The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) (Thai: ธนาคารเพื่อการเกษตรและสหกรณ์การเกษตร (ธ.ก.ส.)) was established in 1966. The bank is 99.79 percent owned by the Thai Ministry of Finance. BAAC was established on 1 November 1966 as a government-owned bank to provide affordable credit to agricultural producers, either directly or through agricultural cooperatives and farmers' associations. BAAC assumed the functions of the Bank for Cooperatives (which had been established in 1947).