Thailand/China: Bangkok Bank to apply for banking license in China.

(From Thai Press Reports)

Section: Corporate News - Bangkok Bank (BBL) plans to invest five billion baht to apply for a new local bank licence in China. Piti Sithi-Amnuai, the bank's executive chairman, noted that the Chinese authorities were progressively offering greater opportunities for foreign financial institutions to expand on the mainland, the Bangkok Post reports.

A full local bank licence would allow Bangkok Bank to offer a full range of financial services on par with Chinese domestic banks, helping boost the bank's ability to reach and service new customer segments, he said.

Minimum registered capital for a local bank is one billion …