Airport banks rejig after poor start
The two banks at Suvarnabhumi Airport are taking another look at their operations after results failed to meet expectations for the first month.
"Several things surprised us about our Suvarnabhumi branches after they had been open for about a month. So we're going to adjust our strategy for next year to boost business and income," Praves Suttirat, executive vice president for Siam Commercial Bank's Bangkok branch network, said last week. Only Siam Commercial Bank and TMB Bank were awarded concessions for the passenger terminal. Siam Commercial Bank has five micro branches there, while TMB has a full branch and two kiosks. Praves said the airport branches had seen limited transactions so far. Passengers - both local and foreign - mainly head for automatic teller machines and foreign-exchange booths. The branches are left catering to customers working at the airport. The bank has not set a business target for this year at Suvarnabhumi, but will make significant changes for next year. The improvements will focus on expanding the number of ATMs and currency-exchange booths at the airport. Cash stocked in ATMs will possibly increase from about Bt3 million per unit now, which is already much more than the Bt500,000 that filled the machines in the beginning. Siam Commercial Bank will also relocate its five micro branches. Two or three will probably be moved outside the passenger terminal to locations such as the transportation centre. And branch hours will be different, better timed for arrivals. The bank will try cross-selling its services. It will approach companies doing business with the airport, such as airlines, about using the bank's payroll service. Prakarn Tawisuwan, first executive vice president of TMB Bank, said the bank's airport branch had met a cool response from customers, while its exchange booths had received a warm welcome. The bank plans to improve its branch design to make it more attractive. "Although business at the Suvarnabhumi branches has not been good enough for the first month of operations, we think so far so good. In the last two months of the year, our business is expected to get better since the political situation has stabilised and we're entering the high [tourism] season," he said. TMB will next year open outlets in the Suvarnabhumi office buildings of Thai Airways International and Airports of Thailand.
Somruedi Banchongduang The Nation
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