His Excellency Finance Minister, Dr. Somkid Jatusripitak, said the twelve listed companies that joined the trip experienced great success in attracting the interest of foreign investors. The authorities will consider holding similar presentations in Asia, such as in Korea or Japan, after conducting studies first.
SET President, Mr. Kittirat Na Ranong, said as many as forty-two institutional investors and sixty fund managers from all over Europe met with the team, while in the United States, more than thirty institutional investors and more than fifty fund managers participated in the roadshow. In the US, investors mostly came from Chicago, Boston and San Francisco. Investors joined in both joint and individual discussions, and all were sure to have benefited from this opportunity to receive information directly from the source.
After meeting with foreign investors, executives from several listed companies shared their sentiments on the experience. Managing Director of Land and House Plc, Mr. Anant Asavapokin, representing the property sector, pointed out that significant differences could be seen with this year's roadshow compared to his company's experience in 2002.
"Foreign investors are more confident of Thailand's economic recovery this year and have shown considerably more interest compared to last year. They were interested in the property sector in Thailand and the measures the government has taken to support the sector. Investors were astonished by the economic growth of the country and the growth of this sector in particular. The property sector is expected to grow by no less than 25% this year," Mr. Anant said.
Shin Corporation Plc President, Mr. Boonklee Plangsiri, revealed that the roadshow helped boost foreign investors' confidence in both the development of Thailand's capital markets and the opportunities for expansion in Thailand's telecommunications industry.
"We had a chance to explain that the telecommunications industry still has room for growth and that policies impacting both free competition and the conversion of the telecommunications concessions will soon become clear. Only then will all operators be able to adjust their strategies appropriately. The government is giving priority to the conversion of the Telecom's concessions and establishing a central body called the National Telecommunications Commission to oversee this. All obstacles should thus be resolved during this year, leading to better performance by the firms in this sector. As policies become clearer, the telecommunications industry should see growth of no less than 15% this year. Furthermore," Mr. Boonklee said, "it would be beneficial if at future roadshows, more time should be allotted for presentation of information so that foreign investors are more fully informed."
Bangkok Bank Plc President, Mr. Chartsiri Soponpanich said investors were interested in the country's remarkable economic recovery and inquired about the changes in the economy. Bangkok Bank received a lot of interest from foreign investors because the commercial banking sector is the center of interest in economy. As a result, investors asked him about various economic activities.
"We have to say that Thailand's economy grew at an exceptional rate last year and shows signs of continuing robust growth again this year. Many sectors, such as the property sector, are expected to do well and local consumption has jumped. Therefore, foreign investors were interested. The banking sector, as a whole, should see loan growth of 5-10% this year," Mr. Chartsiri said.
Major Cineplex Plc President, Mr. Vicha Poonworaluck, said most of the concerns surrounding the entertainment sector involve intellectual property rights violations. He noted, however, that Thailand is one of the few countries in Asia that is allowed to screen a new movie at the same time as their release in the United States. The Thai government is keen to demonstrate that it is serious about intellectual property rights. It can be said that in some area concerning property rights, there is no problem at all.
"We explained that the growth of the movie theater industry in Thailand went hand in hand with growth in local consumption. This year, the industry should grow 18-20% as a result of the growth of both Thai domestic movie production as well as foreign film companies filming in Thailand," Mr. Vicha said.
Mr. Kittirat concluded that in the coming years he would try to include more listed companies from a variety of sectors in the roadshow. Foreign investors will thus benefit from a broader range of information about the country's potential.
