Bangkok Bank Executive Vice Presidents Ian Guy Gillard (middle) and Prasanee Ouiyamaphan (left) and Vice President for Shared Operation Vorachai Wattanaparadorn (right) received the “Website of the Year” and “Thailand Domestic Trade Finance Bank of the Year” awards on behalf of the Bank at the Asian Banking & Finance Awards 2019 ceremony at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore. The “Website of the Year-Thailand” award reflected the Bank’s development of www.bangkokbank.com into a contemporarily designed, simple to use website under the concept of “Speed, Simplicity and Personalization” with the aim of providing customers with greater convenience and enhanced user experience. The Bank won “Trade Finance Bank of the Year” award for the fifth consecutive year, reflecting its ability to respond to the needs of entrepreneurs in the digital age. In addition, the Bank piloted a Letter of Credit (L/C) transaction between Thailand and Indonesia on R3’s CORDA Platform using Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), or Enterprise Blockchain. This new digital L/C service helps save time and reduces paperwork by more than half.

Asian Banking & Finance Award 2019 is an international award for organizations with outstanding innovations that have delivered business growth in line with rapid changes in technology and consumer behavior. The award’s panel of judges comprises banking and financial services specialists from world-class consulting organizations.

Bangkok Bank joined Bangkok FinTech Fair 2019 under the “Co-Creating Value” theme to show its commitment to supporting society with financial innovations by showcasing outstanding works from FinTech startups and participating in expert panels.

Bangkok FinTech Fair 2019 was organized by the Bank of Thailand (BOT) under the “Collaboration for the Future of Finance” concept to encourage stakeholders from the government and private sector to collaborate on financial innovation to develop Thailand’s ecosystem.

The event, which was held from July 18-19, 2019 at the Bank of Thailand Learning Center, featured panel discussions, exhibitions to showcase innovations and press conferences. More than 1,500 delegates attended from financial institutions, government agencies, private companies, central banks, international organizations, financial advisories and service providers, technology companies and legal practices.

Bangkok Bank Senior Executive Vice President Suteera Sripaibulya said the Bank joined a number of activities at the fair. The Bank featured its financial innovations at its booth under the theme of “Co-Creating Value” which reflected its commitment to supporting the needs of its customers and playing a role in helping enhance society with its expertise and technology. The Bank’s financial innovations comprised:

1) Bangkok Bank InnoHub – FinTech Accelerator, an accelerator program for world-class FinTech startups which aims to strengthen Thailand’s financial service industry and add value to the country’s financial technology ecosystem.

2) Facial Recognition Technology – Identify Verification, a technology that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to recognize and identify customers from their faces to facilitate the Know Your Customer (KYC) process.

3) BeWallet – QR Code Payment Easy and Convenient, an application that provides product and service payment via QR Code for shops in Thailand and ASEAN countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines, as well as other countries in Asia, including China and Japan.

4) Letter of Credit (L/C) on Enterprise Blockchain – digitized L/C service revolution, a joint project between financial institutions and R3, a global financial technology developer, to study and develop Blockchain to support international trade. Recently, Bangkok Bank implemented this new digital L/C service which saves time, reduces paperwork and improves security.

5) KMUTT BeDigiPass – a new type of student card, this virtual student card on smart phone enables students to manage a number of activities hassle-free, such as checking class times, or paying for food, dormitory and tuition fees without having to carry cash. The Bank is currently piloting the card with KMUTT.

6) Bualuang mBanking x Rabbit LINE Pay BTS – Check Balance, Top Up and View Trips on Rabbit LINE Pay BTS via Bualuang mBanking, this innovation allows users to manage their finance, daily spending and travel expenses with BTS via Bualuang mBanking.

Two FinTech startups from Bangkok Bank InnoHub joined the Bank’s booth. AntWorks, a global, artificial intelligence and intelligent automation company that can digitally capture data in many languages, including Thai, then analyzes it to search for new business opportunities. And Pand.ai, an AI-powered chatbot system for financial institutions that currently provides solutions for a range of international firms in Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.

Bangkok Bank executives participated in a number of seminars at the fair. Bangkok Bank Executive Director Charamporn Jotikasthira joined the “Collaboration for Inclusive Digital Finance: How to Make it Happen” seminar with the governor of the Bank of Thailand. At the “ASEAN Payment Connectivity Showcases” session, Bangkok Bank Senior Vice President and Trade Finance Center Manager Kajohnsak Manaviriyakul talked about Blockchain L/C and Assistant Vice President, Credit Card Division, Tanacan Phanasomburn talked about Interoperable QR Code. Bangkok Bank Vice President, Trade Finance Center, Pintuwan Kleijssen participated in the ‘FinTech for the Evolution of Corporate Solutions’ panel.

Announcements were made at the event for a number of services to support digital lifestyles that the Bank has supported, including the National Digital ID company – a central agency to develop a digital personal identification and verification system which will facilitate businesses as customers will be able to conveniently verify their identification; and MyPromptQR payment which facilitates payments by enabling merchants to simply scan a customers’ QR Code to receive payment.

“Bangkok FinTech Fair 2019 enables banks, financial institutions and related agencies to learn and exchange experiences on financial technology development which will lead to the creation of an innovative financial ecosystem. For Bangkok Bank, financial innovation is a key focus with the aim of developing secure digital banking services for customers. At the same time, the Bank also collaborates with leading local and international FinTech companies to create financial services using the latest technology. This is to ensure the Bank can leverage financial services to meet the needs and changing lifestyles of its customers,” said Miss Suteera.

In 2019, the Thai economy is forecast to expand more slowly than in 2018. Slowing global growth, uncertainty over international trade policies and the persistently strong baht have weighed on both exports and tourism. However, the Thai economy is underpinned by the continued expansion in private consumption. In addition, following the successful formation of the new cabinet, the outlook for private investment should brighten in line with rising business confidence supported by government policy continuity, especially with regard to ongoing infrastructure investment and greater clarity on the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).

For the second quarter of 2019, Bangkok Bank and its subsidiaries reported a net profit attributable to owners of the Bank of 9,347 million baht, an increase of 1.7 percent from the second quarter of 2018. Net interest income increased by 0.4 percent and the net interest margin improved slightly to 2.36 percent. Non-interest income decreased by 1.0 percent as a result of lower gains on tradings and foreign exchange transactions and a minimal decline in net fees and service income. The decline in net fees and service income was caused by lower fees from securities business in line with the capital market situation, while fees from bancassurance and mutual funds increased. Consequently, the ratios of net interest income and non-interest income to operating income continued to stand at about 57 percent and 43 percent, respectively, and were at similar levels to the same period last year, as a result of the Bank’s intention to diversify its source of income. The ratio of expense to operating income stood at 45.3 percent.

At the end of June 2019, the Bank’s loans amounted to 2,017,314 million baht, a slight decrease from the previous quarter, owing to a decline in loans to businesses and loans made through the Bank’s international network. The ratio of non-performing loan (NPL) to total loans was 3.5 percent, the same level as the previous quarter. The Bank continued to focus on prudent control over credit underwriting and to ensure loan quality and the allowance for doubtful accounts to maintain at the appropriate level. The ratio of loan loss reserves to NPL was 185.8 percent.

The Bank continues to maintain liquidity and capital at a sufficient level to support future business expansion, at the end of June 2019, total deposits amounting to 2,352,679 million baht, an increase of 0.5 percent. Meanwhile the loan to deposit ratio stood at 85.7 percent. In terms of capital, with the inclusion of net profit for the six months ending June 30, 2019, the total capital adequacy ratio, the Common Equity Tier 1 capital adequacy ratio and the Tier 1 capital adequacy ratio of the Bank and its subsidiaries were approximately 19.1 percent, 17.6 percent and 17.6 percent, respectively. These capital adequacy ratios are above the Bank of Thailand’s minimum capital requirements.

