Thai Bank of Ayudhya sees higher 2009 net profit

BANGKOK, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Thailand's Bank of Ayudhya BAY.BK, 33 percent owned by a unit of General Electric Co (GE.N), said on Tuesday it expects 2009 net profit to be better than the 4.9 billion baht ($147 million) it made last year.

Thailand's fifth-largest lender attributed the higher net earnings to extra investment income and an absence of losses from its foreign exposure, chief financial officer Janice Van Ekeren told reporters.

It made a net profit of 4.95 billion baht in the first nine months of this year. ($1=33.42 Baht) (Reporting by Manunphattr Dhanananphorn; Writing by Arada Kultawanich; Editing by Valerie Lee)