Julian2 Posted January 12, 2007 Report Share Posted January 12, 2007 The weight and 'baht rate' will be genuine in all gold shops but they charge you a percentage for the manufacturing cost. This will be around 10% in shops in busy tourist areas but as low as 2% if you shop around. You can pick up a set of battery operated scales in the jewelery shops area on Silom Road near the Holiday Inn if you're determined to check. The best bet is to take Nok with you, she'll make sure you get a good deal if she's getting the chain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khun004 Posted January 12, 2007 Report Share Posted January 12, 2007 The weight and 'baht rate' will be genuine in all gold shops but they charge you a percentage for the manufacturing cost. ...[snip]... The best bet is to take Nok with you, she'll make sure you get a good deal ... Yes, labor is extra. That's explained on every web site I've seen so far about buying gold in Thailand. But how do you know you are getting honest quality and fineness of gold? And how would 24-year-old Nok with a P.6 education from the village in Buriram know? Short answer: she doesn't. So far on this thread, no answer to this critical question: How can a retail buyer, in one of the many retail gold shops in Thailand, lower the risk of being cheated for quality? If I buy any gold, I may need to sell it some day. If there really is an economic tsunami in the future, I may need that necklace to pay for food when the ATMs stop working. Would be rather unpleasant to find you'd paid full price, but received only cheap, gold plating, yes? Is the necklace gold plated? How do you know? Is the gold purity less than "baht" fineness? How do you know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian2 Posted January 12, 2007 Report Share Posted January 12, 2007 Thais are right into gold, they'd burn down any store selling plate or gold that was less than the purity stated. This is huge business in Thailand and right through Asia, they don't rip people off. Go down to Chinatown and any gold shop in that area will sell you genuine goods. I've bought gold here, in Laos and in the Philippines and never been touched yet. I sold a ring the other day in Chiang Rai that I bought in Hat Yai three years ago and it was never queried. Baht is a measure of weight, not purity. Stop worrying, you're starting to sound like the "how can I be 100% sure of not getting a dose of a bargirl" wankers. Mate, nothing is 100% certain in this world but the gold shops are 99.9% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julian2 Posted January 12, 2007 Report Share Posted January 12, 2007 And another thing.... "If I buy any gold, I may need to sell it some day. If there really is an economic tsunami in the future, I may need that necklace to pay for food when the ATMs stop working." There is something 100% certain, you've got no chance of ever getting that necklace back off of Nok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffalo_bill Posted January 12, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2007 I wish to make it clear that the "Nok" appearing in this thread is neither OH's Nok nor Khun zeelo foh's , it is exclusively my Nok . Coming back on the topic : I just brought up this matter over the telefone and Nok's comment was : Ouuuh dahlin this very bad " Meaning as Julian said before , cheating Thais on the gold market would cause the death penalty . One could assume the Chinese just would not do it . Could anybody imagine 2 Thai gentlemen intoxicated by Siam's finest of in a gold shop where they just have been cheated ? Good Lord . BuBi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khun004 Posted January 12, 2007 Report Share Posted January 12, 2007 Go down to Chinatown and any gold shop in that area will sell you genuine goods. I've bought gold here, in Laos and in the Philippines and never been touched yet. ...[snip] ... Baht is a measure of weight, not purity. I'm sorry, Julian2, but "Baht" is both a measure of weight and a measure of purity-fineness. You can confirm this in a few moments with Google. Baht as a measure of purity-fineness is an elementary concept for understanding the gold market in Thailand. Since you got that wrong, I prefer not to trust the rest of your advice, well-intentioned though it may be. I'm still searching for a practical way to know if purity-fineness of gold is really what the seller claims. Yes, indeed, there have been suggestions on this thread. One suggestion so far is to trust the shop. Another suggestion is that nothing is certain in life, so don't worry about it. Another suggestion is to trust the Thai people, who will first get drunk on whiskey and then burn down any shop that wasn't honest. Are there any other methods for an ordinary customer -- who is not a jewelry expert -- to determine purity of gold he is buying? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buffalo_bill Posted January 12, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2007 YESSIR , by just buying it , enjoying Nok's gratitude and fall asleep . That advice might make me No. 93 on your ignore list , board total 51 , but for purity-purposes it it second to none . BuBi Now off to airport :grin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekong Posted January 12, 2007 Report Share Posted January 12, 2007 Are there any other methods for an ordinary customer -- who is not a jewelry expert -- to determine purity of gold he is buying? As I have mentioned previously on this Board a few of my wifes relatives are in the Gold Business, three shops in Ubon and two in Bangkok. You can guess where we shop Yes All Thai-Chinese Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Hippie Posted January 12, 2007 Report Share Posted January 12, 2007 Khun004, This is why you go to a reputable shop...such as the one I recomended. Look at that shop, and the others...the shop I mention is usually the most full. Not with tourists either. AS I mentioned, I bought gold there, and at the SOi 10 shop, and traded it with other shops later, no issues, so the gold was as sold, purity and weight wise...as has been stated, any disreputable shop would meet a sad end fastfor bilking Thais...like anything else go early, and basrgin a bit, you can usually get sometyhing off the labor/work fee, usually 80-100+ Bhat per bhat weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shygye Posted January 12, 2007 Report Share Posted January 12, 2007 WHY DID YOU IGNORE MY SUGGESTION. Take the gold to another shop and have it tested. Are you really so clueless? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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