"NPL"

Pico finance operators have given out 553,974 loans totalling THB12.69 billion, or an average of THB22,921 per account, the Fiscal Policy Office (FPO) reported on Tuesday.

The number of people applying for pico finance and pico-plus finance operation licences has been constantly rising, Pornchai Triraveja, spokesman for the Fiscal Policy Office (FPO) said.

The Bank of Thailand (BOT) expects non-performing loans (NPLs) to rise this year amid the lingering Covid-19 impact on businesses.

Thai banks’ non-performing loans (NPLs) will rise significantly this year as Covid-19 continues to take a toll on the economy, experts say.

Non-performing loans (NPL) of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have risen to Bt229 billion, or 6 per cent of the country’s total loans, due to impact from the Covid-19 pandemic, the Federation of Thai SMEs said.

The Government Housing Bank (GH Bank) expects to be hit by Bt4.5 billion in non-performing loans (NPLs) by the end of this year, and believes its profits for 2020 will drop from Bt13 billion to Bt9 billion.

Kasikornbank Plc (KBank) is preparing to issue perpetual bonds worth $500 million (approximately Bt16 billion) at 5.275 per cent interest with a five-year term to add funds to its tier 1 capital, a news source revealed.

The present Covid-19 crisis was worse than the Tom Yam Kung crisis of 1997, the Bangkok Commercial Asset Management (BAM) has said, adding that non-performing loans (NPL) was of concern for Thailand’s economic system.

Commercial banks' third-quarter net profit is expected to slump year on year due to high reserves for doubtful debts and expenses, experts said on Monday.

“Bank customers need not worry that they will lose their money, as the DPA will help protect your deposits in case another crisis strikes,” director Songpol promised.

The Thai economy stares at an uncertain future because the Covid-19 outbreak is likely to prolong until the first half of 2021, Krungthai Bank (KTB) said.

The management of non-performing loans (NPLs) in the second half of the year will be the biggest challenge for Government Savings Bank (GSB), Withai Rattanakorn, its newly appointed president who took office on Wednesday (July 1), said.