Nationwide rush for royal coins
People queued up at various locations across the country on Friday to get the first batch of King Rama X-reign coins.
His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn is the 10th Thai king of the Chakri Dynasty and therefore also known as King Rama X.
His reign started in late 2016 following the passing of his father, HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
The release of the King Rama X-reign coins coincided with Chakri Day, which commemorates the founding of the Chakri Dynasty and is a national holiday.
There are six types of coins available to members of the public: Bt10, Bt5, Bt2, Bt1, Bt0.5 and Bt0.25.
The Treasury Department and its many branches opened yesterday to allow people to exchange cash for the new coins.
One woman, Siriya Songserm, started queuing for the coins at the treasury office in Songkhla at 4am.
“I want to keep these coins as an auspicious memento,” she said.
The new coins bear the profile of King Rama X and his royal initials.
While these new coins will be in public circulation, other denominations are reserved for government agencies. They are the Bt0.1, Bt0.05 and Bt0.01 coins that will be used for account closing.