There are likely only a scant few Hongkongers who, office-bound on a rainy afternoon, have not daydreamed their way to the bustle of Bangkok, the culturally rich north or the idyllic palm-fringed beaches that frame the Land of Smiles.

With parent Siam Commercial Bank (SCB), SCB Securities (SCBS) has unlocked vast potential in the Thai capital market by making equities trading convenient and accessible through digital channels. The firm has doubled its trading volume from online transactions of high-net-worth individuals and institutional investors in this year's first half alone. The astounding market response signals the growing appetite for equities, which SCBS promptly serviced through a regional trading platform launched in July and will be enhanced by a global trading platform estimated to go live later this year.

While continuing to build up its portfolio of fixed-income funds, Thailand's SCB Asset Management (SCBAM) has ventured into offering equity and foreign investment funds.

Vehicle makers are increasingly using Thailand as a manufacturing hub, bringing credence to the label, "Detroit of the East". Somboon Advance Technology (SAT), a Thai pioneer, is well-positioned to benefit from the flourishing automotive industry, which is backed by a rising middle class and the government's car buyer programme that offers tax rebates to first-time buyers.

Global in scope yet replete with local knowledge, United Overseas Bank (Thai) possesses the best qualities of the international and domestic banking worlds. A subsidiary of United Overseas Bank (UOB), UOB (Thai) has leveraged its parent's pan-regional network and strong foothold in Southeast Asia to operate as a fully fledged local bank with offshore banking services. This "hybrid" quality sets UOB (Thai) apart from other institutions in the country.

Guided by the principle that a bank should be a custodian business imbued with social responsibility, Peter Foo, the president and CEO of United Overseas Bank (Thai), has set himself apart as a banker. With a constant drive to do the right things in the right way, Foo believes that all aspects of banking, including ingenuity and innovation in finance, should be governed by the highest standards of business practice.

Thai investors aiming to diversify abroad and foreign financial institutions looking to the Thai market find a bridge in Krung Thai Asset Management (KTAM). Managing US$15.5 billion in assets, KTAM is the country's third-largest asset management company in terms of market share - and No 1 when it comes to achieving relatively high growth rates in the past few years.