Gold Jewelry

[tutone]

What is the difference between 1 baht and two baht gold jewelry. Is it purity of gold, weight, workmanship, or what? I can't seem to get a good answer from different Thai folks I know.

[Charlieb]

Gold is sold by baht weight. A 2 baht chain has twice the gold of a 1 baht chain

[Philrjones]

Hi,

Yes it confused the hell out of me at first as well. The currency is baht and also they sell gold in a weight called baht. However, 1 baht in gold is approx. 1/2 ounce in our terms.

[jorg]

Here some more info on the subject: http://www.thai.nu/thaigold.html

[JesusDominga]

one baht gold, is 15.244 grams, the rest is easy. always make sure they weigh it, in front of you, as some pieces are hollow. also, the price haggling is around the design fee, which is just a way to pump up the price, unless very intricate, but avoid paying that. there is couple prices listed at shop, buy and sell, the buy price is usually higher than you will get, as they will say that if for the ingets only. thai gold is 22/23 carat, almost pure. if they say 24, pure, they are lying, as it would be too soft. always use 18/14/10 carat for settings. which of course everyone does, thus the color difference from thai /western gold. if getting brushed, use care and not wear when working as will flatten the finish. for chains and bracelets, always have a safety catch, as they tend to stretch and break over time.

Thais do not put the 'gift' value that foreigners do, so don't be surprised, down the road the piece is sold, or traded in.

good luck, a decent investment at this time.

JD

JD

[thrilled]

The best place in Thailand to buy Gold at is in Bangkok -Chinatown Yarophat road area.But thats just my opinion

[KHONDAHM]

The best place in Thailand to buy Gold at is in Bangkok -Chinatown Yarophat road area.But thats just my opinion

If by "best", you are referring to service or stocks, I have no comment other than good service can be found almost everywhere and yes, that area houses central distribution centers/stores and stocks are often on hand. As for pricing, the price is going to be (I should say "should be") the same everywhere. If you find gold cheaper in one store than another within the same day, it is likely due to the intra-day price fluctuations. As another poster mentioned, for gold bars, the price is as posted plus THB 200 per baht (weight) commission. For jewelry, it should be as posted plus THB 400 per baht (weight), but they would likely discount to THB 300 per baht (weight) if they like you. Don't expect to get any more discount than that, though. I often see foreigners try to bargain with the shopkeepers. It's futile. They know everyone else will tell you the same thing because what they are telling you (that they cannot discount more) is usually the truth.

Cheers!

[nkstan]

The only advantage of dealing with a very large shop is there selection of jewelery!

[trubrit]

The only advantage of dealing with a very large shop is there selection of jewelery!

Not so Stan.The main advantage of buying gold in China town and why so many people do is . They have the China Town Goldsmiths Association which most belong to. Each shop has a membership badge displayed . When you purchase from one of their members they guarantee the purity of the gold, so you are sure of not being ripped off. They also operate a clean and repair service and ensure you get back exactly the item you took in .Not tampered with in any way .Lastly they also have their own hallmark stamped on every item sold, which although not officially recognised on the international market does help throughout Asia if you wish to trade the item. As a footnote . They also trade in whats commonly known here in Thailand as "Sam Gow". This is the highest grade gold sold, equal to bullion in its raw state and translates to 99.9k or 24k .Hope you find this info useful .