Exchange services for 17 foreign currencies are available in Beijing, including at the Olympic venues.

At the Bank of China (BOC), the official Games partner bank, visitors can exchange U.S., Canadian, Australian and Singaporean dollars, U.K. sterling, Swiss francs, Swedish krona, Danish krone, Norwegian krone, Japanese yen, euros, Thai baht, South Korean won, Philippine pesos, and Hong Kong, Macao and New Taiwan dollars, said BOC spokesman Wang Zhaowen on Thursday.

The other three major state-owned banks and other banks also offer currency exchange services, but in fewer currencies than the BOC.

According to the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) website, the bank offers exchange services in 15 currencies. It does not provide services for the Thai baht, the Philippine peso and the New Taiwan dollar, but the New Zealand dollar can be exchanged.

The China Construction Bank (CCB) offers services for 12 currencies and the Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) seven.

Only the BOC operates at the Olympic Village, the Media Village, the International Broadcast Center, the Main Press Center and the Beijing Hotel, where Olympic delegations will stay.

Its counters at the Beijing airport and Olympic venues will run round the clock, he added.

At 78 of the 119 Olympic contracted hotels, 17 currencies can be exchanged, Wang said.

Source:Xinhua