Onboarding speedbumps with Asian brokers for regional equities

Anyone else finding the onboarding process for direct access to some of these regional Asian exchanges, particularly outside of the well-trodden Nikkei or Hang Seng, to be an absolute slog? I'm talking about the smaller markets – think SET, PSE, KLSE. We've been exploring options for better direct market access and the KYB/AML procedures are just brutal. It’s not just the usual hoops; it feels like every broker has a unique, arcane set of demands, often involving physical documentation or multi-week email chains that go nowhere fast.

I get the regulatory environment is tight, but there has to be a more streamlined approach for established firms. This isn't about opening a personal account. We're talking about professional entities trying to get proper connectivity. It’s making me question if the juice is worth the squeeze for marginal alpha in these less liquid pockets, especially when the delays mean missing out on initial opportunities. Any tips on which regional partners (not naming names, just general types) seem to have their act together on the admin front, or is this just the price of admission for deeper Asian market access?