DEPOSITS - Summary of Deposit Balances (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Deposits [Line Items]
Non-interest bearing checking accounts	$ 1,473,528	$ 1,336,559
Savings accounts	2,458,634	2,459,186
Interest-bearing checking accounts	1,153,096	1,088,651
Certificates of deposit	2,337,547	2,356,245
Brokered certificates of deposit	1,558,508	2,097,483
Total deposits	$ 8,981,313	$ 9,338,124

Deposits [Line Items]

No definition available.

Name:	fbp_DepositsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	fbp_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The aggregate of all deposit liabilities held by the entity, including foreign and domestic, interest and noninterest bearing; may include demand deposits, saving deposits, Negotiable Order of Withdrawal (NOW) and time deposits among others.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.12)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_Deposits
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of interest bearing deposits with no stated maturity, which may include passbook and statement savings accounts and money-market deposit accounts (MMDAs).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DepositsSavingsDeposits
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of interest-bearing domestic third-party deposits placed by or through the assistance of a deposit broker, also known as brokered deposit liabilities.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InterestBearingDomesticDepositBrokered
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of interest-bearing domestic certificate of deposit liabilities.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InterestBearingDomesticDepositCertificatesOfDeposits
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of interest-bearing domestic checking deposit liabilities.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InterestBearingDomesticDepositChecking
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The aggregate amount of all domestic and foreign noninterest-bearing deposits liabilities held by the entity.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NoninterestBearingDepositLiabilities
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant