particularly the speed of transactions.

"I no longer have to wait a long time for one banking transaction. The customer area also looks nicer and is more convenient. There are lots of seats for customers," she said, adding that she always uses the bank's head office in Sukhumvit Soi 3.

But she said there were not enough KTB branches. She would especially like to see more branches in department stores, so she could drop in on holidays.

A Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) customer said that bank's service had improved significantly. She feels SCB is the best of the four banks she is a client of.

"Sometime I go to the bank with my son, who's two. SCB staff don't take care of just me, but also my child. Once, a week after I was at my branch, I received a phone call asking me if I was satisfied with the service," she said.

Thanu Wongariyakul, 45, an engineer at a private company and a 10-year Kasikornbank customer, feels that bank's service has greatly improved.

"I think one of the unique services Kasikornbank offers compared with other commercial banks is

its speed. So in my opinion, the bank's service stands at the fore," he said.

But Bangkok Bank customer Phetcharat Prasong said she had not seen much of a change in her bank's service and that it still took a very long time to carry out any type of transaction there.

"Normally, I do my banking every week. I don't feel a significant improvement in terms of service. I have to wait for a long time for transactions at some branches, while they take only a few minutes at other banks' branches," she said.

Somruedi Banchongduang

The Nation