The banking group has obtained a full banking licence in Thailand and named its CEO for the country.

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group has secured a full banking licence in Thailand, adding to a presence in the Greater Mekong region that already includes operations in Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos.

Panadda Manoleehakul has been appointed chief executive of ANZ Thai. Manoleehakul has more than 25 years' corporate and institutional banking experience and was previously CEO for ANZ Philippines. Prior to joining ANZ in 2008, she held senior banking roles across Asia with HSBC, JP Morgan Chase, Chase Manhattan Bank and Standard Chartered Bank, ANZ said in a statement yesterday.

“This is an important milestone for our super regional strategy and means we can now better connect our multi-national customers to the growing trade and investment flows across Asia with the Greater Mekong,” said Andrew Géczy, ANZ CEO international and institutional banking.

“Thailand already accounts for almost 65 per cent of Greater Mekong’s GDP and its trade with ASEAN countries totals around $97 billion. Along with Thailand’s position as a key manufacturing hub for the region, these growing connections to its ASEAN neighbours and our home markets of Australia and New Zealand makes it an important market for our super regional franchise,” he said.