Many attractive loans available to borrowers

Checking out the "Confidence Thailand Fair: Cut-Price Quality Products for Thais" is a must for not only those seeking low-priced products, but also depositors shopping around for higher deposit rates and borrowers searching for attractive loans.

The fair runs from today until Sunday at Impact Arena Muang Thong Thani, with more than 1,000 participating companies.

For savers, Krung Thai Bank (KTB) is introducing a new deposit account, the KTB Deposit to Fight Inflation, offering annual interest of 6 per cent.

A deposit of between Bt100,000 and Bt1 million is required. KTB is also offering a personal-loan plan called Thanawat to Fight Inflation for existing customers who have payroll accounts with the bank.

The annual interest charged is the minimum retail rate plus 0.5 per cent - or 8.25 per cent.

Customers interested in these products must produce their ID cards and other necessary documentation to apply at any of the bank's 780 branches nationwide from next Monday to July 25.

KTB has also joined with property developers to offer special promotional deals for visitors to the fair who apply for a mortgage to buy a house built by a participating developer this month.

The maximum credit line is 100 per cent of the appraised price, and there is no interest for the first four months. The appraisal and transaction fees are also waived.

Customers taking out a mortgage-reducing term-assurance policy and fire insurance will receive a 0.5-per-cent discount on interest for the fifth to 12th months.

The bank is also offering 2,500 units of non-performing assets at a special 40-per-cent discount attached to loans for buying or renovating properties.

The credit line is up to 110 per cent, with zero interest for the first year and then at the minimum lending rate minus 0.25 per cent from then on.

The Finance Ministry is offering an annual 5.5-per-cent coupon rate, the highest since the bonds went on sale last October, for its 10th tranche of savings bonds worth Bt500 million.

These are available at the Public Debt Management Office booth at the fair.

However, interest on the bonds is subject to 15-per-cent withholding tax. Investment for the three-year maturity bonds must be between Bt10,000 and Bt500,000.

Each investor is eligible to submit only one subscription form.

The Government Housing Bank (GH Bank) is cutting prices for its non-performing residential-unit assets located along the new mass-transit Purple Line route linking Bang Sue and Bang Yai.

GH Bank is also offering mortgages with fixed interest for seven and 10 years. Members of the Social Security Fund and Government Pension Fund are also eligible to apply for mortgages with a three-year fixed interest rate of 4.5 per cent per annum.

The Government Savings Bank (GSB) is offering mortgages with a two-year fixed interest rate of 3.5 per cent for the first year and 5 per cent for the second.

It is also providing mortgages with a three-year fixed rate of 5 per cent.

Loans for replacing electrical appliances with energy-saving devices are also available, and people may borrow up to Bt30,000 at zero interest with a 12-month repayment period.

The GSB is also offering to help motorists convert their engines to run on natural gas for vehicles (NGV).

It is offering loans of between Bt50,000 and Bt100,000 per customer at 5 per cent interest with a three-year repayment period.

For those looking for the best returns on their deposits, they may find the GSB has the most attractive offers. These include a depositor's lottery-savings product.

Depositors can win gold prizes worth Bt7 million, and money left on deposit for three years or more will receive a return of 2.5 per cent per annum.

Vendors can apply for loans under the People's Bank scheme, and the GSB will also provide advice and workshops on activities like cooking and garment design.

The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) is offering micro credit under its "108 Careers" scheme.

Customers can apply for loans of up to Bt50,000 at interest of 0.75 per cent per month. All loans have a 24-month repayment period and a grace period for the first three months.

Women wanting to train for a professional nursing career can apply for loans of between Bt36,000 and Bt55,000 and attend a one-year course.

The BAAC also has a lucky-draw savings account, and customers can win gold items worth Bt1.35 million.

The Export-Import Bank of Thailand is providing loans and advice for businessmen who want to invest abroad.

It also has an export and import information service for customers.

The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand is providing several types of loans for SMEs, including working capital, car leasing for NGV-powered vehicles, business start-ups, machinery replacement to cut production costs and company-rehabilitation loans.