Banknote exhibition honours the Monarch

Thai kings’ portraits first appeared on banknotes in 1934 – several decades after paper money was introduced here – and that royal presence continues today. From 1992, His Majesty personal projects have been depicted on the banknote to illustrate his effort to improve people’s well being.

In “The Unique Banknotes of the Ninth Reign” zone, visitors you can view an archive of royal projects as depicted on bills of various denominations, including one that showed in detail how a commemorative banknote was printed.

And there are notes with auspicious production concepts. In 1995, a banknote marking the 50th anniversary of His Majesty’s accession to the throne was 9.1cm wide, the “9” for Rama IX and the “1” to signify the first Thai king to have reigned so long. A note issued on June 3, 1987, represented a new initiative to honour the King on his 60th birthday. It’s 15.9 centimetres square: The “1” represents the first banknote ever created, the “5” is for the fifth birthday cycle, and the “9” stands for King Rama IX. The Bt1,000 note in the 14th series, issued on June 30, 1992, honoured the King for his benevolence to citizens. It depicts the King and Her Majesty the Queen surveying a reservoir in Narathiwat.

Among the rare banknotes is the Bt1,000 note issued in 1952. After printing 500,000 copies with limited circulation, the Bt1, 000 notes didn’t appear again until 1996. 

The exhibition is at the Somdej Residence at the Bang Khun Prom Palace. The Currency Museum is in the adjacent building.

Call (02) 356 7787 or (02) 356 6778 for more information.