BANK PUSHED FOR PARTNER 

The bank’s representative reported that the premier in a State Enterprise Policy Committee meeting urged the bank to accelerate its negotiations with partners for efficient management, said Ekniti Nitithanprapas, director-general of the State Enterprise Policy Office.
The bank expects the talks with its partners to be finalised soon, he said.
An anonymous source from the bank said four investors including an Islamic fund from Malaysia, a Malaysian commercial bank and Wichai Thongtang, a former executive chairman of CTH Plc, now are interested in the bank.
The bank would seek a partner in parallel with its capital increase. The Cabinet recently approved a mobilisation of Bt18.1 billion on expectation that everything would be finalised by year-end, the source said.