Thai bourse may ease listing rules for foreign firms

BANGKOK Aug 20 (Reuters) - The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) said on Thursday its board had approved plans to relax rules for foreign companies wanting to list shares on Southeast Asia's fourth-largest stock market.

The plan is aimed at boosting the number of listed companies and the competitiveness of the Thai equity market, the bourse said in a statement.

Foreign companies that are already listed in a market where its Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) cooperates with Thailand's SEC would be allowed to make a dual listing in Thailand without a lengthy filing process, it said.

"The new rules will ease the burden for foreign companies which want to list on the Thai stock market," the statement said, adding the plan was subject to approval from the SEC.

Thailand is trying to encourage high-profile foreign firms to list in Bangkok to make it more attractive to foreign investors.

The Thai market's value of $146 billion ranks behind Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia in Southeast Asia.

The benchmark composite SET index .SETI has risen 42 percent this year, but it is still the second-worst performer after Kuala Lumpur. (Reporting by Khettiya Jittapong; Editing by Alan Raybould)