Bangkok Bank showcases its booth in Thailand Industry Expo 2019 to feature its financial innovations in the digital age, professional advisory services and extensive branch network to support Thailand’s industries to tap into international markets by inviting new generation of successful businessmen to share their ideas and insight experiences.

Bangkok Bank Senior Executive Vice President Virasak Sutanthavibul said that the Bank has supported Thailand Industry Expo 2019 organized by the Ministry of Industry with an aim to promote the cooperation from all sectors to upgrade the standards of Thailand’s industries while increasing the country’s competitiveness with innovations and digital technology. This year, the event is held under the concept of “Synergy for Success” to reflect the importance of the cooperation from all sectors to create opportunities and possibilities for Thailand’s industries. In the event, there are seminar to show the vision on how to drive Thailand’s industries to success, exhibition and forum to exchange ideas for industrial development, as well as display of products and services from young entrepreneurs who have fresh ideas driven by innovations, digital technology and online marketing.

To be in line with the event’s concept, the Bank has created the booth under the concept of “Partner Shift to Success” to showcase modern financial innovations that help answer business needs in the digital age. In addition, the booth also provides the knowledge and insight experiences from business partners, as well as financial services and advisory services from business experts for visitors. The booth is divided into three zones as follows:

1. Stage Zone – a stage to share insight business experiences from successful entrepreneurs comprising creative concept, business management methods, and how to apply technologies to enhance business efficiency. At the same time, experts from Bangkok Bank also use this stage to introduce new financial products and services. In addition, the Bank provides information on financial innovations which are creative works from startups that participated in Bangkok Bank InnoHub, a world-class incubator program for fintech startups

2. Clinic Zone – Unlock your business potential to reach out to global markets with our business advisory services that will reduce business limitations and enhance competitive edge. Such services include the AEC Connect which provides advice to companies seeking business expansion overseas with a full range of financial services, experience, expertise and the breadth of local business network in many countries. As the Bank operates as a regional bank, we have a good understanding of economic contexts, rules and regulations of each country particularly in ASEAN countries where economies are growing. This zone features SME loans such as Bualuang SME loan for adjustment to a single account and Transformation Loan. There are also financial services showcased for consumers such as Bualuang mBanking, Bualuang iBanking, BeWallet and BeMerchant.

3. Showcase Zone – update financial innovation in digital world through many collaborative projects including Voltron project of R3, a company developing financial technology and software for the future. Voltron project studies and develops a business platform using Blockchain to enhance efficiency of international trade services. It can reduce half of processing time and paperwork. Bangkok Bank was the first member in Thailand to join R3. The Bank recently has successfully piloted international Letter of Credit service for business customers. This pilot helped reducing L/C transaction process from 10 days to 24 hours. Startups joining Bangkok Bank InnoHub also showcased their financial innovations in this zone.

“This is a good opportunity for the Bank to showcase financial products and services as well as provide financial knowledge to entrepreneurs who look for new financial solutions that can enhance business efficiency. This is one of the Bank’s commitments to enhance customers’ business potential as well as expand businesses to regional market through Bangkok Bank’s financial products and strong network. Bangkok Bank is a trusted partner to Thai businesses and industry”, said Khun Virasak.

Interested person can visit Bangkok Bank booth at Innovation zone in Thailand Industry Expo 2019 during July 17-21, 2019 at Challenger 2-3, Impact Muang Thong Thani.

 

