1 Baht Coins

[cmsally]

I have the equivalent of a small mountain in 1 Baht coins. Don't have such a problem with the 5's or 10's as they are more usable . But every day our family offloads coins into a "box" on the cupboard (which was filled long ago) and no one wants to load their pockets again with 1 baht coins. So they increase and increase until I have now filled about 5 boxes. I asked the bank who told me to take them to 7-11, so not much help. Anyone have any idea who would exchange them. Ideally I want to deal with them in one go rather than take them in small amounts to exchange. As a guesstimate there's about 5k Bahts worth but it's a bit difficult to tell!

[nonthaburial]

I had the same predicament, solved by changing them with the bus operators who are screaming out for small change. I bundled mine up in to 100 Baht denominations

[Farma]

5K is a lot of coins but you could ask at some of your local shops. The wife operates a couple of shops and keeping a good supply of coins for change seems to be an ongoing battle. She readily accepts bags of coins.

We’re not in Chiang Mai. Where we live the businesses get their coin supplies from the bank? (Treasury) in the provincial governors building. I believe they will also accept coins in bulk.

[thomo]

Give them all to a beggar, it's only small change. Some old woman with no home might find them more useful. Plus you might feel quite good about it.

[PeaceBlondie]

Have everybody start the day with ten or twenty of the coins, and frequent places that either need small change or will accept it in payment. Especially small, out of the way shops.

Start the habit of giving exact change. It saves the salesclerk from miscalculating your change.

Leave it out somewhere on the street where folks can just pick it up. Pennies are getting that way in North America.

Satang coins, give to a big retailer like TescoLotus.

[Dustoff]

Most of the major bank locations have coin counting machines that will count them in no time.

Since you haven't missed them so far, how about donating to a local orphanage? The kids could both count the coins and reap the benefit of your generosity.

[thomo]

Since you haven't missed them so far, how about donating to a local orphanage? The kids could both count the coins and reap the benefit of your generosity.

Well said.

[realthaideal]

"Give them all to a beggar, it's only small change. Some old woman with no home might find them more useful. Plus you might feel quite good about it."

Better, goto the local wat, your favorite wat, or a wat which is small in your area which could benefit from a donation. In general a wat has a cash donation box by the front altar, and it is indiscretionary and will go to pay everyday bills whenever the head monk sees fit - eg, electricity bill, food, cleaning supplies, etc. If you wish it to say, go for education or school supplies for kids at a school operated in conjunction with the wat, there is often some school director or somebody of that capacity which you must contact. You can then specify how you would like it to be spent, eg books for poor kids, uniforms for the kids, posters and teaching supplies for the rooms. Indeed, either of these is likely to make you feel good about what you have done with money that was otherwise incidental to your everyday life, and can now go make a difference in your community. I just did the same with my change, including about 2 yrs worth of .5 bahts, and saleungs from Tesco. It all adds up and I save them for just such an occasion. And yeah, feels good to give to my local community and also of course to tam bun (ทำบุญ) - make merit.