9 June, 2026
Reports of counterfeit 1,000 Thai baht banknotes have recently emerged along the Thai–Myanmar border, particularly in Myawaddy and Mae Sot. As a result, retail shops, supermarkets, and both wholesale and small businesses have begun carefully checking banknotes before accepting them in transactions, according to local shop owners who spoke to PRM.
Previously, such verification practices were mainly seen in Mae Sot, where vendors used special counterfeit-detection pens to mark the banknotes. If no ink mark appeared, the note was accepted as genuine. However, shop owners say that the issue has now spread to Myawaddy, prompting similar precautions there.
A female shop owner from Myawaddy explained that she only realized she had unknowingly accepted counterfeit money after being informed while making purchases in Mae Sot. She said that shops now rely on detection pens, where a visible mark indicates a fake note, while no mark suggests authenticity. Some stores, however, have chosen to avoid the risk altogether by refusing to accept 1,000 baht notes.
In Mae Sot, the practice of verifying banknotes has already been in place for some time. Major stores and convenience shops such as 7/11 reportedly check each 1,000 baht note individually before accepting payment.
Meanwhile, some Myanmar-owned shops are even more cautious. They may refuse newer-looking 1,000 baht notes entirely and instead ask customers if they can pay with smaller denominations such as 500 or 100 baht. Shopkeepers say they are concerned about unknowingly accepting counterfeit money, and in some wholesale markets, fake notes have led to police involvement, making traders especially wary.
Although the number of counterfeit notes discovered is not yet considered widespread, the financial impact can be significant. Due to currency value differences, even a single fake 1,000 baht note can result in substantial losses equivalent to hundreds of thousands of kyats for those relying on Thai currency in cross-border trade.
