Six Southeast Asian countries plan to set up a common stock exchange for easier cross-border trading in big-cap stocks, an official at the Thai bourse said on Wednesday.

Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam would jointly set up an exchange for regional trading in late 2008, according to Nongram Wongwanich, a senior executive vice president of the Stock Exchange of Thailand.

Under the plan, large-cap shares in each participating country could be exchanged on the new trading board. Bid and offer prices would still be conducted in the currency of each company’s home country. Trading orders would also be executed in company’s home country, Nongram said.