Largest Banks in Thailand

The top largest banks in Thailand are Bangkok Bank, Krung Thai Bank, Kasikornbank and
Siam Commercial Bank.
Bangkok Bank is the largest commercial bank in Thailand and one of the largest regional
banks in Southeast Asia. It has the largest overseas branch network of any Thai bank. The
banks extensive self-service network includes ATMs and cash deposit machines, phone
banking, and an easy-to-use bilingual internet banking service, allowing customers to do
fast, round-the-clock banking.
Bangkok Bank was chosen as the 'Bank of the Year 2010' for the fourth year in a row by
Money and Banking magazine. The magazine reviewed the performance of Thai financial
institutions from 1 January - 31 December 2009. Bangkok Bank had the highest profit and
highest earnings per share, the highest allowance for doubtful debts and the highest book
value.
Krung Thai Bank PCL is the second biggest bank in terms of assets in 2009. It was chosen as
the Bank of the Year in Thailand 2009. The Bank has developed products and services to
enable competition with benchmarked banks as well as further developing provided financial
services to public sector.
The KASIKORNBANK Public Company Limited was established on 8 June 1945. As of 30 June
2010, the Bank, with registered capital of Baht 30,486 Million, had total assets of Baht
1,455,703 Million, total deposits of Baht 1,028,527 Million, and total loans of Baht 978,566
Million. The Bank also has overseas offices including the Los Angeles International Branch,
Hong Kong Branch, Cayman Islands Branch, Shenzhen Branch and the Representative
Offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Kunming and Tokyo, which facilitate international trade and
financial service transactions between Thailand and its trade partners worldwide.
Siam Commercial Bank is one of the leading banks in the country. It has won the Business/IT
Excellence Award 2010 from IDC, a global provider of IT advisory services.

Bangkok Bank
Bangkok Bank Public Company Limited (Thai: , RTGS: Thanakhan
Krung Thep), is a Thai commercial bank, with approximately US$80 billion in total
assets (at 31 December 2012).[2] Its branch network includes over 1000 branches
within Thailand, with 26 international branches or representative offices in 13
economies, spanning ASEAN and major economic countries, including wholly owned
subsidiaries in Malaysia and China.[4] Bangkok Bank also own branches in London
and New York to complement its extensive network in South East Asia.

History

Entrance to Bangkok Bank branch, with the Garuda symbolising the royal warrant

Bangkok Bank was established in 1944. With more than 18 million accounts,
it is Thailands largest bank, and one of the largest regional banks in
Southeast Asia.
The bank is a publicly listed company and among the top five companies in
terms of size listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Its headquarters are
located at 333 Silom Road in the Bang Rak district of Bangkok. The
company's current president is Chartsiri Sophonpanich, the grandson of its
founder and former president Chin Sophonpanich and the son of former
president Chatri Sophonpanich. Bangkok Bank's executive chairman is Kosit
Panpiemras.
Bangkok Bank has a full range of business, investment banking and personal
banking services. It is one of the most active global traders of Thai Baht and
Thai Baht denominated bonds. The bank trades in all major currencies as
well as a large number of regional currencies. Other services include same

day transactions in import and export bills, inward and outward remittances,
swaps, options and forward contracts and trading in the primary and
secondary markets for government bonds and corporate debentures.
The company received a royal warrant of appointment for its services and
has the privilege to display the royal Garuda since 1967.[5]
The SWIFT Code for Bangkok Bank is BKKBTHBK.
Bangkok Bank currently has the largest overseas branch network of any Thai
bank in 13 economies, including wholly owned subsidiaries in Malaysia,
China and one representative office in Myanmar.
Bangkok Bank PCL

Type
Traded as
Founded

Public company
SET: BBL
Thailand (1 December 1944)
[1]

Founder(s) Chin Sophonpanich

Headquarter 333 Silom Road, Bang Rak,
s
Bangkok, Thailand[1]
Number of
1000+ branches, 8600+
locations
ATMs and CDMs (2012)[2]
Chartsiri Sophonpanich
Key people
(President)[3]
approx. US$80 billion (2012)
Total assets [2]
Employees
Website

22,934(2012)[2]
www.bangkokbank.co

Krung Thai Bank

Krung Thai Bank Public Company Limited is the state-owned bank under
the license issued by the Ministry of Finance.

