For the first 10 months of this year, the company’s total outstanding loans rose to B27 billion, reports the Bangkok Post.
Outstanding loans are projected to reach B29-30bn by year-end, representing year-on-year growth of around 30%, according to Sittiwit Tangthanakiat, chairman of Easy Money Group.
"The sharp rise in gold prices has drawn more customers to use gold-pawn services. This supports what we expect will be a 20-year high in loan expansion," he said.
According to Mr Sittiwit, young Thai entrepreneurs including freelancers and online vendors increasingly rely on pawn shop services as working capital for inventory or short-term investments.
As a result, Easy Money has evolved into an asset-backed lender that supports customer liquidity and enables them to pursue broader business opportunities, he said.
Many small entrepreneurs still struggle to access bank loans, making pawn shops an alternative financial channel. As their businesses grow, these clients often improve their ability to access formal bank credit and transition out of informal borrowing, said Mr Sittiwit.
"With 20 years of experience, we have consistently seen this customer pattern. Easy Money offers a bridging loan role, helping local entrepreneurs move into the formal financial system," he said.
The company’s loan growth is shaped by three factors: economic conditions, gold prices and customer behaviour.
In general, a recovering economy tends to support stronger loan demand compared with periods of stagnation, said Mr Sittiwit.
Chief executive Suthee Panaworn said Easy Money is preparing for a potential listing on the Stock Exchange of Thailand within three years.
The planned fundraising would support long-term business expansion, he said.
Easy Money operates 98 branches across 33 provinces and also offers services via its digital platform.
The company serves roughly 700,000 customers nationwide, with substantial room for further growth.
Thailand’s pawn shop sector is expected to offer strong potential over five to 10 years, in line with rising household wealth, said Mr Suthee.
"Our customers typically have assets they can convert into cash, and have the ability to generate income to redeem their pawned items," he said.
Regulations limit pawn contracts to a maximum of five years. Easy Money reports a high redemption rate of about 95% of total transactions.
The company charges an interest rate of 1.25% a month.