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Published on April 4, 2008

Pongpanu Svetarundra, director-general of the Public Debt Management Office, said yesterday bonds worth Bt12 billion issued for people aged 55 years or more had been sold within a day and a half.

The two-year-maturity bonds with a coupon rate of 3.6 per cent were very popular, he said. Bangkok Bank sold Bt6 billion within a half day on Wednesday, the first day of issue, while the Bank of Ayudhya sold Bt6 billion before noon yesterday.

About 8,000 eligible people bought the bonds in average amounts of Bt1 million to Bt2 million, he said. The ministry did not impose upper limits but required each subscriber to buy at least Bt10,000 worth. About 70 per cent of buyers live in Bangkok.

Pongpanu said the ministry may consider launching special savings bonds designed to meet the demands of underprivileged people.

The ministry may also raise the interest rate on the regular Bt500 million a month worth of savings bonds it issues. Previous savings bonds sold on a monthly basis were very attractive, he said. The ministry will issue Bt6 billion in savings bonds with a three-year maturity every month until the end of fiscal 2008, ending September 30.

Wichit Chaitrong

The Nation