Thailand - Assessment of Observance of the IOSCO Objectives and Principles of Securities Regulation

This is an assessment of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand (SEC) and, secondarily, of certain self-regulatory organizations (SRO) that participate in the regulation of the capital markets of Thailand. This assessment was conducted in February, 2019 as part of the Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) conducted jointly by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. The financial sector of Thailand shows strong growth and is dominated by banks, which are a major force in other components of the financial sector through separately licensed subsidiaries. The financial system's assets are equal to 259 percent of GDP (February 2018), with Thailand's 30 commercial banks (including 15 foreign branches or subsidiaries) holding 46 percent of financial sector assets and eight specialized (state-owned) financial institutions (SFIs) holding 15 percent. The three largest commercial banks account for 46 percent of banking sector assets, lower than that of its peer comparators. Banking sector growth, however, has been stagnant, growing to 156 percent of GDP (2018) from 153 percent (2012). Other segments of the financial sector have experienced higher growth in recent years. The market capitalization of the SET has grown to 104 percent of GDP (up from 67 percent of GDP in 2005, and from 37 percent of GDP in 2008). Insurance sector assets have grown from 10 percent of GDP in 2006 to over 22 percent of GDP in 2016