Bangkok Bank President Chartsiri Sophonpanich led a team of management and employees to receive Money & Banking Awards 2019 in “Bank of the Year 2019”, this is the 11 th win in 13 years, beginning in 2007, additionally Bangkok Bank received the Best Booth Design Award in Money Expo 2019 in the large space category which was presented by Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Somkid Jatusripitak and Mr.Santi Wiriyarangsarit, Chair of the event. The Bank’s net profit in 2018 was the third-highest among Thai banks at Baht 35.3 billion, representing the highest net profit of 18.51 baht per share. In addition to its high profitability, Bangkok Bank was recognized for its prudent and steady approach in allocating reserves for doubtful accounts. Its total loan loss reserves in 2018 amounted to 147.5 billion baht, or 7.08% of total loans, which was also the highest amount among Thai banks. According to the Bank for International Standards, Bangkok Bank has a total capital adequacy ratio of 17.96%, comprising Tier-1 capital of 16.43% and Tier-2 capital of 1.53%. The Bank’s business has been guided by the philosophy of aspiring to be a trusted partner and reliable close friend. This emphasizes the value Bangkok Bank places on partnership, and developing long-term, trusted partnerships with its customers, sustaining relationships over decades and across generations. The Bank stays close to all its customers to anticipate their needs and provide them with appropriate advice and support, so they can adapt to changing circumstances.

Bangkok Bank will join Techsauce Global Summit 2019 where it will discuss the revolutionary potential of blockchain for trade finance, share ideas about how to get the most out of partnerships between financial institutions and technology companies and host a workshop on developing Thai-language chatbots.

Bangkok Bank Executive Director Charamporn Jotikasthira said the Bank is joining the Summit to promote and upgrade the technology ecosystem in Thailand while supporting connections and interchanges between Thailand and other parts of the world.

During the two-day summit Bangkok Bank will host four events: a panel discussion on blockchain in trade finance, a panel discussion on innovative FinTech partnerships, a workshop on how to apply blockchain solutions to your enterprise and a workshop on developing Thai-language AI chatbots.

As the first Thai bank to join the R3 consortium and the Bank that facilitated the first trade finance transaction in ASEAN using blockchain technology, Bangkok Bank is organizing the panel “Transforming trade – how Enterprise Blockchain can revolutionize global trade finance”. During the discussion, the Bank will share its knowledge and experience in developing trade finance transactions on R3's CORDA Platform using Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), or Enterprise Blockchain. The panel will be held on the Blockchain Vertical Stage and moderated by Mr. Thomas Glucksmann, Head of Data Management Solutions, Diginex Blockchain Solution. He will be joined by panelists Mr. Carl Wegner, Managing Director, Head of Asia, R3, Mrs. Pintuwan Kleijssen, Trade Finance Product Management, Bangkok Bank and Mr. Pongbhoka Buddhi-Baedya, Vice President and Manager, Global Payment Services Department, Bangkok Bank.

As the initiator of the first global FinTech accelerator in Thailand, the panel “Successful synergy – unlocking the power of partnerships” will enable the Bank to share its experience in helping FinTech startups accelerate in Thailand and in the region, while the panelists will share their experiences in using partnerships to facilitate innovation. The panel will be held on the FinTech Vertical Stage and moderated by Mr. Ian Mason, co-creator, Virgin StartUp. The panelists will be Dr. Pao Sriprasertsuk, Vice President, Innovation Department Manager, Bangkok Bank, Mr. Krit Phanratanamala, Investment Advisor, Bualuang Ventures Limited, Mr. Richard Jones, Senior Vice President APAC, Antworks and Mr. Varun Mittal, Global Emerging Markets & ASEAN FinTech Leader, EY.

Bangkok Bank’s team of data scientists will provide a foundational overview on developing Thai-language AI chatbots at the “Thai-language AI Chatbot Development Workshop (Google Dialogflow) with Bangkok Bank InnoHub’s Machine Learning Engineers”. The workshop will provide attendees with an opportunity to put Machine Learning theory into practice using Google Dialogflow.

In the “Revolutionizing trade finance through blockchain technology”, Bangkok Bank’s trade finance and digital banking specialists will be joined by an Enterprise Blockchain expert from R3 to help attendees utilize Bangkok Bank’s blockchain systems to expedite trade finance.

The Techsauce Global Summit 2019 is being held on June 19-20, 2018 at the Centara Grand Hotel at Central World.

