Long queues form to reserve King Rama IX coins
Long queues formed at various designated locations across the country on Tuesday morning as members of the public waited to reserve commemorative coins minted for the funeral of His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Large crowds were reported at the Government Savings Bank head office and the Treasury Department in Bangkok, as well as the Treasury Pavilion Museum in Songkhla, on Tuesday – the first day people could make coin-purchase reservations.
There are 99,999 gold coins worth Bt50,000 a piece, 399,999 silver coins worth Bt2,000 apiece, 39,999 sandblasted, black-coated bronze coins worth Bt3,000 and 39,999,999 copper-nickel coins worth Bt100 each. Reservations will be open until September 30, if stocks are still available, and the coins will be ready to pick up from January 29.
To Bt3,000 bronze coin has proved particularly popular. To reserve it, applicants must present their Thailand ID card at the department head office, any of its 76 branch offices, the Bureau of Monetary Management in Pathum Thani, the Coin Museum on Bangkok’s Chakrabongse Road, or the Treasury Pavilion Museum in Chiang Mai or Songkhla.
At the Nakhon Ratchasima Treasury Office – where up to 128 queuing cards will be handed out per day – people began lining up at 4am in time for the office to open at 8.30am. At 9.15am, a sudden blackout from a transformer explosion meant officials were unable to key in reservations online.
Many people became worried that some coins, especially the bronze model, would quickly go out of stock, but the Provincial Electricity Authority restored power within 30 minutes to the relief of applicants.
Chawan Chokkuakulchai, 60, who travelled from his home in Dan Khun Thot district to wait outside the office from 5am, said the coins would have high sentimental value and he would keep them for younger generations of his family.
Nakhon Ratchasima Treasury head Samran Muangnil said each person could buy up to one gold, two silver, one bronze, and three copper-nickel coins.
Crowds also queued at the Khon Kaen Treasury Office. Natthapong Sae-ngow, 55, said he arrived at 5am but was waiting in line for at least five hours to make his reservation.
“I want to keep these coins as souvenirs because
