Thailand

Economy & industry overview

Thailand is an upper-middle-income, export-oriented economy in Southeast Asia with a nominal GDP of approximately USD 577 billion in 2025, placing it among the top three economies in ASEAN. The economy's principal pillars are manufacturing and exports (electronics, automotive components, rubber products), tourism, agriculture (rice, sugar, seafood), and a growing petrochemical and energy sector anchored by the state-owned PTT Group. Real GDP growth was approximately 2.1% in 2025, held back by soft external demand and the impact of U.S. tariffs on Thai exports, while inflation was marginally negative due to energy subsidies and weak domestic demand. The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) had 638 domestic listed companies with an aggregate market capitalization of approximately USD 506 billion as of end-2025, making it the third-largest bourse in ASEAN. The electronics sector has grown in prominence, with Delta Electronics (Thailand) surpassing the energy majors to become the largest company on the SET by market cap.

Key sectors

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Macro

GDP nominal, USD	$577.00B
GDP growth real, annual	2.1%
Inflation annual	-0.1%
Population people	71.6M
GDP per capita USD	$8,057
Market cap total listed, USD	$505.78B
Market cap / GDP	87.7%
Unemployment	1.0%
Listed companies	638
Exchange	Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET)

Data year: 2025. Sources: IMF World Economic Outlook April 2026 (datamapper.imf.org), IMF Article IV Consultation Thailand 2025 (imf.org, Feb 2026), Stock Exchange of Thailand official statistics (set.or.th), companiesmarketcap.com Thailand data (accessed June 2026), iShares THD ETF fact sheet (ishares.com, March 2026), iShares EEMA ETF product page (ishares.com), topforeignstocks.com Thailand ADRs list (accessed June 2026), Worldometer Thailand GDP 2026, GlobalCitizenSolutions.com LTR Visa Thailand guide 2025, investasian.com How to Trade Thai Stocks foreigner guide, BrokerChooser Thailand broker rankings 2026, Wikipedia Stock Exchange of Thailand, OECD Capital Market Review of Thailand 2025, Nation Thailand economic news 2025-2026 (est. noted where applicable).

Local exchange & access

Exchange	Stock Exchange of Thailand
Code	SET
Website	www.set.or.th
Currency	THB

Local broker access

Interactive Brokers offers direct access to the SET for both Thai residents and eligible non-residents, with competitive commissions and NVDR trading capability. Saxo Bank (via its Singapore and Hong Kong entities) also provides SET access. Local Thai brokers such as Kasikorn Securities, Bualuang Securities (Bangkok Bank), Phillip Securities Thailand, and Yuanta Securities offer direct SET accounts; foreigners with qualifying long-term visas can open accounts in person by presenting passport and visa documentation. Most local brokers require a face-to-face account opening process in Thailand. Non-resident foreigners without a Thai long-term visa typically cannot open a local brokerage account and must use an offshore broker.

Global brokers with foreign-market access

• Interactive Brokers — Direct access to 90+ markets worldwide, including many emerging exchanges.
• Saxo Bank — Multi-market access across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
• Charles Schwab (Global) — Foreign ordinary shares on select markets; US-listed ADRs and ETFs.
• Fidelity International Trading — International stock trading on a number of developed and emerging markets.

Listed for convenience only — not a recommendation. Available markets, fees and onboarding rules differ by broker and by your country of residence.

Relocation & residency

Foreign-investor access

Thailand imposes foreign ownership limits on most SET-listed companies, typically capping foreign shareholding at 49% (lower for certain sectors such as banking, media, and aviation). To enable foreign participation beyond these limits, the Stock Exchange of Thailand introduced Non-Voting Depository Receipts (NVDRs), which carry the same economic rights (dividends, capital gains) as underlying shares but do not carry voting rights. Foreign investors can purchase NVDRs without being subject to the foreign-ownership cap. A foreign resident wishing to open a local Thai brokerage account generally requires a long-term visa (such as a work permit, retirement visa, or LTR visa); tourists on short-stay visas are typically ineligible. Foreigners may also access the SET through international brokers based in Hong Kong or Singapore, though at higher cost.