Bangkok: The Thai Credit Guarantee Corporation (TCGC) is advancing its "3-Prompt" strategy, designed to facilitate Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in accessing guaranteed loans, with an ambitious target of surpassing 70 billion baht in loan guarantees by 2026. This strategic move is aimed at bolstering SME access to funding and integrating TCGC into the modern financial ecosystem.
According to Thai News Agency, TCGC has witnessed a significant 4.43-fold increase in loan guarantees during the first two months of 2026. As part of its expansion efforts, TCGC is positioning itself as a central platform for SMEs to secure funding, collaborating with a Virtual Bank and adapting loan guarantees to align with contemporary financial demands. In addition, TCGC is extending support to SMEs impacted by the Middle East conflict by permitting a three-month deferral of fee payments.
Mr. Sittikorn Direksuntorn, Director and General Manager of the Small and Medium Enterprise Credit Guarantee Corporation (SMEG), advised SME customers affected by the Middle East conflict to contact their banks to defer fee payments by three months. Payments originally scheduled for March 2026 will now be due in June-July 2026. Debtors participating in the debt relief program can avail a three-month moratorium on principal and interest payments, with registration available via LINE OA: @tcgfirst. Mr. Sittikorn emphasized the importance for businesses to assess the conflict situation and explore alternative markets while closely monitoring developments.
In the initial two months of 2026, TCGC had guaranteed loan amounts totaling 14,567 million baht, assisting 17,853 SMEs in obtaining loans and generating economic benefits of 60,160 million baht. This effort aims to reverse a 14-quarter contraction in SME lending. TCGC's primary objective for 2026 is to broaden its role in loan guarantees, offering SMEs enhanced opportunities and stimulating the grassroots economy by unlocking access to credit.
The "3-Prompt" strategy, also known as "TCGC 3 Ready," comprises three key components: "Ready to Guarantee," "Ready to Help," and "Ready Plus+." These components build upon last year's measures to provide comprehensive assistance to SMEs. The strategy focuses on developing new credit guarantee products and leveraging digital technology to integrate TCGC into the digital ecosystem, including AI applications and collaborations with digital lending partners.
Under the "Ready to Guarantee" initiative, TCGC aims for a loan guarantee amount exceeding 70 billion baht, with the "TCGC Quick Big Win" program targeting 50 billion baht and additional measures accounting for over 20 billion baht. This initiative is expected to generate more than 80 billion baht in loans, supporting 67,500 SMEs, safeguarding 615,000 jobs, and generating economic benefits exceeding 295 billion baht.
The "Ready to Help" component focuses on debt assistance and knowledge enhancement for SMEs. TCGC offers debtors whose claims have already been paid a principal reduction of up to 50% for debts not exceeding 200,000 baht and 40% for debts above this threshold. The target is to restructure debt for over 6,000 debtors in 2026, with a goal of helping at least 1,000 debtors become debt-free.
The "Prompt Plus+" initiative introduces four new engines to support SMEs, including enhancing TCGC's operating model, integrating credit scoring tools, transforming digital platforms, and implementing the "PromptClaim Management" tool for financial institutions. These efforts aim to boost SME credit capacity and optimize financial service delivery to meet the needs of SMEs in the evolving financial landscape.