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Published on February 7, 2008

Among other things, it plans to boost its growth in consumer loans.

SCB is currently the industry leader in mortgage lending, with a 30-per-cent share of the market. But its performance in personal loans - even with 1.6 million credit cards in the marketplace - has not been spectacular. Its total loan portfolio in consumer finance amounts to between Bt6 billion and Bt7 billion, compared with between Bt20 billion and Bt30 billion in personal loans extended by Standard Chartered Bank (Thai), the industry leader in this category.

SCB president Kannikar Chalitaporn said the bank planned to expand its mortgage lending by Bt50 billion this year, at an annual growth rate of 20 per cent. Last year, it made Bt46 billion of new housing loans, leaving it with outstanding mortgages of Bt200 billion.

"We want to be No 1 in all banking businesses," she said. "We'll attempt to achieve this goal in our not-so-successful businesses and maintain it in those businesses in which we already lead the industry."

Executive vice president Rungruang Sukkirdkijpiboon said SCB would use service rather than pricing as a key strategy for expanding its loan portfolios. It will also cooperate with developers to help expand its housing loans.

Yesterday, SCB joined with Sansiri to introduce a new home-loan package that can be approved in only four hours.

Somruedi Banchongduang

The Nation