Thai maestro

Thai hedge funds are like rare animals with a quiet demeanour and the grace of never saying a word too much. This best describes the Thai Focused Equity Fund, which, despite its low profile, has some of the world's biggest hedge fund managers personally investing in it. Doug Barnett, the fund's Bangkok-based founder, talks to Jill Wong

If the name Quest Management doesn't ring a bell, that's because it's been shy about its credentials. The firm focuses solely on investing in Thai equities and counts around 50 hedge fund managers among its individual investors, including some of the biggest names in the industry, such as John Templeton and Julian Robertson.

The firm is based in the British Virgin Islands and operates out of Hong Kong and Bangkok, where research and trading is done. In October 1997, Quest launched its flagship