Thai IPO's -like everywhere-must accompany a legal and readible prospectus.

PaulRen's picture
Category: 
Industry

I like Thai IPO's but not the way they are offered.

Many of us are long foreign investors in Thai stocks. Occasionally some are offered new shares in an upcoming IPO, like recently of Gulf Energy.  

As these are almost always oversubscribed conveniently many are not able to subscribe due to SEC/SET "paper work" required in haste -besides only being given only 2-3 days notice, to raise the funds.  Realize, if one is told how may shares one can get only 2 days before the IPO mandated payment date (as was the case yet again with Gulf Energy), an investor has no time to source any funds through a stock sale in time. Nor so if traveling.  Its a mandated rush for dubious reasons.  Hence conveniently those shares are then re-allocated to those more privileged.

Then, if lucky to get some, when subscribing one is asked to click a box at their brokers on-line website stating they have "received and read the IPO prospectus".  Without this OK click, one can't subscribe.  Yet we note, most of the time the prospectus given and linked at the SET site is only offered in Thai language.  Since this IPO offering is also made to foreigners why is there no English language prospectus offered?  I asked the broker to please forward me the English language prospectus but none came.  At the Gulf Energy web site it says the prospectus is only offered in Thai language.  https://investor.gulf.co.th/en

If an English language version is not available, no IPO's should be offered to any foreigners as then its like "no prospectus is readable and so not made available"; surely one can't click that box without lying.   My understanding is that its then against SET/SEC rules -as no prospectus was bona vida received.  Again, how can one be asked to click a box on having received and read it, when its only in the Thai language?  Where some 99% foreigners can't read an involved Thai language IPO prospectus.

Just to point out how Thai brokers are quick to ask all investors to follow all the SET/SEC rules, (often its just a broker rule but they love to call it "SEC rule") but then it can be a one way street. We must follow, but what about they?  Hence my grippe on this industry -on yet another example. This cannot be discounted/waived in just not offering future IPO's to those whom ask for, as in my view its an industry IPO offering legal problem.

Best Regards,
Paul Renaud.

www.thaistocks.com