HSBC Vietnam launched HSBC Premier onMay 5, the first globally linked and comprehensive banking service forthe company's growing number of affluent customers in the country.

HSBC Premier provides customers with the ability to move around theworld without changing their banking methods. Premier customers willbenefit from cross-border banking and will have the ability to taketheir accounts, credit history and banking relationships with themwherever they go, said Lindsay Rajah, Head of Personal FinancialServices.

To be eligible for Premier, a customer must maintain a minimum bankingbalance of 1 billion VND, or 50,000 USD.

"According to our analysis, around 10 percent of the deposit accountholders in Vietnam fall into this category. These customers areincreasingly internationally-oriented, sophisticated and knowledgeable,"said HSBC Vietnam CEO Tom Tobin.

With Premier status, Vietnamese customers will also be able to access350 international Premier Centers in major cities around theworld, and more than 6,000 branches with Premier service points.

Participants will be able to use a globally accessible number forHSBC's 24-hour worldwide emergency service, which can provide customer'swith card replacements and a minimum of 2,000 USD in emergency cash.

Customers will be able to transfer funds between self-named accountswithin HSBC worldwide online for free.

Later this year, Wealth Management services will provide participantswith global market information as an additional benefit for signing upfor the service./.