Bangkok Bank to sell KL headquarters?

KUALA LUMPUR: Bangkok Bank is mulling the sale of its present headquarters at Jalan Tun H.S. Lee here once it moves to new premises in Berjaya Central Park, at the junction of Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Ampang, by 2014.

Executive director and chief executive officer Robert Loke did not rule out the possibility of selling the building, which it has occupied since it came to Malaysia 52 years ago.

Bangkok Bank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bangkok Bank Public Company Ltd, the largest commercial bank in Thailand.

"We are exploring all possibilities (including selling the building)," Loke said at a press conference after a signing ceremony between Bangkok Bank and contractor Wangsa Tegap Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Berjaya Corp Bhd.

He said the bank had invested over RM100 million to become the anchor owner of Berjaya Central Park, located next to Concorde Hotel. The building is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2014.

Once completed, Menara Bangkok Bank will occupy eight levels of corporate suites covering 99,950 square feet and will form the bank's new headquarters. The ground and mezzanine floors will house its banking halls.

Besides moving to new premises, the bank is looking at expanding its presence.

"We have four branches now and we want to grow it by four and have eight branches all together in the next four to five years," Loke said.

He said the new branches will cost about RM1 million to RM2 million each.

Bangkok Bank's four branches are located outside Kuala Lumpur - two in Johor, and one each in Penang and Klang, Selangor.

"We do not have a branch in East Malaysia and we are looking into that," Loke said.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin, Thailand's Ambassador to Malaysia Thana Duangratana and Berjaya Corp chief executive Datuk Robin Tan Yeong Ching.

At the event, Wangsa Tegap inked a deal with Vinci-MHPT Consortium for the contract to build Menara Bangkok Bank at Berjaya Central Park. June Ramlee