Nok Krasip connects small traders with AI tools and bank loans

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas has backed the launch of the AI Nok Krasip loan programme, linking sales-analysis technology with access to finance to help small traders and shop owners manage costs and expand their businesses.

The Fiscal Policy Office, Krungthai Bank, Government Savings Bank (GSB) and the Thai Credit Guarantee Corporation (TCG) jointly launched the initiative, which builds on the Nok Krasip, or “Whispering Bird”, artificial intelligence assistant in Krungthai’s Tung Ngern application.

Ekniti said the Thais Help Thais Plus programme had helped raise sales for traders while easing living costs for the public. The Finance Ministry was now extending that support through free AI tools intended to help businesses not simply make sales, but sell more effectively and manage costs efficiently.

Free AI tools target more than 1.2 million traders

Nok Krasip analyses sales patterns, including identifying a shop’s busiest day of the week, allowing traders to plan stock levels more accurately and avoid losses from unsold goods.

It also helps analyse and compare ingredient prices, such as the cost of eggs, to support better purchasing decisions and lower production costs.

The government aims to encourage more than 1.2 million traders to try the service.

The new lending programme connects those business insights with financing channels, aiming to ease liquidity constraints and reduce reliance on expensive informal loans. Traders can apply online through channels including Krungthai’s Tung Ngern app and GSB.

Applicants can submit a summary of their previous three months’ sales for a bank’s assessment without visiting a branch or preparing paper documents. TCG guarantees are intended to address the lack of collateral among small businesses and give financial institutions greater confidence when considering applications.

“This initiative will not only support businesses today, but also help small shops manage their operations more professionally while making access to formal finance more convenient and sustainable,” Ekniti said.

Krungthai offers loan applications through Tung Ngern

Payong Srivanich, president and chief executive officer of Krungthai Bank, said the bank had integrated Nok Krasip into Tung Ngern to bring AI into the everyday operations of small businesses.

The assistant helps traders analyse sales, plan stock, control ingredient costs and manage staffing, with the aim of reducing expenses and leaving them with more income.

When additional working capital is needed, traders can press the loan application button in Tung Ngern. The system submits a three-month sales summary to the bank for assessment, removing the need for a branch visit.

Krungthai is offering two loan products for Tung Ngern merchants, with upfront loan fees waived until October 31, 2026.

The Sip Muen loan offers up to THB500,000, with interest rates of 11-20% a year and monthly repayments starting from THB500. The product offers fast approval without paper documents or collateral.

The small SME loan, aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises using Nok Krasip through Tung Ngern, offers up to THB3 million, backed by a TCG guarantee.

Interest starts at 3.5% a year for the first two years, with the product details also quoting a monthly flat rate of 0.16%. Applicants must have operated their business for at least one year, and no assets are required as collateral. Applications close on October 31, 2026.

GSB provides flexible short-term working capital

Songpol Chevapanyaroj, president and chief executive officer of GSB, said the bank was focusing on its base of more than one million grassroots customers, using sales and financial transaction data to support short-term working-capital lending.

The loans are designed to offer flexibility for traders who need money temporarily, such as borrowing for two or three days or operating a stall at an event lasting five to 10 days.

Once sales generate income, borrowers can repay the outstanding balance immediately to reduce their borrowing burden, he said.

The QR Maha Heng x Nok Krasip loan offers up to THB50,000, without collateral, at a flat interest rate of 0.75% a month, with a stated effective interest rate of 16.20% a year.

The product is intended for traders participating in Thais Help Thais Plus 60/40 who use trading data from Tung Ngern and have recorded account turnover of at least THB10,000 a month for a minimum of three consecutive months.

The loan amount must not exceed 1.5 times average sales, subject to the THB50,000 maximum.

Registration will be available through GSB’s website from September 24 to October 31, 2026.

TCG prepares THB5.5bn in loan guarantees

TCG president Sittikorn Direksoonthorn said the corporation would provide guarantees to help address two key difficulties facing small traders: a lack of collateral and limited understanding of their cost structures.

TCG has prepared two guarantee programmes to support Nok Krasip-linked lending, with a combined allocation of THB5.5 billion.

The first is a nano-loan guarantee programme for small traders, offering approximately four years of coverage and guarantees ranging from THB5,000 to THB50,000 per borrower.

TCG said it would provide guarantee-fee support of 5%, with participating financial institutions contributing a further 7.5%, to reduce credit costs. An initial THB500 million has been allocated to this programme.

The second is an expansion programme for micro and small businesses, intended for operators who want to enlarge their premises or purchase equipment, such as coffee shops and chicken-rice vendors.

Guarantees would run for up to 10 years, covering amounts from THB1,000 to million-baht levels. TCG has allocated THB5 billion to this programme.