Abstract:
This research highlights on an impact of monetary policy on banks risk taking behaviors. It is separated into two parts. The first part is a study of how a policy rate affects the risk taking behavior of banks. In the second part, it investigates the transmission mechanism of monetary policy through risk taking channel. Panel Vector Autoregressive Model (PVAR) is applied with the data from the balance sheet of selected commercial banks in Thailand. The first study finds that the effects of monetary policy on banks risk are positive. However, there is an increased of risk taking behavior in a loosed monetary policy. It is also discovered that unusually low interest rates over an extended period of time cause an increase in banks risk taking. The second part finds that low policy rate and increased in market value of bank balance sheet cause increasing in banks risk. However, an increased risk of banks does not affect the real sectors. Nevertheless, monetary transmission mechanism has shown that there exists the risk-taking channel. Lastly, the study finds a relation between an expanded monetary policy and an increased of risk in commercial banks. Thus it is vital for policymaker to apply prudential policy and monitor commercial banks, altogether with realizing that risk in financial sector may indirectly influence the economic stability and economic growth.