Thai State-owned Banks To Support Those Impacted By Flooding, Govt Says

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's state-owned banks have introduced financial measures including debt suspensions, interest rate reductions and low-interest rate loans to help people affected by flooding, the finance ministry said on Tuesday.

In the past week, dozens of provinces, mostly in the north and northeast of the country, were hit by flooding, which has killed at least 22 people and affected more than 30,000 households, according to authorities.

Among the measures, the Government Savings Bank will offer debt suspensions for borrowers with loans of up to 10 million baht ($294,000) and a 50% interest rate reduction for three months, the ministry said in a statement.

The bank will also offer loans of 10,000 baht per borrower with a monthly 0.6% interest rate for 15 months, the ministry said.

Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives will use 20 billion baht to fund for two projects, a three-year loan for emergency expenses and a 15-year loan for life quality recovery, the ministry said.

The Government Housing Bank will reduce loan repayments by 50% and interest rates to 2% for six months, the ministry said.

The SME Development Bank will offer a loan of up to 5 million baht per borrower, and the Export-Import Bank of Thailand will provide temporary working capital of up to 20% of original loans, it said.

On Monday, caretaker Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira said the flooding would not impact growth this year as the impact would be addressed quickly.

The finance ministry has forecast Southeast Asia's second-largest economy will grow 2.7% this year, after last year's 1.9% growth, which lagged regional peers.

($1 = 34.0600 baht)

(Reporting by Kitiphong Thaichareon and Thanadech Staporncharnchai; Writing by Orathai Sriring; Editing by John Mair)