Will A New Bt2 Coin Cause Confusion?

[george]

Will a Bt2 coin cause confusion?

BANGKOK: -- The Treasury Department on Wednesday said it planned to re-launch Bt2 coins as a cost-saving measure.

You don’t need to be an economics genius to figure out the logic of re-launching the coin. If people switch from Bt1 to Bt2 coins, the cost of churning out the Bt1 mint will be cut in half, sort of.

So why don’t they just introduce a Bt3 coin to reduce the production cost to a third of the normal rate? The Treasury Department didn’t say this in its press release, but everyone knows that the word “three-baht” is a jinx. It often conjures up images of the creepy three-baht ghost, the leading character in the popular Thai cartoon series and blockbuster movie of the same name.

A Bt4 coin would be no good either because its value would be too close to the Bt5 coin. As a halfway alternative, a Bt2.50 coin would not work because it would be too complicated for people to use in daily life.

Many years ago, the Treasury Department launched a collector’s edition of the Bt2 coin with the image of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. Naturally, the new coin would have the image of His Majesty the King and it would be distributed nationwide.

Nonetheless, our verdict is that this new coin looks very similar to the Bt1 coin.

Let’s hope consumers don’t confuse the two, like the European tourists who realised that our Bt10 coin was the same size as their one-euro coin. They brought our coins home by the bucketful and tried to make cheap phone calls with them.

--TNA 2005-09-23

[The Skipper]

They tried updating the currency in the States many times.

2 dollar bills. several, 1 dollar coins.

Problem was, the cash registers don't have the space to accomodate the new money.

[ovenman]

Let’s hope consumers don’t confuse the two, like the European tourists who realised that our Bt10 coin was the same size as their one-euro coin.

Actually, the ten baht coin is a ringer for the two euro coin, isn't it?

I keep hearing conflicting reports about this new two baht coin. I was under the impression from reports that the government actually started making/circulating them about a year ago. I've never actually seen a two baht coin, so I have my doubts about this story but from time to time I'll see mention made of the actual coins. Anybody have any definitive news?

[Butterfly]

They did the same with 1000 baht note and the 20 baht note. A total disaster. When drunk you hand out those 1000 baht notes as tips to girls and bar staff and they all smile at you

[george]

They did the same with 1000 baht note and the 20 baht note. A total disaster. When drunk you hand out those 1000 baht notes as tips to girls and bar staff and they all smile at you 

Been there, done that.

[OlRedEyes]

They did the same with 1000 baht note and the 20 baht note. A total disaster. When drunk you hand out those 1000 baht notes as tips to girls and bar staff and they all smile at you 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Been there, done that.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just a smile? Not even a kiss on the cheek?

[Butterfly]

They did the same with 1000 baht note and the 20 baht note. A total disaster. When drunk you hand out those 1000 baht notes as tips to girls and bar staff and they all smile at you 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Been there, done that.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There is one solution though : no more tips

[samran]

They still produce 1 and 10 satang coins. I used to get paid in cash at one stage and my salary used to be *****.67. So every month I'd get a pocket full of coins that were not useable. Fortunately, the banks accept them.