Call 191 _ Islamic Bank is bleeding

The Islamic Bank of Thailand has experienced deposit runs due to worries about its financial stability. The state-controlled bank reported some 5 billion baht worth of withdrawals over the past two weeks following reports of its weakening financial status. The government is now to move quickly to reassure the public the bank will have full government support. Prawat Uttamote, a Pheu Thai party list MP and deputy chairman of the border affairs committee said the bank's restructuring plan estimates that 50% of the bad loans or 12 billion can be recouped within the next two years. Therefore, the bank is in no imminent danger, he added. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra separately stressed that deposits in the banking system are fully protected under the Deposit Protection Agency.