The Thai stock market rose 1.15 percent on Tuesday in line with regional bourses, an analyst said. The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) composite index gained 8.45 points to close at 742.16 points, and the blue chip SET-50 index added 7.27 points to 526.89. Gainers led losers 188 to 110 and 162 stocks were unchanged, while turnover was 1.8 billion shares worth 13.8 billion baht (412.8 million dollars).
The Thai baht rose against the dollar to close at 33.34-36 baht to one dollar compared to Monday's close at 33.39-41. Kosin Sripaiboon, an analyst from UOB Kay Hian Securities, said the market rose in line with regional gains and positive news about more than 60 industrial projects worth billions of dollars, which had been suspended on environmental health concerns.
PTT, the country's biggest petrochemical company, owns 19 of the projects, worth 130 million baht (3.9 million dollars), on the eastern seaboard. PTT Plc gained 6.00 baht to close at 250.00, its subsidiary PTT Exploration and Production added 3.50 to 150.00 baht and Siam Cement closed 3.00 baht higher at 240.00. Coal producer Banpu rose 4.00 baht to close at 580.00. Bangkok Bank increased 0.50 baht to 116.50 and Kasikornbank edged up 0.75 baht to 85.50.