Lending to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) under the Bank of Thailand's targeted SME Credit Boost measure surpassed 5 billion baht in the first three months following its launch.
According to the central bank's Monetary Policy Report for the second quarter of 2026, financial institutions extended 5.4 billion baht in SME loans under the scheme as of May, following the launch on Feb 23.
The central bank expects total lending under the programme to reach 40 billion baht this year. SME Credit Boost is designed to help SMEs gain better access to financing through a loan guarantee mechanism.
Since June, the central bank has expanded the programme to cover businesses affected by the conflict in the Middle East. In addition to providing liquidity support, the scheme was extended to finance energy transition projects.
Another targeted SME lending programme called SMEs Secured Plus was launched on April 8. The 14 participating financial institutions began offering loans under the scheme in June.
The central bank expects the programme to generate 50 billion baht in new SME lending by June 2027.
Under the SMEs Secured Plus scheme, the regulator allows financial institutions to temporarily relax collateral requirements, making it easier for SMEs to access financing.
Through these two measures, the central bank aims to improve SMEs' access to funding amid rising credit risks resulting from Thailand's slowing economic growth and the impact of the Middle East war.
In April, outstanding SME loans contracted by 7.4% year-on-year, while the non-performing loan (NPL) ratio for the SME segment rose to 11.3%. As a result, the central bank is monitoring asset quality, particularly among vulnerable groups, including SMEs and households.
According to the report, monetary policy continues to play a pivotal role in maintaining economic and financial stability.
However, structural challenges such as elevated household debt and limited access to credit for SMEs require targeted financial measures rather than broad-based monetary policy tools.
As part of its targeted measures, the central bank also launched the "Clear Debt, Move Forward" debt restructuring programme in January to help address Thailand's household debt problem.
As of May 31, 102,277 retail NPL accounts enrolled in the programme, with the regulator aiming for roughly 200,000 individual NPL accounts entering the scheme by the end of June.
