500 Baht 2016, Thailand
| in Krause book | Number: 121 |
| Years of issue: | 2016 |
| Edition: | |
| Signatures: | Finance Minister of Thailand: Apisak Tantivorawong (in office August 2015 - July 2019)Governor of the Bank of Thailand: Dr. Veerathai Santiprabhob (in office 1 October 2015 - 30 September 2020) |
| Serie: | 2010 - 2017 Issue |
| Specimen of: | 27.12.2013 |
| Material: | Cotton fiber |
| Size (mm): | 156 х 72 |
| Printer: | Note printing Works, Banknote management group, Bank of Thailand |
* All pictures marked 
are increased partially by magnifying glass, the remaining open in full size by clicking on the image.
** The word "Specimen" is present only on some of electronic pictures, in accordance with banknote images publication rules of appropriate banks.
Description
Watermark:
HM The King Rama IX. Denomination.
Avers:
King Rama IX in the Royal House of Chakri gown.
Bhumibol Adulyadej (Thai: ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; (Sanskrit: bhūmi·bala atulya·teja - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 1927 – 13 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great in 1987 (officially conferred by King Vajiralongkorn in 2019), was the ninth monarch of Thailand from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama IX. Reigning since 9 June 1946, he was the world's longest-reigning current head of state from the death of Emperor Hirohito of Japan in 1989 until his own death in 2016, and is the third-longest verified reigning sovereign monarch in world history after King Louis XIV and Queen Elizabeth II, reigning for 70 years and 126 days. During his reign, he was served by a total of 30 prime ministers beginning with Pridi Banomyong and ending with Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Forbes estimated Bhumibol's fortune – including property and investments managed by the Crown Property Bureau, a body that is neither private nor government-owned (assets managed by the Bureau were owned by the crown as an institution, not by the monarch as an individual) – to be US$30 billion in 2010, and he headed the magazine's list of the "world's richest royals" from 2008 to 2013. In May 2014, Bhumibol's wealth was again listed as US$30 billion.
After a period of deteriorating health which left him hospitalized on several occasions, Bhumibol died on 13 October 2016 in Siriraj Hospital. He was highly revered by the people in Thailand – some saw him as close to divine. Notable political activists and Thai citizens who criticized the king or the institution of monarchy were often forced into exile or to suffer frequent imprisonments, yet many cases were dropped before being proceeded or were eventually given royal pardon. His cremation was held on 26 October 2017 at the royal crematorium at Sanam Luang. His son, Maha Vajiralongkorn, succeeded him as King. 
The Monogram of HM The King Rama IX is on foil part, above denomination 100 (right side).
Each of the members of royal family has its own symbolic color and monogram. Thus, even just seeing the monogram it is possible to determine, without any photos, who personally present at the event.
As a part of monogram of King is the Great Crown of Victory, the most important royal regalia and a symbol of royal power. The royal crown is of a traditional Siamese conical shape. Its top symbolizes the authority of the king in heaven and its base his caring for his people on earth. The crown is 66 cm. high.
In top is the national emblem of Thailand - Garuda.
At the bottom is stylized Orchid flower.
Revers:
On banknote are: The images of HM King Buddha Yodfa Chulalok the Great (King Rama I) monument, Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn (Wat Pho), Phra Sumen Fort.
HM King Buddha Yodfa Chulalok the Great (King Rama I) monument.
A monument to King Rama I was erected at the foot of the King Rama I Memorial Bridge (Phra Phutta Yodfa Bridge), on the Bangkok side. Before the celebration of the 150th anniversary of Krung Rattanakosin, in 1932, King Prajadhipok proposed to build a permanent structure - a monument to the first king of Krung Rattanakosin. Accordingly, the king communicated his desire to the government, and it became clear that the memorial was to be completed in commemoration of his grace and honor, and that the first bridge over the Chao Phraya would be built at the same time. Construction began on December 3, 1929 by the British bridge building company Dorman Long & Co.
