Thai alcohol producers set for stock exchange listings

None currently listed on the Thai bourse

- NUNTAWUN POLKUAMDEE

Tourists enjoy alcoholic drinks in Bangkok's buzzing Khao San Road area. Mr Kitipong expects Thai Beverage Plc to become the first alcohol producer to float shares on the SET as early as this year, as the bourse aims to attract fresh investor interest and expand overall market capitalisation.

The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) has remained firm in its plan to have the country’s three largest alcohol producers float shares on the Thai bourse, projecting that Thai Beverage Plc (ThaiBev) will become the first to list as early as this year.

SET chairman Kitipong Urapeepatanapong said that alcohol producers are large-scale, highly profitable businesses that remain underrepresented in Thailand’s equity market.

Their potential listings would not only introduce a new sector to the exchange but also help attract fresh investor interest and expand overall market capitalisation, he said.

“These companies have strong fundamentals and resilient earnings. Alcohol producers would be a new growth engine for the Thai stock market,’ said Mr Kitipong, noting that such businesses are widely accepted and actively traded on major stock exchanges worldwide.