See how Singapore banks have expanded regionally as at 2Q13

UOB is the only Singapore bank with Thai operations.

According to DBS Vickers, Singapore banks are facing NIM pressures at home and hence have been expanding regionally. Ventures in Malaysia area are a legacy for UOB and OCBC.

"OCBC has an upper hand in Malaysia, in our view, because of its Islamic banking subsidiary. We saw a pick up in Indonesian returns for OCBC in 2Q13. UOB is the only Singapore bank with Thai operations. Near-term, there could be headwinds in Indonesian and Thailand operations due to modest macro prospects."