King Rama VII oversaw the unveiling of the monument on 6 April 1932, while Prince Narisar, then Vice President of the Royal Institute, was given the responsibility of leading the design.
The statue imitates a king in his costume, sitting on a throne with his hands on his sword, on his knees. Professor Silpa Bhirasri (Corrado Feroci), from Silpakorn University, sculpted and cast the bronze statue. The height of the statue is 4.6 meters (later it was raised by 1 meter), the width of the base is 2.30 meters on a marble pedestal. Behind the statue is a door-cut marble wall with carved columns on each side and a carved tympanum in the Urn. Moreover, the history of the building is inscribed on the marble stone. Ahead are offerings, lotus-shaped flowers, and decorative trays. There are fountains on the sides. The statue also has arched concrete railings on the front and Thai-style marble stones in the middle. A white elephant is carved in the center of the stone, standing in front of the gate - the symbol of the Chakri dynasty. Gentle steps stretch down to the ground from the Memorial Bridge, surrounded by rainbows of colors.
Phra Phutthayotfa Chulalok Maharaj (Thai: พระพุทธยอดฟ้าจุฬาโลกมหาราช, 20 March 1737 - 7 September 1809), personal name Thongduang (ทองด้วง), also known as Rama I, was the founder of the Rattanakosin Kingdom and the first monarch of the reigning Chakri dynasty of Siam (now Thailand). His full title in Thai is Phra Bat Somdet Phra Paramoruracha Mahachakkriborommanat Phra Phutthayotfa Chulalok (พระบาทสมเด็จพระปรโมรุราชามหาจักรีบรมนารถ พระพุทธยอดฟ้าจุฬาโลก). He ascended the throne in 1782, following the deposition of King Taksin of Thonburi. He was also celebrated as the founder of Rattanakosin (now Bangkok) as the new capital of the reunited kingdom.
Lower, right is Phra Sumen Fort.
Phra Sumen Fort is the northernmost of Rattanakosin's original forts, located at the mouth of Khlong Rop Krung (the moat) where it meets the river, today the corner of Phra Sumen and Phra Athit Roads (13°45′50″N 100°29′45″E). The octagonal fort is built of masonry on a 2 meters deep spread footing foundation. It is 45 meters in diameter, and has a height of 10.5 meters measured to top of the sema-shaped battlements of the upper level. The fort has rectangular battlements on the lower level, and is topped by a roofed heptagonal tower, which collapsed sometime during the reigns of kings Rama V to Rama VII and was rebuilt in 1981 to celebrate the bicentennial of the city's foundation. The surrounding area was subsequently developed into Santichaiprakan Park, which opened in 2000.
On left side is The Wat Pho. You can see the arch, the entrance to one of the alleys of the palace.
Wat Pho (Thai: วัดโพธิ์, also spelled Wat Po, is a Buddhist temple complex in the Phra Nakhon District, Bangkok, Thailand. It is on Rattanakosin Island, directly south of the Grand Palace. Known also as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, its official name is Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram Rajwaramahawihan (Thai: วัดพระเชตุพนวิมลมังคลารามราชวรมหาวิหาร). The more commonly known name, Wat Pho, is a contraction of its older name, Wat Photaram (Thai: วัดโพธาราม; RTGS: Wat Photharam).
The temple is first on the list of six temples in Thailand classed as the highest grade of the first-class royal temples. It is associated with King Rama I who rebuilt the temple complex on an earlier temple site. It became his main temple and is where some of his ashes are enshrined. The temple was later expanded and extensively renovated by Rama III. The temple complex houses the largest collection of Buddha images in Thailand, including a 46 m. long reclining Buddha.
The temple is considered the earliest centre for public education in Thailand, and the marble illustrations and inscriptions placed in the temple for public instructions has been recognised by UNESCO in its Memory of the World Programme. It houses a school of Thai medicine, and is also known as the birthplace of traditional Thai massage which is still taught and practiced at the temple.
In the top right corner is Garuda - national emblem of Thailand.
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