People crowd banks to purchase commemorative bills

BANGKOK, October 25 (TNA) - A number of people were crowding Bangkok Bank's headquarters in Silom area in the capital on Tuesday morning to purchase commemorative banknotes marking the 84 birthday anniversary of late His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, making the 800,000 bills sold out all within less than two hours. A long queue was seen in front of the Bangkok Bank's main office, with the first person reportedly arriving as early as 3am to purchase the 100 baht-notes for the price of 200 baht each. Bangkok Bank was allocated the 800,000 commemorative banknotes by the Bank of Thailand (BOT) and started selling them at 8:30am with each buyer allowed to purchase at no more than five bills. Besides, Bangkok Bank sold, at the same time, 4,000 sets of the banknote's frames and music boxes at the price of 100 baht each, limited at one box per buyer. All of the proceeds will be presented to foundations under late His Majesty the King's royal patronage. Meanwhile, the Government Savings Bank (GSB) and Krung Thai Bank (KTB) have also been allocated 300,000 units and 200,000 units of the same commemorative banknotes from BOT to be sold to the public, priced at 200 baht each, at all their branch offices nationwide on October 26 and October 27 respectively. (TNA)