Thai Housing Finance Says Non-Performing Assets to Be Whittled 10 Percent.

Byline: Kanana Katharangsiporn

Feb. 13--Non-performing assets (NPA) are expected to fall 10 percent from current levels by the end of the year, according to Housing Finance Association chairman Kitti Patpong-pibul.

The 170 billion baht worth of NPAs, mainly property, held by financial institutions has remained unchanged since last year, he said yesterday.

As of September last year, the majority of NPAs, or about 153 billion baht, were held by the country's 13 commercial banks.

Of the balance, assets worth 9.5 billion baht belonged to 16 finance firms and 15.8 billion baht to the Government Housing Bank. Some 469 million baht worth of assets …