Connecting the Asia-Pacific Market: Cross-Border Collaboration and Shared Growth
To capitalize on financial opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region, First Bank strategically expanded its overseas presence in Asia. The bank expanded to Southeast Asia by establishing a branch in Singapore in 1977. This move was followed by the opening of branches in Hong Kong and Tokyo in 1994. In alignment with the Southbound Policy, First Bank aggressively set up service points across Southeast Asian countries to serve the vast network of Taiwanese businesses and develop local operations.
In 1995, the bank established a representative office in Bangkok, Thailand, and in 1998, it opened a branch in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Further expansion included the establishment of branches in Ho Chi Minh City in 2003 and Hanoi in 2011, Vietnam. In 2013 and 2015, the Yangon representative office in Myanmar resumed operations, and a branch was opened in Vientiane, Laos. In support of the New Southbound Policy, the bank opened a branch in Manila, Philippines, in 2016, and a representative office in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2019. Currently, First Bank has established 18 operational points across 8 of the 10 ASEAN countries, achieving extensive coverage in the Indochina Peninsula, and leading among government-owned banks.
