Fake 1,000 baht banknotes hit Phayao market, leaving vendors out of pocket

PHAYAO — 28 October 2026, Vendors at a fresh market in Phayao province have warned of counterfeit 1,000 baht banknotes after two traders discovered they had unknowingly accepted fake bills from customers, costing them part of their earnings.

Reporters visited a market in Phu Sang district after local vendors raised concerns that counterfeit banknotes had been used to pay for goods at a grocery shop and a pork stall.

One vendor showed reporters a suspected fake 1,000 baht note, which appeared to differ from genuine currency in its response to light and the texture of the paper.

Wannika Chaisri, a pork vendor, said she received the note from a customer who bought meat one day before the end of Buddhist Lent. The market was particularly busy that day, and she did not suspect anything was wrong at the time.

After finishing business, she deposited her sales proceeds at an automatic bank deposit machine. She became suspicious when the ฿1,000 note repeatedly failed to go through, even though her other banknotes were accepted.

She then used a counterfeit-detection pen to mark the note. The ink remained visible, unlike on the other notes she tested, leading her to conclude that the bill was fake. She said the incident had cost her part of the profit from that day’s sales.

Another vendor, Wiw Wichaivut, said she had also received a counterfeit 1,000 baht note around the same time as the pork seller.

After selling her goods, she tried to use the money to pay her suppliers but noticed that the note was darker than other banknotes. She tested it with a counterfeit-detection pen, and the mark remained visible.

She also placed the note in water and found that it became soggy and broke down like ordinary paper. A genuine 1,000 baht note tested in the same way did not disintegrate, reinforcing her suspicion that the first note was counterfeit.

The vendors have since coordinated with a bank to hand over the suspected counterfeit notes for destruction. The notes are to be submitted through a bank branch in Chiang Kham district before being forwarded to the Bank of Thailand.

Authorities have not publicly identified the person or people responsible for passing the notes, and further details about the case were not reported.