Sophonpanich returned to Thailand and joined Bangkok Bank in 1986 after working in Citibank in New York. When he became president in 1994, little did he know that the 30-year economic boom Thailand had been experiencing was about to come to an end. In the wake of the Asian financial crisis of 1997, banks were burdened by a legacy of bad debts with their major customers in serious financial difficulty; Sophonpanich introduced initiatives to rebuild and regain the sound financial fundamentals. The bank has grow organically to become the country’s largest commercial bank and has reinforced its 7,600 ATM and 1,000 domestic branch distribution network with excellent customer service and innovative technology.