 

Bangkok Bank Senior Vice President and Trade Finance Center Manager Kajohnsak Manaviriyakul (left), Senior Vice President and Securities Services Department Manager Mrs. Nuttanok Vichitthanarurk (middle) and Vice President and Global Payment Services Department Manager Pongbhoka Buddhi-baedya (right) represented the Bank to receive three awards at The Asian Banker Transaction Awards 2019 organized by The Asian Banker – a leading financial magazine in Asia. The three awards were The Best Trade Finance Bank in Thailand (for the eighth time), The Best Payment Bank in Thailand (for four consecutive years), and The Best Custody Bank in Thailand (for five consecutive years). This emphasizes the Bank’s status as one of the leading banks in Southeast Asia.

 

Bangkok Bank Singapore Branch Vice President for Operations Eric Tan (left) and Vice President for Credit & Marketing Stephen Lee (right) represented the Bank to receive three awards at The Corporate Treasurer Awards 2018 organized in Singapore by Corporate Treasurer – a leading financial magazine in Asia Pacific under Haymarket Financial Media Group. The three awards were The Best Bank in Thailand, The Best Cash Management House, and The Best FX House. This emphasizes the Bank’s status as one of the leading banks in Southeast Asia that continuously develops its products and services to meet the needs of customers.

Bangkok Bank will conduct system maintenance to upgrade its services. The Bank apologizes to customers for any inconvenience this may cause.

During the system maintenance, some services will be temporarily unavailable as indicated below:

• Bualuang mBanking, Bualuang iBanking and BIZ iBanking will be unavailable from Friday, June 14, 2019 at 09:00 p.m. to Saturday, June 15, 2019 at 09:00 a.m.
  
  
• Bangkok Bank ATMs and CDMs, Bangkok Bank Debit Cards, Bangkok Bank Credit Cards (only payment services will be available) and Funds Transfer from other banks to Bangkok Bank accounts will be unavailable from Friday, June 14, 2019 at 10:30 p.m. to Saturday, June 15, 2019 at 06:00 a.m.

Customers are advised to plan their transactions and reserve cash in advance. The Bank apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. For more information, please call Bualuang Phone 1333, available 24 hours a day.

All information is available in Thai only.

Bangkok Bank President Chartsiri Sophonpanich received two awards at the Asian Banker Leadership Achievement Awards 2019 presentation ceremony organized by the Asian Banker, the leading financial magazine in Asia.

The first award, ‘The Asian Banker CEO Leadership Achievement for Thailand Award 2019’ recognized the Bank’s outstanding achievements in four areas – sustainable financial performance, specific achievements, long-term vision and business strategy, and teamwork driven by a singular and united vision. These achievements also enabled the Bank to win the second award ‘Best Managed Bank in Thailand 2019’.

The Bank received another three awards at the Asian Banker Leadership Achievement Awards 2019: Best Trade Finance Bank in Thailand, Best Payment Bank in Thailand, and Best Custody Bank in Thailand.

The Asian Banker Leader Achievement Awards 2019 is held every three years to honor bankers and banks in Asia that show outstanding strong and sustainable performance. This year’s winners were judged on their performance from January 2016 to December 2018. The award presentation ceremony was held at Ballroom 1 (Shangri-La Wing), Shangri-La Hotel, on May 29-30, 2019.

All information is available in Thai only.

 

Bangkok Bank London branch manager Peeriyathep Homhuan and Senior Vice President Consumer Banking Voraporn Vidhayasirinun welcomed Bualuang Exclusive customers who visited Bangkok Bank’s London branch in the UK – the only branch of a Thai commercial bank in UK and Europe. The branch visit was part of a trip to the UK arranged by the bank for its customers. This trip emphasizes Bangkok Bank’s leadership status with an extensive international branch network of 32 branches in 15 major economies and more than 1,000 correspondent banks worldwide, covering Thailand’s major trade markets and global financial hubs.

