THE THAI Life Assurance Association has maintained its full-year growth forecast for life-insurance premium income at 9 per cent, after first nine months posted year-on-year growth of 6 per cent.
Nusara Banyatpiyaphod, president of the TLAA, said gross premium income of the life-insurance industry in the first nine months rose by 6.01 per cent to Bt414.38 billion.
The economic slowdown has put pressure on new income acquisition, reducing premium income from new policies down slightly to Bt119.27 billion from Bt122.72 billion a year earlier.
However, income from renewal premiums in the first nine months increased to Bt295.11 billion from Bt268.18 billion.
The persistency rate was 83 per cent.
She said the agency channel remained dominant with 48.51 per cent of total premium income in the period, and grew by 4.26 per cent year on year, while bancassurance expanded by 9.05 per cent.
However, income from the direct-marketing channel dropped by 4.92 per cent to Bt11.12 |billion.
The TLAA believes the industry will grow by 9 per cent this full year to Bt585.7 billion despite the sluggish economy, as life insurance is an investment product for people looking for tax deductions.