Bangkok Bank President: 21st Century Maritime Silk Road will positively affect Thailand’s banking system

Bangkok, Sept.10 (People's Daily Online) -- During its visit to Thailand′s capital, Bangkok, People′s Daily Online had the chance to interview Mr. Chartsiri Sophonpanich, President of Bangkok Bank PCL, Thailand′s biggest bank.

During the interview, Mr. Chartsiri spoke about Bangkok Bank and its development plans in China, where it has opened its fifth branch in Chongqing, after the success in Beijing, Shanghai, Xiamen and Shenzhen. Bangkok Bank opened its first representative office on Chinese mainland in Beijing in 1986. In the past 30 years, China′s economy has grown tremendously due to the Reform and Opening up, which has contributed to the development of Bangkok Bank and Thailand′s banking system.

Bangkok Bank has branches in many of the Silk Road countries that we plan to visit, including Singapore, Indonesia and Myanmar (where it has a representative office). According to Mr. Chartsiri, the new Silk Road strategy is aimed to ease the flow of Renminbi and foreign currencies transactions along with trade and finance operations, which could not only help its bank develop among Asian countries but also help strengthen economic ties between Thailand and China. The “One Belt One Road” will not only help strengthen economic, political and cultural ties, but also will bring peace and long-lasting friendship between the nations involved.

According to its plans, Bangkok Bank is also offering online netizens easier ways to shop online, following the great success of the online market industry in China, where the number of online netizens reached 618 million people in 2013, up to 3.7 percent from 2012.