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Dr. Ekniti Nitithanprapas, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, presided over the launch of the Nano Plus Loan Guarantee Programme and delivered a keynote address titled “Financial Opportunities for Small Businesses.” Also attending were Mr. Lawaron Saengsanit, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance; Ms. Jindarat Viriyataweekul, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Thai Credit Guarantee Corporation (TCG); representatives of state financial institutions; executives from Non-Bank institutions providing nano-finance services; and public and private sector partners. The event was held at the Kumpanthong Room, 21st Floor, 150th Anniversary Building, Ministry of Finance, on 22 September 2026.
Dr. Sithikorn Direksunthorn, President and General Manager of the Thai Credit Guarantee Corporation (TCG), said that throughout this year, economic volatility, tensions in the Middle East, rising energy costs and slowing consumer purchasing power have had a clear impact on micro SMEs. These businesses have faced liquidity challenges and insufficient working capital, becoming a key challenge for the government in unlocking access to finance for micro SMEs, vendors and self-employed workers who often struggle to access formal credit.
This is reflected in SME lending, which has contracted for 16 consecutive quarters. This situation has led to the launch of the Nano Plus Loan Guarantee Programme, aimed at unlocking access to credit for these groups and enabling TCG to provide loan guarantees across the financial sector, including commercial banks, state financial institutions, Non-Banks and emerging Virtual Banks.
The Nano Plus Loan Guarantee Programme, initiated by the Ministry of Finance, is designed to support micro SMEs, vendors and self-employed workers who are considered vulnerable groups facing difficulties accessing credit and liquidity. Financial institutions generally view these borrowers as high-risk because their financial information is often incomplete, leading many to rely on informal lending.
TCG has therefore expanded its loan guarantee coverage to Non-Bank financial service providers offering nano-finance under the supervision of the Bank of Thailand. This will provide micro SMEs and self-employed workers who lack guarantors with greater opportunities to access formal credit, while also accommodating financial service providers in the Virtual Bank sector.
“This programme is a liquidity-support measure designed to assist micro SMEs, vendors and small traders, both those operating on the government’s digital platforms and those conducting business through traditional channels. This comes at a time when the economy is facing volatility from multiple negative factors, declining purchasing power and higher energy costs. A key objective is to encourage state financial institutions and Non-Banks to have greater confidence in approving loans, thereby making it easier for vulnerable groups, vendors and small traders to access formal credit,” Dr. Sithikorn said.
A key feature of the Nano Plus Loan Guarantee Programme is its collaboration between TCG, specialised state financial institutions and Non-Bank nano-finance providers. These providers offer accessible financial services and flexible lending criteria, creating greater opportunities for vendors and small businesses that require relatively small amounts of working capital for their businesses, starting from several thousand baht.
TCG will help absorb credit-cost risks and provide credit enhancement for vendors, small traders and self-employed workers. The programme has a total loan guarantee limit of 2 billion baht, with an initial phase of 500 million baht. The guarantee period will not exceed four years, while TCG Score will be used as a risk-management tool for micro borrowers.
The programme is expected to help more than 100,000 SMEs gain access to credit, with an average loan size of 20,000 baht per borrower, preserve approximately 146,000 jobs, and generate more than 9.86 billion baht in economic benefits through the loan guarantees.
The programme’s three key features are:
- Loan guarantee amounts: Starting from 5,000 baht and up to 50,000 baht per borrower
- Loan guarantee period: Up to four years
- Free guarantee fees: No guarantee fees for the full four-year period, with fees calculated based on risk-based pricing and covered by participating financial institutions and Non-Banks. TCG will also compensate for NPLs of up to 5%.
SMEs interested in joining the Nano Plus Loan Guarantee Programme can register via LINE OA: @tcgfirst, where they can also receive a financial health check, reserve a consultation appointment and prepare for access to nano-finance services free of charge.
For more information, contact the SMEs Financial Advisory Center (TCG F.A. Center) or any of TCG’s 11 regional offices nationwide. TCG Call Center: 02-890-9999.
