Bangkok--21 Apr--BBL
Bangkok Bank’s wholly-owned Malaysian subsidiary, Bangkok Bank Berhad, on Thursday opens the second of four new branches after having obtained an approval from Malaysia’s central bank. The opening of the Taman Molek branch, in the Johor Bahru district of the state of Johor, follows the opening earlier this month of the Jalan Bakri branch (in Johor’s Muar district), with further branches to open in the states of Penang and Selangor.
Bangkok Bank Executive Director and Senior Executive Vice President Prasong Uthaisangchai said it is pleasing for the bank that its wholly-owned local bank subsidiary in Malaysia, Bangkok Bank Berhad, had received an approval from Bank Negara Malaysia to open four more branches in the country. The bank’s plan is to open two branches in Johor, and one each in Penang and Selangor states. Of the four branches in the plan, the bank has opened a branch in Jalan Bakri area, Muar district; and will hold an official opening ceremony for another branch in Taman Molek area in Johor Bahru district on April 22, 2010. Both branches are in Johor state.
“Bangkok Bank Berhad has valuable status as a local bank and has approval from Malaysia’s central bank, Bank Negara Malaysia, for opening the new branches. This will allow us to provide a wider range of services not only to Thai investors doing business in Malaysia and Malaysian investors doing business in Thailand, but also customers who are investors from Asian countries as they will benefit from Bangkok Bank’s strengths as the leading Thai bank with a regional presence, particularly in ASEAN and China. We are ready to service and support customers expanding into new markets with our overseas network covering more than 20 locations in 12 countries.”
Mr. Prasong added that Bangkok Bank has been expanding its overseas branch network in line with a carefully considered strategic policy. In Malaysia, Bangkok Bank opened its first branch in Kuala Lumpur in 1959 and, under the policy set forth by Bank Negara Malaysia, upgraded the status of its Malaysian presence in 1994 to that of a local bank, Bangkok Bank Berhad, with registered capital of 265 million ringgit, or around Baht 2.8 billion. Bangkok Bank Berhad began operations on September 1, 1994 and head-quarters in Kuala Lumpur.
With 106 staff in total, Bangkok Bank Berhad is overseen by Bangkok Bank’s directors and senior executives, as well as respected Malaysian nationals. Bangkok Bank Berhad’s board of directors includes Mr. Staporn Kavitanon as chairman, Mr. Prasong Uthaisangchai as vice chairman, and Ms. Rushda Theeratharathorn, Mr. Chong Toh, YBhg Dato’ Koay Soon Eng, YBhg Professor Dato’ Ruslan Khalid, Mr. Chris Chia Won Liat, and Mr. Robert Loke Tan Cheng as directors. Mr. Robert Loke Tan Cheng is also chief executive officer of the bank.