History
The bank was incorporated on March 14, 1966 through the merger of
Agriculture Bank Limited and Mondhon Bank Limited, which the government
was their major shareholder.[1] The merged banks was then named Krungthai
Bank Limited, bearing its logo as an image of Vayupaksa Bird that is also the
Ministry of Finances with the head office on Yawaraj Road in the early stage..
Krungthai Bank thus became a large bank after the merger and conducted
banking business with good performance and sound financial standing as
well as wider range of services through time. As a result, the existing Head
office was not spacious enough for the expanding operation in 1982, the
Bank relocates its Head Office to No.35 Sukhumvit Road, Watthana District,
Bangkok and this headquarters has been used to date.
The bank has succeeded well in business operation and enjoyed stable and
rapid growth while making improvement and broadening its organization to
better respond to the customer needs. Back in 1988, Krungthai bank was the
only commercial bank having branch network and ATMs in all provinces
nationwide.
Furthermore, Krungthai Bank was the first state enterprise that listed its
share on the Stock Exchange of Thailand on August 2, 1989.[4] Its major
shareholder is currently the Ministry of Finance through shareholding of
6,184 billion shares by the Financial Institutions Development Fund (FIDF)
accounting for 55.31% of the total shares.
Apart from conducting commercial banking business like other commercial
banks in general, Krungthai Bank has served as the governments channel to

render financial services in response to the government policies through

lending to businesses of certain type, such as, One-Tambon-One-Product
(OTOP) loan, ICT Computer loan, Education loan. Moreover, the Bank is the
top choice for most government agencies, for example, the Revenue
Department, refunding tax by Krungthai Cheque, and disbursement of
government budget including payment of pension to pensioners.
During Thailand economic crisis, the Bank has supported the government
policy in stimulating national economy by providing the Thai Khem Kheng
stimulus package 2012 to boost Thai entrepreneurs liquidity.
The Banks office hours are different from other commercial banks, which are
adjusted to suit the economic environment and commercial operations.
However, Krungthai Banks office hours are more in line with working hours
of state enterprises and government agencies. Currently, the Bank is open
until 4.30 pm. while other banks close before that time.

Kasikornbank
The KASIKORNBANK Public Company Limited was established on June 8, 1945, with
registered capital of Baht 5 Million and only 21 employees. Its first office is now the Thanon
Sua Pa Main Branch. The Bank showed healthy performance after only six months in
operation. As of December 31, 1945, or at the end of its first accounting period, the Bank
recorded total deposits of Baht 12 Million, assets of Baht 15 Million.
Since its inception, the Bank has grown healthily. As of September 30, 2013, the Bank, with
registered capital of Baht 30,486 Million, had total assets of Baht 2,240,034 Million, total
deposits of Baht 1,552,217 Million, and total loans of Baht 1,413,050 Million. The Bank
operates 915 branches and sub-offices across the country, comprising 301
Bangkok branches and 614 upcountry branches. The Bank has ten overseas offices,
including the Los Angeles International Branch, Hong Kong Branch, Cayman Islands Branch,
Shenzhen Branch, Chengdu Branch and the Representative Offices in Beijing, Shanghai,
Kunming, Tokyo, and Yangon which greatly facilitate international trade and financial service
transactions between Thailand and our trade partners worldwide.
Throughout the past 68 years, the Bank has always strived to develop our organization and
offer financial product initiatives plus excellent service delivery to match our slogan,
"Towards Service Excellence"

Siam Commercial Bank

Siam Commercial Bank is the leading universal banking group in Thailand, with
the highest market capitalization and the largest branch and ATM network.

