar with the MAI, others hesitate or do not appreciate the benefits of getting listed. The MAI will thus urgently undertake an aggressive marketing strategy aimed right at the target so as to both publicize the MAI as well as promote greater understanding of its role.

"It is expected that there will be about 15-20 companies listed on the MAI by the end of this year. No less than thirty companies are now preparing to list, aiming to join the bourse in 2003. Besides continuing contact directly with potential companies, the MAI has also changing its image to be more vibrant, eye-catching, and modern in the way that SMEs are - in other words, operated by entrepreneurs of the new generation. The MAI has produced mass media materials aimed at establishing its new image under this new slogan "mai: Growth Opportunity for Businesses that Think Big", which will be used in all commercials and public relations materials distributed through TV, radio, printed medias, as well as electronic medias," Ms. Sopawadee said.

In regard to information provided to investors, the MAI Index will soon be launched so that they will be able to see the stock price movement on the MAI clearly. September 2, 2002, will be the base day used for calculating the MAI Index starting at 100 and investors will be able to follow the index movement from September 3, 2002, onwards, on ITV or UBC 7, every working day during the trading periods, plus check the economic section of the newspaper or the MAI website, www.mai.or.th, which has been updated to make it more comprehensive.

www.mai.or.th, will thus appear more user-friendly, equipped with complete information to make it an all-in-one site for providing information, ranging from trading statistics on the MAI, company news, MAI news, to listed company information such as on their background, financial statements, directors, executives and shareholders, investment, etc. All of this should be extremely useful for investors in making investment decisions.

The CMOC Chairman concluded that: "The MAI has organized a wide range of promotional activities and participated in roadshows in cooperation with our network organizations in the past so as to engender greater understanding of the mechanisms of the capital markets and the benefits of the MAI. On September 2, 2002, in collaboration with the Office of Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion, the MAI will also present a seminar entitled "Thai SMEs and New Financial Resolutions" to help strengthen the financial sophistication of Thai SMEs that have good growth potential and may be seeking funds from the markets. At this event, there will therefore also be booths and exhibitions by the venture capital companies, financial advisory firms, listed companies on the MAI, and the MAI's organizational network. This will, in addition, provide an opportunity for SMEs with good business plans and that need funds, to present their business plans directly to these venture capital firms. The seminar event will thus be of great interest and offer comprehensive benefits to SMEs."