Piggy bank exchange begins

More than 3,000 people carrying full piggy banks flocked to Siriraj Piyamaharajkarun Hospital to exchange them for royal souvenir piggy banks commemorating the late King Rama IX on Thursday.

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People flock to Siriraj to exchange piggy banks

Online reporters

More than 3,000 people carrying full piggy banks flocked to Siriraj Piyamaharajkarun Hospital to exchange them for royal souvenir piggy banks commemorating the late King Rama IX on Thursday, the first day of its "Saving for Giving" campaign.

The hospital, a for-profit subsidiary of the state Siriraj Hospital, has offered the special money boxes in the form of three items commonly associated with the late king and his travel around the country – a camera, a walkie-talkie radio and a Land Rover car – for the public to exchange.

The special piggy banks come in the form of a camera, a walkie-talkie radio and a Land Rover car

The money inside people’s piggy banks will go to the hospital's fund for a new building.

Hospital director Pradit Panchawinin said the savings campaign was part of the hospital’s social responsibility programmes held to mark its fifth anniversary. The aim is to promote savings by following in the footsteps of the late king.

The king's savings habit began early during his childhood in Switzerland when the Princess Mother taught him to put about 10% of his pocket money in a piggy bank every month.

Dr Pradit said some 3,000 people had their full piggy banks exchanged for the souvenir piggy banks at the hospital on the first day of the campaign. Another 12,000 people exchanged them online.

The three types of the money boxes were available for exchange only on Thursday.

On Aug 4-20, only the walkie-talkie money boxes are available. On Aug 21-Sept 20, people can exchange for the camera money boxes. On Sept 21-Oct 20, the Land Rover version is available

Dr Pradit insisted there were enough souvenir piggy banks for people to exchange. He advised against buying them from a third party as doing so would be against the objective of the savings campaign, he said.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej passed away at Siriraj Hospital on Oct 13 last year. The royal cremation will be on Oct 26.

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