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KTB feels it can reach loan growth target
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Krung Thai Bank (KTB) said on Friday improved lending in the first half of the year should allow it to reach its full-year loan growth target of 6-7%, despite a sputtering economy in the second half, according to a Reuters report.

The bank, which was due to release its quarterly earnings later on Friday, had a net loan increase of 80 billion baht (US$2.4 billion) in the first six months, boosted by increasing demand for working capital, President Apisak Tantivorawong told reporters.

“Although we did well in the first half, demand is unlikely to go so far in the second half. So we maintain our lending target,” Apisak said.

Interest rate rises, domestic political tensions and a global economic slowdown should weaken demand for loans, economists and analysts say. KTB also said its non-performing loans in the second quarter would be lower than 9.32% of lending at the end of March, helped by a debt restructuring, Apisak said, without providing further clarification on figures. - Reuters, Agencies.
 
Rubber industry cooperation discussed

Thai officials met with their Vietnamese counterparts this week in Ho Chi Minh City to discuss possible cooperation in the rubber industry, according to a report by Vietnam News Agency (VNA).
 
A session on Thursday (July 17) included the participation of Vietnam's Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Bui Ba Bong, and representatives of the country's Rubber Industry Group and the Rubber Association of Vietnam. They were joined by Thailand's Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Theerachai Saenkaew, according to the VNA report. 
 
Theerachai suggested cooperation in exchanging scientific information, training, and expanding outlets for rubber production. He also stressed Thailand’s interest in developing value-added products rather than exporting raw materials.
 
Thailand is now the world's biggest rubber producer with an annual output of three million tons. The domestic rubber industry consumes 300,000 tons of rubber compared with Vietnam's 40,000-50,000 tons, the VNA report said.
 
Theerachai said Thailand is focusing on developing the industry in its northeastern region to turn the region into a trade hub for rubber within Indochina .
 
Cooperation with Vietnam would help Thai rubber products enter the markets of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, he was quoted as saying in the report. Vietnam's deputy minister agreed with the proposal, the report said, entrusting the Vietnam Rubber Industry Group to serve as a link for developing the cooperation. - Vietnam News Agency (VNA), ThaiAsiaToday.com.