Mr Prakob says Krungsri will maintain its corporate loan growth target for this year at 2-4%.
Krungsri (Bank of Ayudhya) has seen growing momentum in its corporate lending, driven by both domestic and foreign direct investment, as well as rising demand for sustainability-linked loans.Although the bank reported a 0.6% year-on-year decline in corporate loans in the first quarter of this year, lending has since rebounded, supported by stronger demand from both local and international clients, according to Prakob Phiencharoen, head of Krungsri's corporate and investment banking group.
The recovery in lending has been fuelled by both domestic direct investment (DDI) and foreign direct investment (FDI) across a range of industries. Key sectors include renewable energy, technology, particularly data centres and artificial intelligence (AI), electronics, healthcare, and food and beverage.
He said heightened geopolitical risks have redirected FDI and cross-border trade flows towards Asean and Thailand, with the positive trend expected to continue over the next several years.
The government has also been actively promoting investment to attract foreign investors, with recent data showing a notable increase in applications for investment privileges submitted to the Board of Investment (BoI), he said.
