BoT Governor Vitai Ratanakorn says SME lending has contracted for 16 straight quarters, while large firms are growing. Only 11% of SMEs aged 0-5 years and 26% aged 6-10 years get bank credit, even though new firms show higher profitability. Among the top 30% most efficient SMEs, only 21% access bank credit. The BoT is asking the Finance Ministry to set up a new guarantee scheme and is negotiating with the credit bureau and NDID to cut fees. If your business is profitable but young, watch for this guarantee programme and get your credit history and financial statements in order now. SME borrowing costs can reach 13.4%, versus 6.9% for large firms.