Fake banknotes hit 13-year high

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From Thai Enquirer

hai officials alerted the public on Tuesday to be cautious of counterfeit 1,000-baht banknotes after several complaints from vendors in a market in Nonthaburi. Officials said that they are rushing the investigation to identify the perpetrators.

As Thailand’s inflation soared to a record high in 13 years largely due to a hike in energy and food prices, counterfeit money appears to be on the rise. Over the past weekend, local media reported a case of 30 fake 1,000-baht banknotes in a day discovered in the north of Bangkok.

Yingyot Thepjamnong, the Royal Thai Police spokesman, said police across the country are prepared to take action against the counterfeiters.

According to the Bank of Thailand, Thai banknotes are produced with particularly anti-counterfeit features, such as distinctive paper, raised prints, and watermarks. 

Yingyot advised the public to notice the banknote’s security thread, the embedded color-shifting thread, when held up against the light to prove the authenticity of a particular note.  

“When flipped, the metallic color will change from gold to green,” he said, adding that the thread on the bills may be damaged from use, but this still furthers authenticity as older bills are generally damaged.