 

Bangkok Bank invites customers to experience digital solutions in the My Tempo, My Style zone of Bangkok Bank’s booth at Money Expo 2019. Customers can add @Bangkok Bank Event on Line to get an e-Coupon to redeem a glass of bubble milk tea or Premium Milk at Brown Café, a famous Taiwanese bubble tea café from Chiang Mai, for only one baht a glass (limited to 1 glass/customer for the entire event) when paying via BeSure QR / Be Merchant using Bualuang mBanking application, Fitbit Pay or Garmin Pay linked with Bangkok Bank credit card. Customers can also join a raffle by making an e-Donation via ‘Jai Boon BeSure QR’ on Bualuang mBanking by scanning a QR code to donate 19 baht or more. This will give customers one entry into the QR raffle draw and the chance to win prizes such as luggage, folding umbrellas and tote bags (limited to 119 privileges/day).

Customers are invited to take part in digital experiences at Bangkok Bank’s booth at Money Expo 2019 from May 16-19, 2019 at Challenger Hall 2-3, Impact, Muang Thong Thani.

 

Bangkok Bank Senior Executive Vice President Ruchanee Nopmuang (4th from left, front row), together with top executives and Innovation Department Manager Dr. Pao Sriprasertsuk (5th from left, front row) welcomed startups from Israel, a country with world-class technology, led by Mr. Dagan Alony, Economic Consul of the Embassy of Israel to Thailand, and Mr. Otni Oron, Manager of Fintech Sector of Israel Export Institute, on the occasion of their visit to present their work and technological solutions that can be used to further develop the Bank’s products and services. They also exchanged ideas in terms of business and technology while forming a collaboration with the Bank. So far, the Bank has recognized the importance of using financial technology and innovation to develop Thailand’s innovation ecosystem. At the same time, the Bank aims to work with these efficient startups in order to use their technologies and innovations to further develop the Bank’s financial services to achieve growth and productivity which will enable the Bank to keep up with fast-changing consumer behaviors in the digital age.

 

Bangkok Bank Vice President of Credit Card Marketing Department Voranuch Siratharanont together with Somruthai Plodplong, Marketing Manager of Sukishi Intergroup Co., Ltd., launched two promotional campaigns (#specialpromotion) for Bangkok Bank Be1st debit card and credit card holders. The first campaign offers a 15% discount at Sukishi Korean Charcoal Grill when paying with a Bangkok Bank Be1st debit card or credit card. The second campaign offers a ‘Come 2 Pay 1’ all-you-can-eat shabu buffet at Sukishi Buffet and Sukishi Korean Charcoal Grill when redeeming 2,000 Bualuang Thank You Reward points. In addition, customers will receive 15% cash back when they pay by redeeming reward points equivalent to their actual spending. These two promotional campaigns for Bangkok Bank Be1st debit card and credit card holders are available from now until June 30, 2019. The Bank’s terms and conditions apply.

Bangkok Bank Chairman Piti Sithi-Amnuai, Executive Chairman Deja Tulananda and President Chartsiri Sophonpanich joined with the Bank’s Directors, management and staff in wearing yellow T-shirts to make merit by giving alms to 100 monks to celebrate the auspicious occasion of the Royal Coronation of King Rama X B.E. 2562.

The ceremony began at 7 a.m. when Chairman Piti Sithi-Amnuai led the ritual by lighting candles to pay respects to both the Three Jewels of Buddhism and the portrait of HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn. The Directors, management and staff then joined Buddhist chants and gave offerings. This was followed by blessings with holy water and giving alms to 100 monks to mark the auspicious occasion of the Royal Coronation of King Rama X B.E. 2562. The 100 monks came from five temples in Bangkok – Wat Yanawa, Wat Traimitr Withayaram, Wat Chakkrawat, Wat Pathumkongka and Wat Ratcha Singkhon.

Bangkok Bank President Chartsiri Sophonpanich then led the Directors, management and staff in a ceremony to pay respect to the portrait of HM King Maha Vajiralongkorn and extend their best wishes by saying: "I, along with the Bank’s Directors, management and staff, am delighted by the auspicious occasion of the Royal Coronation. All Thai people have faith and respect in the Monarchy which has long been one of the kingdom’s important institutions which has brought us prosperity, stability and happiness. Throughout the years, HM the King has dedicated himself to various projects that help all Thai people. When the country suffered a crisis, HM the King granted royal support to Thai people and encouraged us to nurture goodness and join forces in keeping our nation out of danger.” After that, national artist Naowarat Pongpaiboon read poems to honor HM the King. The Bank’s Directors, management and staff then sang songs and signed their names to pay tribute to King Rama X at the Royal Arch in front of Bangkok Bank Head Office, Silom Road.

