After the 1997 Asian financial crisis (known as วิกฤตต้มยำกุ้ง, literally translated as Tom Yam Kung crisis), he was the first to introduce the term "reengineering" to Thailand's banking industry. The Lamsam family became a minority shareholder of Kasikornbank. Banthoon Lamsam is an important contributor to the Democratic Party. Banthoon was skeptical of the country's economic policies during Pol. Lt. Col Thaksin Shinawatra's term as the prime minister of Thailand, and it was rumored that he had been approached by the Democratic Party for the position of the party leader in 2004.