Established by Royal Charter in 1907, Siam Commercial Bank PCL (SCB) was Thailand's first
bank. At the time of its establishment, the only banks in the country (then known as Siam) were
branch offices of foreign banks. SCB currently provides a comprehensive range of financial
products and services through its branch, exchange booth, ATM network, and Business
Relationship Centers (BRC) nationwide.
Market Capitalization and Asset Data
At the end of December 2011, SCB's market capitalization stood at 396 billion baht, the highest
among Thailand's financial institutions, with assets of 1,878 billion baht. SCB's branch, exchange
booth, and ATM networks totaled 1,100, 114, and 7,678 units respectively, the highest in the
banking sector.[citation needed]
History

Garuda at a branch in Khon Kaen, signifying the royal warrant given by the King of Thailand
SCB was founded as the Book Club on October 4, 1904 by His Royal Highness Prince
Mahisara Rajaharudaya, a brother of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V), who was convinced that the
time was ripe for Siam to have its own banking system to help foster the countrys economic
development, rather than rely solely on the efforts of foreign banks operating branches in the
country. The name Book Club was chosen in an effort to keep the project sub rosa as it was
something of an experiment. After the success of the Book Club, King Chulalongkorn granted
royal approval for it to officially operate as a commercial bank under the name The Siam
Commercial Bank on January 30, 1907.
SCB opened its headquarters in Bangkoks Talad Noi District in 1910. In 1911, it was granted
approval to display the royal Garuda symbol as a royal warrant by King Vajiravudh (Rama VI).[1]
Some significant developments:

1912: SCB opened its first branch in the Ratchawong pier area of Sampeng District.

1920: SCB opened its first regional branch in Thung Song District, Nakhon Si
Thammarat province.

19271930: SCB established its first branches in the Northern Region in Chiang Mai and
Lampang.

27 Jan 1939: SCB changed its name to Siam Commercial Bank in English, and
Thanakarn Thai Panich in Thai.

1971: SCBs head office moved from Talad Noi District to Petchburi Road to support the
growth of its operations.

1983: SCB introduced Thailands first ATM service[2] and established the Thai Bank
Museum

19 Feb 1993: SCB registered as a public company and was henceforth known as Siam
Commercial Bank Public Company Limited.

29 Jan 1996: SCB moved its headquarters to SCB Park Plaza on Ratchadaphisek Road in
the Jatujak District of Bangkok and recorded assets of over 500 billion baht.

30 Jan 2007: the Bank celebrated its 100th anniversary; HRH Princess Maha Chakri
Sirindhorn presided over the celebrations at SCB headquarters.

The Bank provides financial products and services through SCB core business groups:

The Retail Banking Group provides home loans, personal credit, car hire purchase,
credit cards, ATM cards, debit cards, currency exchange facilities, and overseas
remittance, as well as investment and bank assurance.

The Corporate Banking Group offers loans and consultancy and advisory services to
organizations.

The Business Banking Group delivers financial products and services to businesses in
the small-to-medium enterprise (SME) sector through Business Relationship Centers
(BRCs) nationwide, providing banking advice and managing customer financial needs.

Global Transaction Services provides financial transaction products for larger

corporations and SME customers. Its products include business cash management, trade
finance, and corporate trust.

The Special Assets Group manages the bulk of the Banks portfolio of non-performing
loans (NPLs) and non-performing assets (NPAs).

The Treasury Group offers a range of treasury products covering liquidity, interest rates,
and exchange rate instruments.

Executives:

Mr. Anand Panyarachun, Chairman of the Board

Dr. Vichit Suraphongchai, Chairman of the Executive Committee

Mrs. Kannikar Chalitaporn, President

1904 - 1932 Laying the Foundation of Thai Banking

The most important change in Thailand's financial system was engineered under the visionary
and wise leadership of Prince Mahisara Rajaharudaya (H.R.H. Prince Mahisorn), a brother of
King Chulalongkorn Rama V. He realized that it would be difficult for Thailand to develop its
economy without the firm foundation of a national banking system. His approach was to
cautiously set up a small commercial bank as a pilot project, naming it the "Book Club".
The Book Club began its life on 4 October 1904 in a shophouse on Ban Moh Road. After the
heartening performance of the Book Club, on 30 January 1907, H.M. King Rama V granted
royal permission to set up the bank with an initial capital of 3,000,000 baht. The decree was
announced in Royal Gazette, Siam Commercial Bank Limited thus officially began operations
as a full-fledged commercial bank. In the realization of H.R.H. Prince Mahisaras vision, the
Bank would soon grow to become a "prototype for Thai bank", and help to achieve Thailands
financial independence, immensely benefiting the Kingdom and its people.
The devaluation of the pound sterling in 1931 was a factor in the closure of the Thung Song
branch and caused difficulties for the bank as a whole. SCB immediately saw its pound-denominated assets (hard currency and negotiable notes) decline in value.
With its assets now being of less worth, it was difficult to continue operating. The pound
devaluation along with the weak economic conditions resulted in SCB's suffering a 3 million
baht loss.
To save the bank, H.M. King Rama VII Prajadhipok, instructed the Privy Purse to lend SCB 3
million baht at no interest.
In 1939, World War II erupted in Europe. Shortly thereafter, the Thai government proclaimed its
"nationalistic" policies with their focus on Thai ethnic identity. As part of this effort, the names
of the country and its people were changed from "Siam" to "Thailand".
Siam Commercial Banks Board of Directors voted to changethe Banks Thai name to "Siam
Commercial Bank", pronounced as "Thanakhan Thai Phanit, Limited." while the English name
was modified to "Thai Commercial Bank Limited." The name it uses today and, after World War
II reverted to its original English name, "Siam Commercial Bank."

