As one of Thailand’s leading vehicle title loan providers, Ngern Tid Lor, together with Shield Insurance Broker, is shifting financial services from individual transactions towards an integrated ecosystem built around continuity. In this model, financial inclusion is measured not simply by whether people can enter the formal financial system, but also by whether reliable support remains available when they face financial and emotional stress.

The company’s strategy reflects a broader evolution in Thailand’s retail financial services landscape, moving beyond traditional measures of access and product ownership to prioritise usability, continuity and trust in real-world circumstances. It therefore assesses inclusion by whether customers can continue to access its services reliably during emergencies, income disruption and high-stress claims situations.

This approach spans both businesses. In lending, an omnichannel disbursement model enables customers to access approved funds across multiple channels and beyond conventional operating hours. In insurance, lifecycle-based service design extends support beyond the point of purchase through claims coordination and ongoing customer care.

Omnichannel disbursement removes branch-hour barriers to credit access

Ngern Tid Lor’s lending transformation is anchored in its omnichannel disbursement model, which addresses a structural inefficiency in Thailand’s retail credit ecosystem: approved credit does not always translate into immediate access to funds. Traditionally, customers had to return to a branch, resubmit documentation and complete several administrative steps, with each visit taking approximately one hour. This becomes particularly challenging during emergencies such as floods or accidents, when financial needs arise outside branch operating hours or physical access points are unavailable.

The model removes these constraints by enabling customers to access approved funds through the NTL App, ATMs and branches, with both card-based and cardless withdrawal options. Once approved, funds can be accessed across multiple channels at any time, including during emergencies.

Customer behaviour demonstrates the shift. Within its first year, 75% of eligible customers selected E-Withdrawal as their preferred way to access credit. More than 444,000 customers completed over 3.9 million transactions through the NTL App, collectively saving more than THB 7.9 million  ($238,000)  in ATM fees. These results show that customers were not merely adopting a new feature; they were embracing a more convenient and accessible way to manage and draw down their approved credit.

The model has also demonstrated resilience during extreme events. During floods in southern Thailand, the NTL App became the primary access channel when branches and ATMs were inaccessible.

In 2025, the model supported a loan portfolio of THB 109.58 billion ($3.3 billion) and total revenue of THB 23.53 billion ($708 million), with approximately 45% of the loan portfolio served through omnichannel-enabled access. Beyond expanding access, the model delivered measurable efficiency gains.

Customers saved more than THB 7.9 million ($238,000) annually through lower transaction costs, while eliminating physical card dependency improved operational efficiency.

Shield Insurance and 1501 Call Centre extend support across the insurance lifecycle

Shield Insurance Broker’s initiative extends insurance from transactional distribution to lifecycle-based customer support. Insurance value is realised during moments of uncertainty, including accidents, claims and financial distress, rather than only at the point of purchase.   Charnrit Sookplang, head of strategy, Insurance Brokerage Business at Ngern Tid Lor, said protection is delivered when customers need support and reassurance most. Shield Insurance Broker therefore positions sales as advisory engagement rather than product distribution, with a focus on suitability, affordability and clarity. Zero-percent instalment options also reduce upfront payment requirements.

A key component of the model is the 1501 After Service Call Centre, a centralised, human-led coordination hub for post-sale service and claims management. It serves as a single point of contact throughout the claims process, coordinating interactions with insurers, surveyors and repair providers.

To date, the centre processed more than 200,000 calls and supported over 100,000 claims, including 23,455 on-the-spot motor claims, 46,916 documentary follow-up claims and 11,182 personal accident claims.

Customer satisfaction exceeded 90%, with an average score of 4.8 out of 5 based on 1,500 responses. Renewal rates also improved among both claim and non-claim customers, suggesting that effective claims handling strengthens customer confidence rather than increasing attrition.

The 1501 After Service Centre also serves people beyond lending customer base, with non-customers frequently seeking advisory assistance. This positions it as a market-facing service rather than a closed claims function, strengthening the company's reputation within Thailand's insurance ecosystem.

Relief sheet campaign makes insurance tangible

Beyond service design, Shield Insurance extended its insurance strategy into behavioural activation through the Relief Sheet campaign, which ran from March to May 2025, with QR-code activation available until the end of December.

According to  Charnrit, “Thailand’s insurance gap is not simply a lack of belief in protection. Insurance often feels abstract, complicated and unaffordable, particularly for underserved customers with irregular income.”

The brand distributed 50,000 physical Relief Sheets in high-risk areas to make insurance more tangible and culturally familiar. The initiative generated 82.4 million impressions, a Facebook reach of 2.17 million, 729,000 landing page views, including 105,000 unique visitors, 194,000 interactions and 5,853 policy registrations. The results indicate a structured conversion funnel from awareness to engagement and policy registration, although the proportion of registrations directly attributable to QR-code activation remains unquantified.

The campaign uses a familiar physical object as the entry point to a digital onboarding journey, giving customers 30 days of free personal accident cover. By reducing barriers to adoption, the initiative supports early-stage trust and engagement.

Continuity is the inclusion benchmark

In lending, omnichannel disbursement ensures continuous access to liquidity, while in insurance, the 1501 After Service Call Centre extends that continuity through coordinated claims support. Together, they illustrate how continuity can be embedded across different financial services.

As Thailand's financial sector continues to digitise, models that prioritise continuity over product distribution may reshape how financial inclusion is measured. Access alone may become a less meaningful benchmark than financial institutions' ability to provide reliable support during periods of financial and personal stress.