SCBAM is offering five investment choices: short-term fixed-income fund; fixed-income fund; a mix of its foreign-investment, property and fixed-income funds; a mix of its fixed-income and equity funds; and equity fund.

SCBAM currently manages provident funds for about 500 companies. Senior executive vice president Patcharin Techakehakit said the company's target was managing funds for 800 companies this year.

She said the company was optimistic about achieving this target, because there were more than 300,000 employers nationwide.

Last April, SCBAM received a Bt33-billion provident-fund portfolio from SCB to add to the existing Bt6 billion worth of provident funds in its portfolio. It now manages Bt46 billion.

There are now 19 provident-fund operators in the industry. Total provident-fund assets as of January were recorded at Bt386.66 billion, with 7,892 staff as members.

SCBAM is now the third-largest provident-fund player in the industry, behind Krung Thai Asset Management and Tisco Asset Management.

Recently, PTT Exploration and Production adopted the firm's package for its more than 1,000 employees. SCBAM's other major customers in its provident portfolio include the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, TOT, the Thailand

Tobacco Monopoly and Thai Pure Drinks.

Finansa Asset Management in January 2006 was the first asset-management firm to launch an Employee's Choice plan. TMB Asset Management is expected to follow the trend by launching a similar product soon.

Piyarat Setthasiriphaiboon

The Nation