Thai stock market hits snooze button despite extended hours

Despite the extension of the Stock Exchange of Thailand‘s (SET) trading hours and looming interest rate cuts by the Bank of Thailand, the Thai market failed to rally yesterday. Concerns over a premature rate cut and the aftermath of a recent terrorist attack near Moscow fuelled investor anxiety.

The SET yesterday, March 25, increased its trading period from 270 to 300 minutes per day. This was achieved by initiating the afternoon session on both the main bourse and the Market for Alternative Investment 30 minutes earlier, now at 1.30pm. This extension brings Thailand’s stock trading duration closer to other regional markets, which typically operate for six to seven hours daily, as noted by Asia Plus Securities (ASPS).

Despite these changes, the SET index experienced a midday dip of 0.36%, a decline that persisted into the afternoon session, ending Monday’s trading with a…