The contrast could not have been greater. Each of the two 40-somethings heads one of Thailand’s largest banks, having inherited their family mantles. Both have managed to keep their banks afloat during a tough three years that has seen other institutions collapse or be taken over by foreigners. Both also have degrees in chemical engineering from US universities.
But there the similarity ends. Banthoon Lamsam, the Harvard MBA president of Thai Farmers Bank and former chairman of the Thai Bankers’ Association, captivated delegates at the Asian Development Bank annual conference in Chiang Mai with his heart-rending off-the-cuff speech on how it was tough at the top for Thai bankers these days.
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