Gaybutton Posted December 22, 2008 Posted December 22, 2008 The following, including the photo, appears in the BANGKOK POST: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/8533...-creating-alarm _____ Counterfeit Banknotes Creating Alarm By: POST REPORTERS Published: 23/12/2008 at 12:00 AM The public can bring charges against shops that refuse to accept 1,000 baht banknotes for fear they might be counterfeit, police say. Deputy Metropolitan Police chief Pol Maj-Gen Amnuay Nimmano said yesterday people who are issued counterfeit notes by ATMs can also file charges against banks with police. Banknote forgers would be liable to life imprisonment and people who knowingly pass fake notes face one to 15 years in jail, he said. The police chief spoke out after reports that many vendors were refusing to accept 1,000 baht banknotes from customers and that people were choosing to withdraw less than 1,000 baht from ATMs at each transaction, to avoid receiving 1,000 baht banknotes. Twatchai Yongkittikul, secretary-general of the Thai Bankers Association (TBA), said the public should not panic about fake notes. "There is no problem about receiving counterfeits from ATMs," he said. "All banks check banknotes before they put them in ATMs." He said even though the number of forgeries had increased, there were still relatively few in circulation. The TBA would monitor the situation and call a meeting with its members to develop a strategy if the problem became any worse, he said. Bangkok Bank, the country's largest bank, said it was training counter tellers to check banknotes carefully, especially 1,000 baht notes. The number of counterfeits increased significantly over the festive season. Giant retail stores report finding fake notes in many provinces. If there is doubt about a note's authenticity, clerks ask customers to pay with another note. Machines to check watermarks on notes have also been installed in toll booths. Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Preawpan Damapong has ordered police to track down the forgers and distributors. In Nakhon Si Thammarat, counterfeiters were arrested in two districts with phoney 500 and 1,000 baht notes. In Nan's Chiang Klang district, Nim Ganpai, 50, went to make a 4,500 baht deposit to pay her bank loan, only to be told one of the 1,000 notes was counterfeit. She said she received the note when she sold a cow two months ago. In Tak, 1,000 baht notes were not being accepted at the border market in Mae Sot district after counterfeits were found. The fake notes were so similar to real notes that some were said to have been deposited at banks. "I have changed my payment method and now use an ATM to transfer funds, or a cheque. It is so hard to check if the notes are real," said Tak chamber of commerce president Suchart Treeratwattana. In Nakhon Ratchasima, Namphon Songklang, 40, a butcher at Mae Kim Heng market in Muang district, said when customers pay in 1,000 baht notes, vendors get together to help inspect them. If the note is deemed to be fake, they detain the person and alert police. Some vendors had earlier phoney notes. In Trat, customs officers are watching for fakes, but because of staff constraints search people only if they look suspicious. People are allowed to take no more than 200,000 baht out of the country at a time. Quote
PattayaMale Posted December 23, 2008 Posted December 23, 2008 This counterfeit issue is really growing. It is getting so bad I tried to pay an entertainment worker with a 1000 baht note and he asked if I had smaller bills so I gave him a 20 baht note. (That was really lame, I know but I need a 3rd post for today ) Quote
Guest travelerjim Posted December 23, 2008 Posted December 23, 2008 This counterfeit issue is really growing. It is getting so bad I tried to pay an entertainment worker with a 1000 baht note and he asked if I had smaller bills so I gave him a 20 baht note. (That was really lame, I know but I need a 3rd post for today ) Yep....PM... a lame excuse to get #3 for the day.. You could have at least given the lad a 100 baht note! tj Quote
Gaybutton Posted December 23, 2008 Author Posted December 23, 2008 (That was really lame, I know but I need a 3rd post for today ) Uh-huh. Maybe you think I'm going to count it . . . . . . . Quote
Guest Steve1903 Posted December 25, 2008 Posted December 25, 2008 This is an issue I've often thought about, especially when visiting a foreign land. I noticed in LOS that all 1000B notes look the same and etc with the other denominations so maybe it's not so hard to spot a fake. However here in my Scottish homeland the notes issued by the different banks all look totally different. A vague resemblance of the same colour and naturally all have the £20 or £10 or whatever printed on them but the colour shades are quite different and there are different people and places represented on the different notes. Thats even before you get into stuff like comemorative notes with pics of guys like Jack Nicklaus, for example. As a cabbie I reckon I could get away with giving a tourist a £20 with Mickey Mouse on it and get away with it. Must be hard for visitors here to be sure what they are getting in their change. Quote
Gaybutton Posted December 28, 2008 Author Posted December 28, 2008 The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Car Dealer Suspected of Forgery RETAILERS TO RECEIVE INSTRUCTIONS ON DETECTING FAKES By: PRASIT TANGPRASERT AND ASSAWIN PINIJWONG NAKHON RATCHASIMA : Police will seek a warrant for the arrest of a used-car dealer suspected of financing a major banknote forgery gang, according to deputy provincial police chief Pongdet Promijit. Investigators believe the man is staying in Bangkok. Three suspected members of a major forgery gang were arrested on Friday with equipment for making banknotes, including two printing presses and 800 sheets of glossy paper. The gang was allegedly caught in the act of forging banknotes at the M Bangkok printing house in Din Daeng district. One of those arrested told police his gang was hired by a businessman to forge 1,000-baht banknotes. More than 10,000 fake 1,000-baht notes made by the gang are believed to be in circulation. Pol Col Pongdet said the printing house provided printing services by day and forged 1,000-baht notes by night. The fake notes bore a close resemblance to authentic banknotes because they were produced on printing presses instead of computer and printers. The machines are able to turn out many notes, Pol Col Pongdet said. The officer said the gang counterfeited 10,000 notes worth 10 million baht and handed them over to the businessman in return for 200,000 baht in October. Meanwhile, machines able to detect fake notes are in short supply in Tak province following the recent scare. Several local repair shops have been rushed off their feet repairing machines brought in by worried vendors. Pol Col Passawat Taengjui, superintendent of Mae Sot police, said leaflets have been distributed among retailers informing them how to identify phony notes. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said the government was drawing up measures to respond to the spread of the bogus notes. Yesterday, the Commerce Ministry launched a campaign telling people how to differentiate fake notes from real ones. Quote
