ALMOST 25 years after Malaysian shares abruptly ceased trading on Singapore’s over-the-counter (OTC) Clob International market, the local stock exchange is launching a new initiative that will give Singapore investors exposure to another South-east Asian market: Thailand.

Starting May 30, Singapore depository receipts (SDRs) will be available for three Thai companies: airport operator Airports of Thailand, food retailer CP All, and energy play PTT Exploration & Production.

As with Clob, the intention of the SDRs is to broaden the scope of investments available in the Singapore market to include overseas-listed companies. But that is where the similarity ends.