The SET revealed these and other intentions in a wide-ranging announcement on Christmas Eve, in which it said it was also proceeding with its plans for a new derivatives trading system that is due to go live by mid-2014, and to reform its capital market.
The Greater Mekong area includes, in addition to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. The name derives from the Mekong River, which touches all five of these countries.
The SET's announcement came at the end of a boom year for the exchange, which saw market capitalisation from its initial public offerings (IPOs) in the kingdom touch a record high of THB340bn ($10.3bn, £6.27bn), and one of its listings, BTS Rail Mass Transit Growth Infrastructure, rank at the top of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' 2013 IPOs in terms of size.
The average daily trading volume on the exchange also reached an all-time high last year, of THB340bn, while the MSCI added five Thai stocks to its Global Standard Indices during the year, the most of any country in Asia, the SET said in its statement.
However, it also came as the country is in the throes of political unrest that some observers say may threaten Thailand's financial services industry and indeed, its ability to continue to function as well as it has in recent years. Yesterday the benchmark SET index fell 5.2%, sending valuations to their lowest levels in 18 months.
Charamporn Jotikasthira, president of SET, acknowledged the challenges, noting in his statement that "internal and external uncertainties" meant 2014 was likely to be a challenging one for the exchange. But he said it was nevertheless looking to raise its game.
"SET will develop issuers and the investor base both in terms of quality, and strengthen intermediaries so that we can grow and achieve new heights together," he said.
"Also, SET plans to develop products, services, and its trading systems to meet effectively meet the demand of investors and other capital markets' stakeholders."
To read and download the SET's statement, click here.
