is it possible for a foreigner to buy for example 1000 shares in Krung Thai Bank and hold them in his own name, if yes how the hel_l do you go about it, read the bangkok post everyday but never see stockbrokers advertised. this post is more out of curiosity than anything else, but any usefull info would be most appreciated.

There are many stock brokers in Thailand, for example, the Banks themselves.

is it possible for a foreigner to buy for example 1000 shares in Krung Thai Bank and hold them in his own name, if yes how the hel_l do you go about it, read the bangkok post everyday but never see stockbrokers advertised. this post is more out of curiosity than anything else, but any usefull info would be most appreciated.

Easy, I have held an online brokerage account for 9 years with Kim Eng Securities. You can also go to any one of their trading rooms such as the one in Seacon Square or on Silom. I work in Libya so it is handy to trade on line. I also have my KimEng Account linked to my Bangkok Bank Online Bank Account so that I can transfer part of my salary to my investment account.

go to: www.kimeng.co.th see also www.settrade.com

You also have to buy the NVDR stocks e.g. BBL-F, which generally trade at a premium to the mother stock.

If you've got a work permit then opening a brokerage account is easy. If no work permit you can forget it though (from my understanding). I use ASP (Asia Plus) which is the brokerage arm of ABN Amro. Go to their office in Sathorn and speak to one of the pretty PR girls...

Good time to get into Thai stocks IMO.

I have recently contact KGI (based in Silom Complex Offices) and asked them to represent me. It is very easy if you have a work permit. They will give you an application form to which you have to sign a power of attorney so that they could debit any of your bank accounts when you do the purchase. You can simply create a savings account in any Bank and use that to do your trading.

Some institutions like Ban Buang (bangkok bank) require foreigners to deposit a minimum of 200,000 THB before you can have any account with them. Others will only need a referral.

You also have to buy the NVDR stocks e.g. BBL-F, which generally trade at a premium to the mother stock.

An interesting article on price disparities in the Chinese / Hong Kong stock markets can be found at http://www.economist.com/finance/displayst...tory_id=8001652 which has a similar share class structure. Does the Thai market exhibit similar characteristics?

Chinese residents must invest through the mainland markets in so-called A-shares; non-Chinese investors are mostly restricted to buying Hong Kong's H-shares, in Hong Kong dollars.

Broadly, bigger and more recognisable companies, such as Bank of China, tend to trade at a premium in Hong Kong. Smaller companies trade at a premium on the mainland. ... An earlier attempt to attract foreign capital through special B-shares sold on the mainland is an ongoing disaster.

Kim Eng and Seamico both have great English website for on-line trading. I have both accounts. just a passport can open account. I play for fun Thai stocks for many yera now. But the heyday of Thai stocks was 3-4 yeras ago when it was 4hundred something index to peak 800 in 1 year or so. Few years back I bought BBl about 60 bahts and PTT at 120 or so and I took a long break back to Europe and Brasil and did not pay attention to it for many months, and later I check the prices after many months, BBl at over 100 and PTT 180. So I sold them all. Of course if I hold them longer the profit even more. But it was fun for me back 3-4 yera ago, all majore stocks went up and up for 1 straight yera.