Thailand introduces commemorative elephant coins to global markets

BANGKOK, February 2 (TNA) - The Thai Ministry of Finance's Treasury Department has produced 8,000 commemorative elephant coins in three categories to be introduced internationally in order to woo foreign coin clients. The department's director-general, Chakkrit Parapantakul, told journalists on Tuesday that the Thai elephant coins have also been produced to honor His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej for the beloved Thai monarch's initiatives for elephant conservation and to raise public awareness on the conservation and the long-standing roles of elephants in the Thai society. Chakkrit noted that his department has produced the coins together with the Royal Mint of England, with the coins showing the picture of a female Thai elephant and her calf. According to the senior official, the three categories of the newly-introduced Thai coins comprise gold coins with 4,000-baht denomination, gold coins with 2,000-baht denomination and silver coins with 200-baht denomination. The senior official said, however, that their sale prices have not yet been finalized, but their domestic prices will be lower because overseas sales depend on dealers. The senior official revealed that the new Thai coins are being introduced at the World Money Fair 2016 in Germany, scheduled for February 1-9, but they will be globally available in June 2016. With the commemorative production, the senior official acknowledged, Thailand plans to woo foreign coin customers because the Royal Thai Mint has already upgraded its production technology to meet the international standard. (TNA)