SCB made a net profit of 9.7 billion baht ($326 million) in the October to December period, up from 6.7 billion baht a year earlier and compared with the 9.4 billion baht forecast by 10 analysts polled by Reuters.

For 2012, the bank reported a net profit of 40.2 billion baht, up 29 percent from a year earlier.

SCB is 21.3 percent owned by the Thai royal family's investment arm, the Crown Property Bureau. It posted loan growth of 19.7 percent in 2012, it said in a statement.