Thai bank loans may grow only 5-6 pc this year: central bank BANGKOK: Thailand’s commercial bank loans may grow 5-6 pc this year, less than the 6-7pc increase seen three months ago, a central bank official said on Tuesday. In January-March, lending rose 5.6 pc from a year earlier, slowing from a 6 pc rise…
Thai economy faces heightened political uncertainties: central bank minutes BANGKOK (Reuters) – Heightened political uncertainties in Thailand after an election meant to herald a return to democracy have clouded the outlook for economic policy, the central bank said in minutes of a meeting earlier this month that left interest rates unchanged. No clear winner emerged…
Airbnb and Thailand’s Government Savings Bank partner to support local homestays GSB will help ensure better funding for hospitality entrepreneurs while Airbnb will help build capacity through training and connecting homestay owners to its worldwide platform. Bangkok, Thailand – Airbnb and Thailand’s Government Savings Bank (GSB) have formed a strategic partnership to help promote and empower Thai hospitality entrepreneurs,…
First-home stimulus measure may have limited impact on Thailand’s housing market The first-home buyers who make less than 25,000 baht per month however will not benefit from this scheme. The Thai government has released a housing stimulus measure which grants personal income tax allowance for buyers of first homes worth up to 5 million baht…
Real-time payments : An opportunity for the entire Asian financial ecosystem ? Real-time payments (RTPs) are critical for bringing millions of people into the digital financial ecosystem, enabling the rise in the region’s digital commerce Real-time payments (RTPs) enable money transfer between two different financial institutions with a guarantee of immediate funds availability to the…
Thai central bank says it has not manipulated currency THAILAND’S central bank has not intervened in the trading of the baht to gain a trade advantage with the United States, an assistant governor said on Monday, amid speculation that Washington may soon add the country to a currency watch list. “Thailand has some trade surplus…
Thailand’s biggest debt trap is not Chinese Thai household debt ratio at 78.6 percent is among the top three countries with the highest household debt in Asia. The so called “Chinese debt trap” has drawn a lot of commenting in the media, but Thailand’s biggest debt trap is still home-grown and has reached the value…
Thai banks face tough competition in digital world Although the Thai commercial banks achieved higher net profits in the first quarter of 2019, they expect a tough year ahead amid aggressive competition in the digital era. The Thai government’s plan to turn Thailand into a cashless society has prompted local banks to remodel their business…
Thailand’s Largest Commercial Bank and State Oil Company Trial Blockchain Payments Thailand’s largest commercial bank, Siam Commercial Bank (SCB), and state oil company PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited (PTTEP) performed a successful test of blockchain use for cross-border business-to-business payments. The bank recently announced the successful pilot on its website. Per the announcement, the project, which has been ongoing since mid-2018,…
Thailand’s bank pushes Thai agricultural products to Chinese market BANGKOK, 27 April 2019 (NNT) – The effort of the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand (SME D Bank) to promote Thai processed agricultural products to markets in China succeeded further when a Chinese company decided recently to pilot the purchase of 16,000 tons…