Thailand Introduces New Banking Fees and Credit Support Measures

May 8, 2026, 22:22
AsiaFinance

Introduction

The Bank of Thailand and the Government Savings Bank have started several financial plans to reduce the impact of inflation and economic instability on regular consumers and small businesses.

Main Body

The Bank of Thailand plans to standardize banking fees in July, after a public consultation period that ended on May 10. This change affects 10 to 15 main fees for individuals and small to medium enterprises (SMEs), such as account maintenance and credit card cash withdrawals. The bank emphasized that these fees should be lower because digital technology has reduced the cost of running a bank. Furthermore, fees for credit lines up to 250,000 baht for small businesses will likely be limited to 2.5%. At the same time, the central bank has noticed that loan growth has slowed down due to global economic instability and tensions in the Middle East. To solve this, the Bank of Thailand is coordinating three support programs: a soft loan program, the SME Credit Boost, and the SME Secured Plus scheme. These measures are designed to reduce risks for lenders and help businesses maintain their cash flow, especially for those investing in green energy during a time of volatile energy costs. Additionally, the Government Savings Bank has set aside 1 billion baht for short-term loans without collateral. These loans are for parents of students entering the 2025 academic year, providing up to 10,000 baht at a fixed monthly interest rate of 0.60% to help with rising education costs. This is part of a larger effort to manage inflation; the Bank of Thailand expects prices to rise by 4-5% in some months, but believes they will return to the 1-3% target range by mid-2027.

Conclusion

Thai financial authorities are using a mix of lower fees, credit guarantees, and low-interest loans to help households and small businesses survive inflationary pressures.

Learning

🚀 Moving Beyond Simple Sentences: The Power of 'Cause & Effect' Connectors

At the A2 level, we often say: "Prices go up. People have no money." To reach B2, you need to weave these ideas together using professional connectors. The article does this perfectly.

🛠 The 'B2 Bridge' Toolkit

Look at how the text connects a problem to a solution. Instead of using "so" or "because" every time, try these:

  1. "Due to..." (Because of a specific reason/situation)

    • A2 style: Loan growth slowed down because the economy is unstable.
    • B2 style: Loan growth has slowed down due to global economic instability.

  2. "To solve this..." (Introducing a proactive action)

    • A2 style: There is a problem. The bank is making a plan.
    • B2 style: ...tensions in the Middle East. To solve this, the Bank of Thailand is coordinating support programs.

  3. "...designed to..." (Explaining the purpose of a tool or law)

    • A2 style: These programs help businesses.
    • B2 style: These measures are designed to reduce risks for lenders.

🔍 Spotting the Pattern

In the text, notice the flow of logic: The Problem →\rightarrow due to →\rightarrow The Reason →\rightarrow To solve this →\rightarrow The Action →\rightarrow designed to →\rightarrow The Goal.

💡 Pro-Tip for Fluency

Stop treating sentences like separate bricks. Start treating them like a chain. If you can replace "And then" or "Because" with "Due to" or "Designed to," you immediately sound more like a B2 speaker.

Vocabulary Learning

standardize (v.)
to make something uniform or consistent
Example:The bank plans to standardize banking fees.
consultation (n.)
a meeting or discussion to seek advice or information
Example:The public consultation period ended on May 10.
inflation (n.)
the general rise in prices over time
Example:The Bank of Thailand expects prices to rise by 4-5%.
instability (n.)
lack of steady or predictable conditions
Example:Global economic instability has slowed loan growth.
SMEs (n.)
small and medium-sized enterprises
Example:The support programs target SMEs.
account maintenance (n.)
ongoing upkeep or service fees for an account
Example:Account maintenance fees were among the standardised fees.
credit lines (n.)
amounts of credit available to borrow
Example:Credit lines up to 250,000 baht will be limited.
soft loan (n.)
a low‑interest loan offered to support borrowers
Example:The soft loan program helps businesses.
secured (adj.)
protected by collateral or guarantees
Example:The secured loans require collateral.
collateral (n.)
property pledged as security for a loan
Example:The bank offers short‑term loans without collateral.
fixed (adj.)
set at a particular rate and not variable
Example:The loans have a fixed monthly interest rate.
interest rate (n.)
the percentage charged on borrowed money
Example:The interest rate is 0.60%.
inflationary (adj.)
relating to or caused by inflation
Example:Inflationary pressures are affecting households.
pressures (n.)
forces or demands that challenge or influence
Example:The bank uses lower fees to relieve inflationary pressures.