Cambodia Approves Redesigned 50,000 and 100,000 Riel Banknotes

The National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) has received approval to release newly designed 50,000 and 100,000 riel banknotes, which will circulate together with the existing notes of the same values. Prime Minister Hun Manet signed a sub-decree authorising the new notes on 25 September.

Economics professor Duch Darin said on the same day that introducing the new notes does not indicate the NBC is expanding the volume of cash within the economy. In his view, the move is primarily meant to meet growing demand for the use of the riel.

"This aligns with the aim of making the riel more practical for use across the national economy," he noted.

Why the Notes Are Being Updated

Ly Sideth, the NBC's cash general, said the two new notes keep most of their current designs and imagery, with certain features either added or refined. He pointed to two main reasons for the update. First, both denominations have circulated for more than a decade, with the 50,000-riel note first issued in 2014 and the 100,000-riel note in 2013. Second, the redesign is intended to strengthen the security and visual quality of the notes in keeping with the latest technology.

New Security Features

According to Sideth, the redesigned banknotes include several notable security elements:

• An image of the Cambodian royal emblem printed onto a holographic strip, designed to stop the strip from being removed and reused on notes of other denominations.
• Denomination figures shown in both Khmer and Latin numerals, with clear colour separation for the thousands grouping.
• Enlarged Latin numerals for easier reading.
• A moon-shaped image printed with special ink, added specifically to the 100,000-riel note.