In addition, the Bank’s management and staff demonstrated their loyalty to HM the King by giving away water to people who lined up to welcome HM the King at the Liab Phra Nakhon procession on May 5, 2019. The Bank’s management and staff also joined the Ministry of Defense to enhance the landscape along the route of the Royal Barge Procession on the auspicious occasion of the Royal Coronation of King Rama X at Wat Buranasiri Matayaram, Atsadang Road, to make it presentable to Thais and the world community as a whole.

Bangkok Bank joins Money Expo 2019 under the concept of ‘Symphony of Digital Life by Bangkok Bank’ and invites everyone to experience digital solutions for a modern age that combine a variety of financial services and products and provide greater convenience for all transactions via a digital banking system that covers travelling, spending, donating and investing money with special offers on loans, insurance and mutual funds. Money Expo 2019 runs from May 16 to May 19 at Challenger Hall 2-3, Impact Muang Thong Thani.

Bangkok Bank Director and Executive Vice President Dr. Thaweelap Rittapirom said that Bangkok Bank will join Money Expo 2019 which will be held under the theme of Digital Orchestra and feature financial products and services with various privileges under the concept of ‘Symphony of Digital Life by Bangkok Bank’. He said this reflects the Bank’s commitment to provide new financial experiences that combine the Bank’s financial products and services with those of our business partners to provide digital solutions that meet the needs of all customers and lifestyles of a digital age. “These products and services can be compared to a sweet symphony from an orchestra that harmoniously blends the sounds from various music instruments to capture the audience’s heart”.

Under this concept, Bangkok Bank will tell stories that resonate with each stage of consumer life in a digital age and cashless society and it will be illustrated by the digital experiences and solutions that the Bank uses to answer the needs of all customers. For instance, customers can use Bualuang mBanking to check their balance, make top-ups and view their BTS trip history without having to wait in line at the BTS station.

In addition, the Bank also offers a variety of e-Payment services to suit all lifestyles with greater convenience and safety including debit cards, credit cards, BeSure QR payments and Bualuang mBanking. What’s more, customers can enjoy the new e-Payment service that links Bangkok Bank credit cards to Fitbit Pay and Garmin Pay with an e-Wallet that customers can have with them anywhere anytime and enjoy greater confidence and safety.

Those who are keen on performing good deeds can donate easily via the e-Donation feature by scanning the QR Code on BeSure QR Jai Boon. The donated money will be sent instantly to the chosen organization and at the same time the user can request the Bank to submit the donation information to the Revenue Department for a tax benefit.

Those looking for wealth products can enjoy innovative financial planning and investment services that adopt technology to analyze and customize advice and investment portfolio management. With the Bank’s carefully selected financial and investment products, customers can achieve savings and investment goals more quickly and more efficiently. The new investment experience is based on customer needs.

To enable customers to experience new financial services that reflect digital solutions, the Bank’s booth covers 1,000 square meters at Money Expo 2019. The booth will be divided into four zones as follows:

• Digital Delight – Enjoy the colorful financial world in the digital age with convenient digital banking that are perfect for your daily life
  • Rabbit LINE Pay BTS (on Bualuang mBanking application)
  • Deposit
  • Be Merchant (service for merchant who accept payments via cards)
  • Fitbit Pay and Garmin Pay
  • Bualuang iBanking / Bualuang mBanking / SMS Account Alert / Bangkok Bank PromptPay
  • Bangkok Bank AirAsia Credit Card

