Mr. Apichai expected his bank to also gain another 100 million baht profit for the whole year 2009. He said the bank was ready to release another loan worth 12.992 billion baht, adding that the loans would help add liquidity to borrowers who are mostly exporters and export guarantors.

As for his bank’s non-performing loans (NPLs), Mr. Apichai said the bank had a huge size of bad debts worth 4.113 billion baht in 2009. He added the bank could handle the debts worth 1.522 billion baht in the first quarter, and other one billion baht debts were expected to be managed in the final quarter this year.