Pham Dinh Hau always turned to his hair dryer whenever his money got wet, but last weekend was the last time he would do so.

On August 13, Hau, from the northern province of Hung Yen, got caught in a heavy rain, and a number of banknotes collectively worth VND32 million (US$1,500) were soaked.

The man told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Tuesday it was not the first time his money had been wet, and his hair dryer, set at the lowest heat level, had always fixed the issue without any problem.

For that reason, Hau had his 12-year-old brother perform the task.

Unfortunately, having never done it before, the young boy dried the banknotes with the highest heat setting on the device.

“My house was filled with a burning scent after only ten minutes,” Hau told Tuoi Tre.

Most of the polymer banknotes had been burnt and distorted.

Hau has managed to exchange VND26 million (S$1,100) worth of the damaged notes for newer ones at the local branches of Agribank and MBBank, while the remaining were rejected for being severely deformed.

Dao Minh Tu, deputy governor of the State Bank of Vietnam, told Tuoi Tre that as long as the face value of the damaged banknotes remains recognizable, they are eligible for exchange for newer bills.

“Banks are responsible for exchanging torn, burnt or damaged banknotes for payable bills,” he said.

People can take damaged banknotes to the local branches of the State Bank of Vietnam or any commercial banks, according to the official.

“If possible, [Hau] could bring his burnt banknotes to the transaction office of the State Bank of Vietnam in Hanoi for exchange,” he said.

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