The business is different now because of the use of new equipment and technology in investment and this has pushed up costs.
"Whoever wants to set up a securities house needs a lot capital nowadays. Besides regular payments, brokerages will also need extra funds for giving out loans and [other activities]. buying securities margins. In total they would need about Bt1 billion for investment," she said.
For 2014, Asco will help regulate the cost of investment and encourage middlemen in the system, or "market makers", to promote transactions within the system itself.
It is prepared to be the middleman in terms of cost sharing in order to build up a central store of information that all brokers can use. That would save costs.
The association will develop facilities to reduce operating costs such as a back office costs. It will start to run a