Banknotes are the intellectual property of the Bank of Thailand and are protected under the 1994 Copyright Act. The Bank of Thailand (BOT) as the institution that produces and circulates government banknotes in the economy, directly oversees every step from design, printing, to issuance as legally payable debt instruments. Any unauthorized action regarding this copyrighted work, such as duplication, modification, public disclosure, broadcasting, or disseminating sound or images for profit or commercial benefit, is considered an infringement. Offenders face a prison sentence from 6 months to 4 years and/or a fine from 100,000 to 800,000 Baht.

The guidelines for using banknote images in advertising are as follows:

1. Images of current circulating banknotes can be used if they show only part of the banknote, not the full image.
2. Banknote images should be at an angle that does not directly display the Royal Emblem.
3. If a colored image of the front of the banknote is used, it must be noticeably smaller or larger than the actual government banknote.

     In all cases, the positioning of the image should be considered to prevent any degradation of the institution of the monarchy and the BOT.

     Nevertheless, any person wishing to use banknote images for public dissemination in any form must obtain official permission from the BOT. The review process and response time will take approximately 3 - 5 business days. If the design fully meets the specified guidelines, a written permission request along with a sample of the work should be sent to the BOT before being published or distributed.

     You can send your request to the Director of the Banknote Strategy and Administration Department, Banknote Production Line, Bank of Thailand, No. 18, Moo 2, Borommaratchachonnani Road, Khun Kaeo Sub-district, Nakhon Chai Si District, Nakhon Pathom 73120. For more information, you can call 02-356-8687 to 90 or send an email to banknoteinfo@bot.or.th.

Data updated on June 29, 2023
Source: Bank of Thailand
Tel. 1213