https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Finance/Singapore-s-Sea-accelerates-digital-bank-push-in-Thai-license-bid (archive: https://archive.ph/HCPVn)
Singapore's Sea accelerates digital bank push in Thai license bid
Tech group also entering Malaysia following Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines
TSUBASA SURUGA
APORNRATH PHOONPHONGPHIPHAT
30 SEP 2024
SINGAPORE/BANGKOK – Singaporean tech group Sea is making another bid in its digital banking venture, applying for a license in Thailand after launching the business at home and entering several other Southeast Asian countries.
A digital banking license typically allows the holder to operate various financial services such as taking deposits, lending and managing assets. Without physical branches, operators would offer loans with low interest rates, making it easier for consumers, especially underbanked people, to access those services.
Financial authorities in the region over the past few years have opened up the banking sector to newcomers like Sea, hoping to catalyze innovation and more people to have access to banking services.
Five parties have applied for Thailand's inaugural virtual bank licenses by the Sept. 19 deadline, according to the Bank of Thailand, the central bank, which did not disclose the names of the applicants.
Revealing its application, Sea said it had partnered with Bangkok Bank, railway operator BTS Group, consumer goods conglomerate Saha Group and Thailand Post. Sea said it will leverage the four companies' "complementary strengths to offer innovative and compelling digital financial services in Thailand" and will focus on improving access to financial services for underserved segments.
Nikkei Asia understands that if it wins, Sea will lead the investment of the new digital banking venture, while the remaining four players will have similar stakes.
Sea's planned entry to Thailand follows its rapid expansion of financial business in the region. In recent years, the company launched a digital bank called SeaBank in Indonesia and the Philippines and another in Singapore, MariBank. By the end of this year, it will enter Malaysia with a subsidiary of energy conglomerate YTL.
Sea, the parent company of e-commerce Shopee and online game Garena, focuses on financial services by leveraging its large customer base and complementing the growth of its main businesses. After founding a finance unit called SeaMoney in 2014, the group now offers digital payments, credits and banking services in six Southeast Asian markets.
Over the past decade, its fintech business has become one of its growth drivers. For the year 2023, revenue of digital financial services, including digital banks, was $1.8 billion, up 44% from a year ago, recording the highest growth rate by other segments like e-commerce and online gaming.
The segment posted a profit of $550 million on an adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) basis from a $228 million loss a year ago.
"Although we are uncertain about its loan book growth in the long term, we believe it is becoming a larger part of the company and can help finance some of the marketing expenditures needed for Shopee," Kai Wang, senior analyst at Morningstar, said in a report last month.
Southeast Asian tech group Sea is expanding its digital banking business across the region. © Reuters
TSUBASA SURUGA and APORNRATH PHOONPHONGPHIPHAT, Nikkei staff writersSeptember 30, 2024 15:00 JST
SINGAPORE/BANGKOK – Singaporean tech group Sea is making another bid in its digital banking venture, applying for a license in Thailand after launching the business at home and entering several other Southeast Asian countries.
A digital banking license typically allows the holder to operate various financial services such as taking deposits, lending and managing assets. Without physical branches, operators would offer loans with low interest rates, making it easier for consumers, especially underbanked people, to access those services.
Financial authorities in the region over the past few years have opened up the banking sector to newcomers like Sea, hoping to catalyze innovation and more people to have access to banking services.
Five parties have applied for Thailand's inaugural virtual bank licenses by the Sept. 19 deadline, according to the Bank of Thailand, the central bank, which did not disclose the names of the applicants.
Revealing its application, Sea said it had partnered with Bangkok Bank, railway operator BTS Group, consumer goods conglomerate Saha Group and Thailand Post. Sea said it will leverage the four companies' "complementary strengths to offer innovative and compelling digital financial services in Thailand" and will focus on improving access to financial services for underserved segments.
Nikkei Asia understands that if it wins, Sea will lead the investment of the new digital banking venture, whilethe remaining four players will have similar stakes.