• Composing Future – building your wealthy future with investment products and financial and insurance planning from our various partners
  • BeTogether from AIA
  • Insurance services from Bangkok Life Assurance (BLA) and Bangkok Insurance (BKI)
  • Mutual funds from BBL Asset Management (BBLAM) and Bangkok Capital Asset Management (BCAP)
  • Introducing Agent Service from Bualuang Securities (BLS)
  • Plan your smart finance with B-Advice

• Loans in Harmony – located at the center of the booth to showcase loan products to serve every customer need together with loan advisory services
  • Bualuang Home Loan
  • Loans for SME
  • Properties for sale

• My Tempo, My Style – various lifestyle activities in front of the booth demonstrating digital banking services to suit your lifestyle
  • Draw Your Star Raffle Event – make an e-Donation via ‘Jai Boon BeSure QR’ by scanning a QR code to donate 19 baht or more via Bualuang mBanking and get one right to join the QR star raffle draw and the chance to win prizes such as luggage, folding umbrellas and tote bags (limited privileges / day)
  • Special discounts on fitness watches from Fitbit and Garmin with a 0% installment of 4-10 months when purchased with a Bangkok Bank credit card. Receive a special gift when connecting a Bangkok Bank credit card with the e-Wallet via the fitness watch

Those interested can visit Bangkok Bank’s booth to inquire about any product and service, receive investment or financial advice, or apply for a service. All visitors will receive special promotions and gifts during Money Expo 2019 from May 16-19, 2019 at Challenger Hall 2-3, Impact, Muang Thong Thani.

Thailand’s economic growth in 2019 is expected to be 3.8 percent, decreasing from 4.1 percent in 2018. Amid slower world trade and risks from the US trade policies, exports declined for the first two months of the year. This has squeezed manufacturing production of export-oriented sectors, which has led to the fall in overall domestic production activity. Nevertheless, private consumption continued to expand in line with continuous improvement in farm income. Going forward, although downside risks to Thailand’s economic growth are greater given weaker global economy, public policy continuity—including the implementation of infrastructure projects such as the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC)—will be key to underpinning private sector sentiment. Moreover, policies to improve household purchasing power—which are likely to be implemented by the incoming government—will, to some extent, provide additional support to domestic consumption.

Bangkok Bank and its subsidiaries reported a net profit attributable to owners of the Bank of 9,028 million baht, a slight increase of 0.3 percent from the first quarter of 2018. Net interest income increased by 6.9 percent and net interest margin increased from 2.34 percent to 2.48 percent. Non-interest income decreased by 28.3 percent due mainly to declines in gains on investments and net fees and service income. The decrease in net fees and service income was due to the exemption of transaction fees via digital channels and lower fees from loan-related services. Operating expenses declined by 3.1 percent and the ratio of expense to operating income stood at 42.6 percent.

At the end of March 2019, the Bank’s loans amounted to 2,029,810 million baht, a decrease of 2.6 percent from the end of 2018 mainly due to the decline in loans to businesses and consumers. The ratio of non-performing loan (NPL) to total loans was 3.5 percent, while the ratio of loan loss reserves to NPL was 189.0 percent.

In terms of capital, as per the Bank of Thailand (BOT) announcement of the guidelines for identifying and regulating Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs), Bangkok Bank, which is classified as a D-SIB, is required by the BOT to have additional capital to meet the Higher Loss Absorbency (HLA) requirement, which raises the Common Equity Tier 1 ratio by 1.0 percent, beginning with a 0.5 percent increasing from January 1, 2019, rising to 1.0 percent from January 1, 2020 onwards. For the Bank, with the inclusion of net profit for the six months from July to December 2018 and net profit for the first quarter of 2019 minus the May 2019 dividend payment, the total capital adequacy ratio, the Common Equity Tier 1 capital adequacy ratio and the Tier 1 capital adequacy ratio of the Bank and its subsidiaries would be approximately 18.9 percent, 17.4 percent and 17.4 percent, respectively. These capital adequacy ratios are above the Bank of Thailand’s minimum capital requirements and satisfy capital buffer requirement as per the guidelines on D-SIBs.

All information is available in Thai only.