"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.