News Forum - Bank of Thailand updates 20 baht banknote for improved hygiene and longevity

[Thaiger]

The Bank of Thailand has launched a new 20 baht banknote made of polyester. The banknote is said to resist moisture and grime, resulting in a longer shelf-life. The central bank began distributing the shiny new baht greenbacks on March 24. The Bank of Thailand announced that people used the 20 baht banknote the most frequently, making them dirty and damaged. With an aim to offer residents cleaner and more durable banknotes, the material was changed from paper to polyester, which is a special plastic that doesn’t absorb moisture and dirt. Because the banknotes are now more durable, they can […]

The story Bank of Thailand updates 20 baht banknote for improved hygiene and longevity as seen on Thaiger News.

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[DoUKnowWhoIAm]

17 minutes ago, Thaiger said:

20 baht banknote made of polyester

I suppose it would be difficult to make them in Teflon?

[Guevara]

Does this suggest all the other denominations are clean and hygienic?

The UK have just switched their 20 and GBP notes to Polymer. Now they really can be 'laundered'.

[DoUKnowWhoIAm]

5 minutes ago, Guevara said:

Does this suggest all the other denominations are clean and hygienic?

The UK have just switched their 20 and GBP notes to Polymer. Now they really can be 'laundered'.

They'll probably make all denominations in the same size and colour, then you have to write the correct number yourself with a felt pen, to avoid mistakes...

[Fanta]

Polyester? I believe it is polymer, the same as used in Australia and Canada. iirc, many moons ago, Australian technology was used to make polymer Thai 50 baht notes but these were phased as being too expensive to produce. Polymer makes a much better banknote than cotton, machine washable and quite difficult to deform or tear. 

Edited April 4, 2022 by Fanta

[Soidog]

2 hours ago, DoUKnowWhoIAm said:

I suppose it would be difficult to make them in Teflon?

I sometimes think the baht is already made of Teflon. Nothing from a military coup, to a loss of 12% GDP for 2 years seems to impact it. 

[Soidog]

This is described as if it’s helping people by producing it in Polymer. It’s not done for that reason at all. It’s done entirely to save production and recycling costs of paper notes. In other words, the bank is doing it to save themselves money, but spun to make it sound like it’s a “Gift” to the people. Clever! 

[NMS]

Probably printed in Australia as the RBA developed the plastic note technology....

[Transam]

13 hours ago, Soidog said:

This is described as if it’s helping people by producing it in Polymer. It’s not done for that reason at all. It’s done entirely to save production and recycling costs of paper notes. In other words, the bank is doing it to save themselves money, but spun to make it sound like it’s a “Gift” to the people. Clever! 

Naaaaaah, where dya think all those zillions of empty water bottles are going.......

[Mamachigawa]

Next they will ban coins. Prices rounded up for your convenience

[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

17 hours ago, Thaiger said:

The Bank of Thailand has launched a new 20 baht banknote made of polyester. The banknote is said to resist moisture and grime, resulting in a longer shelf-life. The central bank began distributing the shiny new baht greenbacks on March 24. The Bank of Thailand announced that people used the 20 baht banknote the most frequently, making them dirty and damaged. With an aim to offer residents cleaner and more durable banknotes, the material was changed from paper to polyester, which is a special plastic that doesn’t absorb moisture and dirt. Because the banknotes are now more durable, they can […]

The story Bank of Thailand updates 20 baht banknote for improved hygiene and longevity as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

Looking forward to the article in a few days about how they won't work in vending machines and at BTS/MRT ticket machines.

[ibgort]

Will make it more susceptible to counterfeiting. The proprietary material used in currency has to be security proof. Takes years of development to obtain that. Something that is questionable here.

[Noble_Design]

15 hours ago, Fanta said:

Polyester? I believe it is polymer, the same as used in Australia and Canada. iirc, many moons ago, Australian technology was used to make polymer Thai 50 baht notes but these were phased as being too expensive to produce. Polymer makes a much better banknote than cotton, machine washable and quite difficult to deform or tear. 

Bad news for banknote collectors like me though. It used to be that if it was a paper/cotton banknote and if there are some minor imperfections on them such as folds or creases I could repair them cosmetically by ironing. Can't do the same with polymer notes though.

[palooka]

34 minutes ago, Noble_Design said:

Bad news for banknote collectors like me though. It used to be that if it was a paper/cotton banknote and if there are some minor imperfections on them such as folds or creases I could repair them cosmetically by ironing. Can't do the same with polymer notes though.

Look sharp if you're a collector most imperfections occur with the first prints.

[palooka]

18 hours ago, Guevara said:

Now they really can be 'laundered'.

But not ironed. they tend to shrink.

[Transam]

2 hours ago, Noble_Design said:

Bad news for banknote collectors like me though. It used to be that if it was a paper/cotton banknote and if there are some minor imperfections on them such as folds or creases I could repair them cosmetically by ironing. Can't do the same with polymer notes though.

You can go swimmin wiv 'em though....

[Noble_Design]

33 minutes ago, Transam said:

You can go swimmin wiv 'em though....

You are giving me notty ideas - tipping in jacuzzi ... ifyouknowwhatImean 

[Mamachigawa]

11 hours ago, ibgort said:

Will make it more susceptible to counterfeiting. The proprietary material used in currency has to be security proof. Takes years of development to obtain that. Something that is questionable here.

Only a true genius man counterfeets a 20 baht note

[ADWBKK]

On 4/4/2022 at 7:41 PM, Fanta said:

Polyester? I believe it is polymer, the same as used in Australia and Canada. iirc, many moons ago, Australian technology was used to make polymer Thai 50 baht notes but these were phased as being too expensive to produce. Polymer makes a much better banknote than cotton, machine washable and quite difficult to deform or tear. 

All plastics are a polymer of one sort or another.   Australia makes its notes from a biaxially-oriented polypropylene so it would be reasonable to assume that the Thai 20 baht note is the same.