Termites ruin million-baht cash in safe, woman says

A woman has warned against assuming a home safe will protect cash from every risk after termites destroyed banknotes she had set aside for house payments.

Facebook user Nanny Irin shared her experience on July 16, saying the money had been stored in the safe for less than a month before she found it badly damaged. The cash total, was reportedly over a million baht.

"Sometimes we think keeping money in a safe is safe," she wrote. "Safe from thieves, but not safe from termites."

Money was for house instalments

Nanny Irin said the cash was not money that had been forgotten or left untouched for a long period. She had opened the safe less than a month earlier.

The money had been separated specifically for house payments, and she said she would regularly take some out to pay the instalments. She said she had never intended to leave it stored away indefinitely.

However, she said she had no idea when termites had entered the safe and damaged the notes.

She posted the account as a record of what she described as a painful experience and a warning to others who keep large amounts of cash at home.

Bank exchange will not cover full loss

According to her post, a bank told her that the damaged notes could be exchanged. However, she said the amount she would receive would not equal the original total value of the cash, as some notes were too far damaged and destroyed.

She also said the process would involve a lengthy wait, adding to the frustration of losing part of money that had been earmarked for her home.

The case is a reminder that a safe can help guard against theft but may not protect paper currency from moisture, pests or other environmental damage. Termites can reach areas that appear secure, particularly where they are able to access timber, walls or flooring around a property.

Anyone holding substantial amounts of banknotes should also remember that severely damaged notes may need to be assessed before they can be exchanged. As Nanny Irin's experience shows, even where an exchange is possible, it may not result in the full original value being recovered.

Pictures courtesy of Nanny Irin/Facebook

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19 July 2026