BANGKOK/HONG KONG (Reuters) - Thailand's Berli Jucker Pcl (>> Berli Jucker Public Company Limited) has tapped foreign banks including BNP Paribas (>> BNP PARIBAS) as well as domestic lenders to raise $6.2 billion (£4.38 billion) for its acquisition of Big C Supercenter (>> Big C Supercenter Public Company Limited), putting it on track to successfully meet a March 31 financing deadline.

Berli, the core retail business of Thai tycoon Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, won a hotly contested auction for the 58.6 percent stake in Big C owned by France's Casino Group (>> Casino Guichard).

But the deal, which will include an offer to buy out minority shareholders, is expensive and there had been concerns among loan market players that financing might not come together before the deadline, triggering a $600 million breakup fee.

"They will cobble together the amount," said a senior banker whose bank was approached for the financing deal. Berli is seeking 3.1 billion euros ($3.4 billion)to buy Casino's stake from mostly foreign banks, while Thai banks will largely provide the local currency component for a general offer to buy Big C shares from remaining shareholders, they said. Other foreign banks on board for financing include Rabobank and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), people with knowledge of the deal said. They added that lenders thinking of participating included HSBC (>> HSBC Holdings plc), Standard Chartered (>> Standard Chartered PLC) and Japan's Mizuho Bank (>> Mizuho Financial Group, Inc.).

The people declined to identified as they were not authorised to talk to media on the matter. HSBC, Standard Chartered, BNP Paribas and Mizuho declined to comment. ICBC and Rabobank did not immediately respond requests for comment.

Berli officials are not immediately available for comment.

Thailand is one of Southeast Asia's most profitable retail markets but analysts have warned that the debt will boost Berli's debt to equity ratio by more than eight times, forcing it to raise equity.

The deal is pending approval from Berli's shareholders on March 21.

Among Thai banks, Krung Thai Bank (>> Krung Thai Bank PCL), Siam Commercial Bank (>> Siam Commercial Bank PCL) and Kasikornbank (>> KASIKORNBANK PCL) were likely to join the group of lenders, sources said.

"They are discussing terms and conditions. It should take around 1 to 2 weeks to close the deal," said a financial source with direct knowledge of the deal, adding that the loans will be provided to Berli and its subsidiaries.

Siam Commercial and Krung Thai said they were interested in participating. Kasikornbank declined to comment.

(Additional reporting by Khettiya Jittapong in Bangkok, Saeed Azhar in Singapore and Taiga Uranaka in Tokyo; Chien Mi Wong is a reporter for Thomson Reuters LPC in Hong Kong; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

By Manunphattr Dhanananphorn and Chien Mi Wong