Bank of Thailand warns of fake money

The Bank of Thailand warned the number of counterfeit bills intercepted in Bangkok has increased sharply.

Nopporn Pramojaney, the official in charge of printing bills, said high-denomination fakes are likely to be circulated during the Chinese New Year holiday, the Bangkok Post reported. He urged residents to be especially wary of 1,000-baht notes, worth about $30.

The bank seized 18,895 counterfeit notes in the 12 months that ended Nov. 30, Nopporn said. In the previous year, 10,819 notes were seized.

Nopporn suggested hard times may be luring more people into counterfeiting. The majority of the seized counterfeits are 1,000-baht notes.