Thai Bank Lending Grows as Firms Borrow to Deal With War Impact

Thai bank lending returned to growth after almost two years of contraction, as large companies increased borrowing to cushion the impact of the Middle East conflict on their businesses.

Outstanding loans at local commercial banks rose 0.2% in the first quarter from a year earlier, according to Bank of Thailand data released Tuesday. Lending to large corporations increased 2.7%, while loans to small and medium-sized enterprises fell 4%.