Thai hospital firm plans 5 bln baht bonds in Feb

BANGKOK, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Bangkok Dusit Medical Service PCL BCH.BK (BGH), Thailand's biggest hospital firm, planned to sell up to 5 billion baht ($152 million) worth of bonds later this month to repay bank loans, fund managers said on Tuesday.

The unsecured bonds, rated "A" by Thailand's TRIS Rating, would be divided into three- and five-year tranches and offered mainly to institutional investors, two fund managers told Reuters.

"It is going to hold a roadshow soon. The bond coupons should be decided in the last week of February," one said.

The bond issue, underwritten by Barclays Capital Securities (Thailand), was part of a previously announced plan to sell up to 7 billion baht worth of bonds.

BGH, which specialises in heart diseases and cancer, has 18 hospitals with a total of 2,929 registered beds.

On Monday, BGH shares rose 0.8 percent to 30 baht, while the main Thai index .SETI fell 0.28 percent. ($1=32.90 Baht) (Reporting by Arada Therdthammakun; Editing by Darren Schuettler)