sickbuffalo Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 Old Hippie said:But, if you are really buying a lot of Bhat ( ) weight, and the amount is up there, then you possibly could try and negotiate the surcharge down a bit... The charge is usually set by the cc companies, so I'm not sure the merchant is able to do this. Also if you buy a large amount the merchant is risking you making a fraudulent charge back. Fraud is rife in the jewelry business... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Hippie Posted August 11, 2005 Report Share Posted August 11, 2005 True, but...the merchant would be covered by the CC company, in theory anyway. Usually when using a CC gor gold, they want a Passport as a second ID, as do some hotels etc... Buying gold from a reputable shop in Yaowarat, is usually a safe deal, Gems on the other hand... The surcharge is usually set by the Merchant, to off set the charge from the CC company. The CC company may charge 2% or less, and the merchant may charge slightly more to cover the added hassle/cost of processing, and to discourage the practice. Also, keep in mind, the larger the order, the more the charge for the surcharge as well as the labor charge (about 460bht/bht weight or so?) so they have more room to Haggle, but not so sure they will haggle much, best chances are with cash, Vs a credit card. Figure on a 10bht weight order with a gold price of 8500Bht/Bht weight (Bht weight=15.16grms) and 460Bt/Bht weight labor, so 85,000 for gold, 4600labor, and 1792 (for a 2% surcharge from a CC sale) so figure, somewhere in that 4600, is room for a discount...I would say, based on the numbers I gave, figure 800-1000bht off...maybe 1000 is the high side of realistic. Also allow for Vat tax, and I forget what that is...keep your paper receipt, and try to get it back at the airport...something I have had no luck doing...never seem to have the right forms before hand... In any event, weight thepotential savings against what the miles would cost etc...just out of curiosity, how much gold are we talking? might be cheaper to go to a wholesaler, hell if I know a reputable one... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiamIAm Posted August 12, 2005 Report Share Posted August 12, 2005 Also you may want to consider where the price of gold is currently headed. Gold has recently broken a 3 year trend and is now plateauing, which does not necessarily mean it will fall but it certainly does not bode well for it. Personally, with the long large run up it's seen I wouldn't be a buyer at this point... I don't know if you planed on buying gold as an "investment" or not (a la Thai style), but just something to think about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 12, 2005 Report Share Posted August 12, 2005 and when you get home, decide to sell it and find out its not as "pure" as the little tag says, you are sol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Hippie Posted August 12, 2005 Report Share Posted August 12, 2005 "...and when you get home, decide to sell it and find out its not as "pure" as the little tag says, you are sol ..." That has never happened to me. As long as you Stick to the reputable shops, along Yaowarat road, I can't see that you'd have a problem with purity. I have actually exchanged gold I bought 10 years ago, and have not had any problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coss Posted August 12, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2005 Thanks for all the responses, I won't have to deal with US customs, I have my own facists in the guise of NZ Customs. Cheers Coss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 13, 2005 Report Share Posted August 13, 2005 " have my own facists in the guise of NZ Customs." different country, similar attitueds I would bet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.. Posted August 13, 2005 Report Share Posted August 13, 2005 Coss, I have family members who own gold shops. If you are looking to buy in quantity, let me know & I can introduce you. Obviously not worthwhile for 3-4 baht, but more than that, it can be. Let me know by PM or SMS if you need assistance. Cheers, SD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coss Posted August 13, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2005 Will do, it'll be some time though, before I'm back in LOS. Cheers Coss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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