Bangkok--14 Feb--TRIS Rating TRIS Rating Co., Ltd. announces today that the ratings of Siam Commercial Leasing PLC (SCBL) and its debentures will not be immediately affected after its parent, Siam Commercial Bank PLC (SCB), announced the new policy. SCB will now conduct the hire-purchase and leasing businesses directly. The existing loans in SCBL’s portfolio will still be maintained and managed by SCBL and are more than sufficient to service SCBL’s debt obligations. SCB reported to the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) on 12 February 2008 that the bank’s Board of Directors, at a meeting on 11 February 2008, resolved that SCB will operate the hire-purchase and leasing businesses directly. From March 2008 onward, new hire purchase and leasing accounts will be recorded in SCB’s accounts instead of SCBL’s books. TRIS Rating said SCB had earlier indicated its intention to use SCBL as its arm to operate the hire-purchase and leasing businesses. SCB acquired SCBL through a tender offer in 2006 and de-listed SCBL from the SET in 2007. At the end of September 2007, SCBL reported total loans of Bt68,165 million or 8.5% of SCB’s consolidated loans. Net profit for the first nine months of 2007 was Bt294 million or 2.2% of SCB’s consolidated profits. TRIS Rating will conduct a full review of SCBL’s ratings to evaluate the impact of SCB’s new policy on SCBL’s business and financial profile and will release the reviewed ratings to the public after the review process is completed. Currently, TRIS Rating has assigned SCBL a “A+” company rating, a “AA” rating for the guaranteed debentures and a “A+” rating for the senior debentures, with “stable” outlook. For more information please contact: TRIS Rating Co.,Ltd. (TRIS Rating) Tel: 66 (0) 2231-3011 Ext. 500, Fax: 66 (0) 2231-3012 E-mail: [email protected]