Euro suffers Thai problem

The two coins are the same weight and have almost the same diameter

BANGKOK, Thailand -- Thai 10 baht coins are causing problems for Euro vending machines because they weigh the same as a two euro coin but are worth eight times less.

The problem first surfaced in Spain but now European Union officials in Thailand have confirmed they are aware of the problem.

A EU spokesman in Bangkok said the European Central Bank was aware of the problem but Thailand had not been blamed for the confusion or asked to withdraw its coins.

"There are so many coins in circulation from different countries, that it's impossible for them all to be completely different," the spokesman told Reuters.

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"If vending machine operators find foreign coins in their machines, it's up to them to change their software," he said.

Newer vending machines can measure metallic content and differentiate between the 10 baht and the two euro, which contains zinc.

But older machines are fooled because both weigh 8.5 grammes and the Thai coin is just 0.25mm wider than the two euro.

Senior finance ministry official Thevan Vichitakul, quoted in the Bangkok Post daily, said: "The fact that our 10-baht coin is similar to the two-euro coin is the problem of the EU, not Thailand."