Siam Commercial Bank Pcl has announced that it has sold its stake in Siam Cement Pcl, amassing 4.46 billion baht (US$122.76 million) to assist in covering provisions for loans to struggling steel firm Sahaviriya Steel Industries.
Siam Commercial Bank's chief executive Arthid Nanthawithaya said the debt restructuring was expected to be completed in 1-2 weeks.
The Siam Cement stake sale is included in the 7-8 billion baht target. The shortfall will come from SCB's earnings.
The Siam Cement shares were sold to the Crown Property Bureau which is already a major shareholder in Thailand's biggest cement firm.
The group’s strategy to replace flagging domestic business with exports in the ASEAN region is paying off, with a 12% increase in revenue from sales.