Between 1957 and 1973, internal security primarily to counter the threat from Communism
was given highest priority by the Thai government. This period also saw the extensive expansion
of infrastructure and public utilities to backstop the countrys economic advancement, as well as
the bolstering of organizations designed to facilitate industrial development. Financial
institutions were also strengthened, initially through the passage of the Commercial Banking.
Business activities in this period, the Bank supported Thailands development by expansion of
branch offices. Most of the branches were in Bangkok but many were in major provincial centers
to served customers throughout Thailand. The bank also aware of the importance of human
resources and the admission of new personnel, including social contributions by fostering the
growth of buddhism, supporting health.
By introducing advanced technology to serve its customers, Siam Commercial Bank opened a
new chapter for Thai banking and for itself, ushering in the age of electronic banking for the
convenience of its customers. It was in line with the Banks newborn slogan "A Firm Foundation
with Heartfelt Service".
In this period, the Bank was broadening the branch network by adding both domestic and
international branches, also stepped forward to the advent of the technology era. In 1983, Siam
Commercial Bank opened a new dimension in Thailands electronic banking by becoming the
first to introduce Automatic Teller Machine (ATMs); the Bank also offered the first telephone
banking service. Taken as a whole, this service led to enormous changes in Thailands finance
and banking industry.
The expansion of Siam Commercial Banks deposit base, credit, business, and its range of
transaction activities were in keeping with the growth of the Thai economy. Siam Commercial
Banks ability to make good and steady progress was due to several factors: a market-oriented
reorganization, the systematic resolution of poor-quality assets, the revision of the operating
system, and the constant monitoring and timely analysis of events. The Banks operational
effective- ness was recognized by Money & Banking Magazine, which named it "Bank of the
Year" for four straight years (1989 to 1992) for the best all-around performance, notably its
market share, net profit per share, social welfare activities, and organizational development.
In 1997, the Thai economy was struggling to keep its head above water. Although there was a
general lack of public confidence in Thai financial institutions, Siam Commercial Bank
continues to enjoy tremendous customer loyalty. Also in this year, Siam Commercial Bank had to
recapitalize because the Bank of Thailand required that banks increase their reserves as a
provision for doubtful debts and because of the increasing number of problematic loans.
In 1997 the Asian Financial Crisis hits Thailand and the region. Siam Commercial Bank found its
NPL, figure rising from 4.9 percent in 1995 to 42.4 percent in 1998. Some poor-quality loans

were from troubled accounts and others derived from new and stricter loan classifications
announced by the Bank of Thailand. This was a difficult period for the Bank, which implemented
several measures to deal with its most pressing problems. The Bank decided to sell new shares to
existing shareholders and overseas investors.
In 1999, SCB's issue of shares offered between 31 March and 10 May is oversubscribed and,
with matching funds from the Thai government per its economic recovery measure of 14 August
1998, raises capital amounting to 65 billion baht. SCB is the first Thai commercial bank to have
successfully recapitalised by selling preferred stock, and the capital raised is the largest in
Thailand and Asia (excluding Japan).
Siam Commercial Bank has stated its mission as being The Premier Universal
Bank of Thailand. Thus, it seeks to provide not only the traditional
commercial banking services but a full range of financial services, and aided
by continual organization and personnel development to meet international
standards in part, through the Change Program Siam Commercial Bank
has experienced continuous growth.