Distinguishing between Thai banknotes

[Sen Yai]

Why not? I'm an idiot.....

Too bad Thai baht wasn't accessible, that'd make it easier. Only way to figure out what denomination is with with baht is the little SeeingAI app that will tell you what color something is, which would be an absolute pain to use.

Actually, Thai bank notes are accessible - they are all different sizes in order to assist the visually impaired. Most countries adopt this approach, with notable exceptions being US$, Canadian Dollars, Russian Rubles and Laos Kip which are all the same size.

[StevieWonders]

Actually, Thai bank notes are accessible - they are all different sizes in order to assist the visually impaired. Most countries adopt this approach, with notable exceptions being US$, Canadian Dollars, Russian Rubles and Laos Kip which are all the same size.

Yes, Thai banknotes are accessible - it’s how the blind lottery ticket sellers you see around the streets know what they have been paid for example. But as I recall it’s not by size, I think there’s some tactile symbol in the banknote itself.

[cdnmatt]

Actually, Thai bank notes are accessible - they are all different sizes in order to assist the visually impaired. Most countries adopt this approach, with notable exceptions being US$, Canadian Dollars, Russian Rubles and Laos Kip which are all the same size.

Yeah, and maybe practice makes perfect, but I could never get it. Remember having one of each bill for comparison, then trying to figure out what's what, and just became frustrating. Just stuck with 1000s in my wallet, everything else in the change jar for Leo to do the shopping, et al. Not perfect, but it worked. If you're in Thailand right now, close your eyes and give it a try yourself... it's hard.

CAD is really easy. Top corner of every bill there is sets of 2x6 dots. You just feel for the number of sets, and that's the denomination.

1 set = $5
2 sets = $10
3 sets = $20

And so on... You don't really even need cash in Canada though. Just tap your card, and off you go. Thailand on the other hand is very much cash based still, which I prefer myself. Bitcoin and cash, baby.

[Sen Yai]

Actually, Thai bank notes are accessible - they are all different sizes in order to assist the visually impaired. Most countries adopt this approach, with notable exceptions being US$, Canadian Dollars, Russian Rubles and Laos Kip which are all the same size.

Yeah, and maybe practice makes perfect, but I could never get it. Remember having one of each bill for comparison, then trying to figure out what's what, and just became frustrating. Just stuck with 1000s in my wallet, everything else in the change jar for Leo to do the shopping, et al. Not perfect, but it worked. If you're in Thailand right now, close your eyes and give it a try yourself... it's hard.

I find it quite easy and logical: the smallest note is 20B and the largest is 1000B. I could do it with my eyes closed....

... You don't really even need cash in Canada though. Just tap your card, and off you go. Thailand on the other hand is very much cash based still, which I prefer myself. Bitcoin and cash, baby.

Also not really true. E-payment systems proliferate and Thailand was one of the early adopters of the technology. This clip has been shared a few times in the past on SGT and dates back to 2009. but it's worth another laugh...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpCZI0_Cfkg


Unfortunately E-payment systems in Thailand were driven by the private sector, which resulted in an array of payment terminals in every 7-11 and even different payment cards for BTS and MRT, Whilst Rabbit has been around for years, It's only more recently that ithas even started to approach the convenience of Hong Kong's Octopus or Singapore's EZ-Link.

But of course no-one 'taps their card' anymore with the adoption of AppplePay Alipay and WeChatPay..... You are slipping behind the times, Matt.

[christianpfc]

Actually, Thai bank notes are accessible - they are all different sizes in order to assist the visually impaired. Most countries adopt this approach, with notable exceptions being US$, Canadian Dollars, Russian Rubles and Laos Kip which are all the same size.

I don't think a blind/visually impaired person can feel the difference in size of the banknotes. You would need a ruler, or at least sort the bank notes by size to feel the difference. But some countries have tactile marks on their banknotes.

I'm getting my second Pfizer vaccination in June but not counting on the Phuket sandbox. It wouldn't have my preference either. I'd rather go into a 7-day quarantine (which seems to have been cancelled for now) in Bangkok and then free to move between Bangkok and Pattaya afterwards. I wonder if the 7-day quarantine is actually 9 days, where they don't count the check-in and check-out date. That would be a dealbreaker.

I think it was 7 days in quarantine, not counting the day of check-in and check-out for vaccinated tourists. But the 7 or 10 day quarantine scrapped anyway, now back to 14+2 for anyone.

I have a bold idea: now that the cat is out of the bag (figuratively speaking, Covid all over the country), a tourist who might have Covid does not make much difference health-wise, but can make a big difference for the economy. I suggest the Thai government open borders to European, North-American and neighboring countries (or every country whose particular strain has already been detected in Thailand) without quarantine, COE, and so on. I would be over the border (from Cambodia) the next day!

[arsenal]

"I don't think a blind/visually impaired person can feel the difference in size of the banknotes. You would need a ruler, or at least sort the bank notes by size to feel the difference. But some countries have tactile marks on their banknotes."


I tried an experiment. No 50s but I closed my eyes and mixed up 2 20s, 2 100s and 2 1000s. I was able to put them in order relatively easily. Wouldn't take long to just know which was which by feel.

[Sen Yai]

"I don't think a blind/visually impaired person can feel the difference in size of the banknotes. You would need a ruler, or at least sort the bank notes by size to feel the difference. But some countries have tactile marks on their banknotes."

I tried an experiment. No 50s but I closed my eyes and mixed up 2 20s, 2 100s and 2 1000s. I was able to put them in order relatively easily. Wouldn't take long to just know which was which by feel.

I have a few 50s too so tried the same experiment. I found it quite easy to identify S, M, L & XL

christianpfc - as I pointed out here Thai banknotes also have tactile marks. I would be interested to know if you (or arsenal) find it easier to identify the denominations using these tactile marks, than identifying by size. I found it much more difficult, but maybe i would develop a better sense of touch, if I was visually impaired.

[christianpfc]

My point was that you can distinguish the banknotes by size in relation to each other, but not absolutely.

US-Dollar: all the same size, similar colors, no tactile marks. (100 USD note can be distinguished by stripe in center.) The worst design for blind and visually impaired.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federa...anknote_design

the United States was the only nation out of 180 issuing paper currency that printed bills that were identical in size and color in all their denominations and that the successful use of such features as varying sizes, raised lettering and tiny perforations used by other nations is evidence that the ordered changes are feasible

Euro: different size and color, tactile marks.

Khmer Riel different size, different color, no tactile marks. Two versions of 5k and 10k in circulation.

Thai Baht (I don't have THB with me now).

Tactile marks on Euro banknotes! The first time this year I learnt something from reading SGT!

See here as well: https://blindcoincollector.com/2019/...y-paper-money/

[cdnmatt]

On that note, read an article that someone linked to on /r/blind recently, but can't be bothered to go look it up again.

Anyway, the new $20 USD bill will be accessible I guess. I don't know when it's coming though.. Apparently congress passed a law decades ago requiring all US currency to be accessible, but the fed never bothered with that law, and is now being pressured to.

As for the Thai notes, I don't have any on me anyway, but I don't know... if you guys are capable of doing it, then you're better than me. I know if I'm given a bowl full of Thai bank notes, I wouldn't be able to pick out 1780 baht. Maybe I could with enough time and effort, but definitely not something I'd be willing to expend energy on multiple times a day.

[francois]

I find it quite easy and logical: the smallest note is 20B and the largest is 1000B. I could do it with my eyes closed....

Have you tried walking around with your eyes closed? You make it sound so easy, why not experience it from a blind person's perspective?