High volatility triggered by a slew of positive and negative global factors has proved a boon to the Thailand Futures Exchange (TFEX), with average trading volume surging to 180,000 contracts a day.
"TFEX projects trading volume will increase to 190,000 contracts a day this year from 147,025 a day last year," managing director Rinjai Chakornpipat said on Tuesday.
Uncertainty over the Greek debt, the euro zone's economic problems and bond-buying scheme worth €1.14 trillion (42.4 trillion baht) and a potential rate reversal by the US Federal Reserve are among the factors moving global stock markets.
Ms Rinjai said the most popular products in the Thai futures market are SET50 index futures, stock futures and gold futures, while US-dollar futures had become more active this year at 1,300 contracts a day, up from 900 in the past.
She attributed the more active dollar futures to higher baht fluctuations.
TFEX also targets 12,957 new trading accounts this year including 9,500 novices.
It plans to update market and new product information to foreign investors in Singapore and Hong Kong next month as part of a bid to boost the foreign proportion to more than 10% from 8-9%.
TFEX also plans to promote its SET50 index options as another investment tool that investors can use to suit the market situation, Ms Rinjai said.
It has appointed five securities firms as market makers to bolster trading liquidity.
Two of them — Ausiris Futures and KGI Securities — have operated in that capacity for a while, while Phatra Securities will start next month.
Maybank Kim Eng and Trinity will start later.
Ms Rinjai said Thai stock market volatility was very high, and the pattern was expected to continue this year.
Last year's volatility peaked at 20%, while its lowest level was 13%.
Regarding the planned integration of the Agricultural Futures Exchange of Thailand with TFEX, Ms Rinjai said the Commerce Ministry would seek cabinet approval to amend laws governing AFET to allow TFEX to trade agricultural and other commodity futures products before forwarding the amendments to the National Legislative Assembly for deliberation.
TFEX would transfer all AFET products to itself and has no plans to introduce any new agricultural derivative products this year, she said.