CLICX Sets Sights on Thailand's 63% Unbanked with No-Document Lending Model

 

 

Thailand's first virtual bank bets on alternative data from AIS and OR to unlock credit for millions of underserved Thais, ahead of a June app launch.

 

Thailand's first fully branchless commercial bank, CLICX, launched with a bold ambition on Wednesday: to rewire the country's financial system from the ground up — and to do it without asking customers for a single payslip.

 

Speaking at a press conference in Bangkok on Wednesday — where the bank announced its readiness ahead of its June launch — Chief Executive Officer Suporn Sunthornrohit outlined the bank's strategy to target the vast segment of Thai society that conventional lenders have long overlooked. 

 

According to the Bank of Thailand, more than 63% of Thais remain underserved in terms of access to financial services, while more than 80% hold emergency savings sufficient to cover living expenses for no longer than six months in the event of sudden income loss.

 

"Having a bank account does not automatically mean that everyone can access financial opportunities that truly match their needs," Suporn said. "CLICX's ambition is not merely to become Thailand's new virtual bank. It is to become a financial platform that helps Thai people gain access to better financial opportunities."
 

 

 

 

A Bank Built on Alternative Data

CLICX's most significant strategic differentiator is its approach to credit assessment.

 

Rather than relying on traditional income documentation or formal credit histories — barriers that routinely exclude freelancers, online sellers, and self-employed workers — the bank will draw on alternative data from its founding partners to evaluate a customer's financial potential.

 

The bank is a joint venture between three major Thai organisations: Krungthai Bank (KTB), the country's state-linked commercial lender; Advanced Info Service (AIS), Thailand's largest mobile operator; and OR PCL, the listed retail and oil network arm of PTT Group.

 

Together, the three partners command a combined customer base of more than 50 million people.

 

Each partner contributes a distinct capability.

 

KTB brings financial infrastructure and large-scale digital systems experience; AIS contributes technology and data on digital consumer behaviour; and OR provides a nationwide physical network deeply woven into the routines of daily life – from petrol stations to coffee shops.

 

That last point is more than symbolic. CLICX's savings products are designed to connect directly to everyday spending: customers who set aside money may earn rewards in the form of free internet data, coffee, or fuel — embedding the bank into the fabric of ordinary commerce rather than positioning it as a separate financial obligation.
 

In its first year, the bank said its primary goal is expanding its customer base rather than maximising loan volumes, with lending products designed to be, in management's words, "meaningful and sustainable" for borrowers.
 

 

 

 

 

100% Digital, Minimal Entry Barriers

As a fully virtual bank, CLICX will operate without physical branches, a model that management argues significantly reduces operating costs compared with traditional lenders and allows those savings to be passed on through more competitive products. 

 

Customer support will be available via an in-app chat function, a dedicated call centre (1188), and information counters at AIS and OR retail locations – a nod to the reality that not all digital-first customers are comfortable resolving issues entirely online.

 

The minimum deposit required to open an account is just 10 baht, removing what has historically been a practical deterrent for lower-income users.

 

The bank will open account number reservations on 2 June, with the bank officially commencing operations via mobile application on 19 June.

 

One of the most talked-about features at Wednesday's event is a Thai banking first: the ability for customers to select their own seven-digit account number.

 

Options include auspicious number combinations, sequences associated with wealth or career success according to numerological belief, premium or repeated-digit patterns, or the final seven or four digits of a customer's mobile phone number. 

 

Reservations for these customisable account numbers open on 2 June — ahead of the bank's official launch on 19 June — giving customers a dedicated window to secure their preferred number before operations begin.

 

 

 

 

 

Thailand's Virtual Banking Landscape

CLICX's launch marks a landmark moment in Thai financial regulation. The Bank of Thailand issued its first virtual bank licences in 2025 as part of a broader effort to drive financial inclusion and modernise the country's banking sector. 

 

Virtual banks, unlike traditional lenders, are not permitted to operate physical branches and must deliver all services digitally. They are, however, subject to the same prudential oversight and capital requirements as conventional commercial banks.

 

The central bank's framework was designed explicitly to encourage new entrants capable of serving segments of the population — including gig workers and micro-entrepreneurs — that the existing banking system has struggled to reach. 

 

CLICX, backed by blue-chip domestic shareholders and positioned around alternative data-driven lending, represents the clearest test yet of whether that regulatory ambition can translate into commercial reality.

 

On data privacy, an issue of particular sensitivity given the bank's reliance on behavioural and transactional data from AIS and OR, management stressed strict adherence to Thailand's Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) and international cybersecurity standards, with 24-hour system monitoring. Suporn was direct to the point: "Using customer data is for creating financial opportunities — not surveillance."