Bangkok, March 7, 2014 ? The SEC exchanged Letters for Cooperation with Financial Services Agency (FSA), Japan, to expand business opportunity between two capital markets. In this regard, the SEC led Thai private sector to meet Japanese public and private sectors with a view to sharing experience and information, and visiting Japan Post Co., Ltd.  for information on the Post?s operation of investment unit selling.

The SEC led Thai private sector on a business trip to Japan in February to meet Japanese executives from both public and private sectors, aiming to strengthen collaboration with FSA, Japan on regulatory frameworks and seek cross-border business opportunity between the two capital markets. Apart from the FSA, Japan and the SEC exchange of Letters for Cooperation, on the private sector side, executives of the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET), Association of Thai Securities Companies (ASCO) and Association of Investment Management Companies (AIMC) met with Japanese financial institutions to share Thai capital market information and seek business alliances. Also joined the trip were the President of Thailand Post Co., Ltd., Anusra Chittmittrapap and executives who visited Japan Post to learn more about investment unit selling operation.

Vorapol Socatiyanurak, SEC Secretary-General, said that the exchange of Letters for Cooperation resulted from continual collaboration between the two regulators over the past two years and is expected to create more opportunity for Thai capital market to connect with world-renowned Japanese capital market. It would provide more investment choices for investors of the two countries and also widen investment channels for Japanese investors to connect with Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).

Ryutaro Hatanaka, FSA Commissioner, said the exchange of letters enabled Japan and Thai to continue the financial cooperative relationship between both countries in the long term, and to deepen this relationship enriching the contents along with the development of each market.

Somjin Sornpaisal, AIMC Chairman, said AIMC appreciated the SEC and FSA proactive notion to broaden opportunity for the private sector of the two countries. The meeting brought about much of the information on business viability and became a starting point for further collaboration and development of concrete business opportunity.

Pattera Dilokrungthirapop, ASCO Chairperson, said Japanese and Thai investors? interest in overseas investment has been increasing recently; thus opened the window of opportunity for Japanese and Thai securities companies to seek business alliances and cooperation in order to provide services to their investors as well as enhance business opportunity. The cooperation could range from securities trading service, preparation of securities analysis report, marketing and investment product development, for instance.