Bangkok

ras2001 · #1 18-12-2005, 07:14

Hi,
I am travelling to bangkok and Phuket early March 2006 with girlfriend. I would be interested in getting some feedback with regard to purchasing jewellery in thailand notably an engagement ring. I have heard of all the scams and ripoffs etc can anyone point me in the right direction i.e reputable dealers and what savings I could expect to make.
Cheers
ras2001

Nero · #2 18-12-2005, 07:46

All I can say good luck mate in your pending marriage. I saw a few married guys when I was in Patong and they looked totally unhappy, hand in hand with some fat ugly white farang chick just longing for some action from a gorgeous Thai girl but 'alas' shackled to the missus!

On the note at hand if you want to purchase the 'ring' in Phuket go to Phuket Town its cheaper. You will probably still get ripped off as I gather you cant speak Thai.

I read a very good quote from this website about a year ago and it said, "you don't take sand to a beach". Quite true.

Dodger · #3 18-12-2005, 08:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nero

All I can say good luck mate in your pending marriage. I saw a few married guys when I was in Patong and they looked totally unhappy, hand in hand with some fat ugly white farang chick just longing for some action from a gorgeous Thai girl but 'alas' shackled to the missus!

On the note at hand if you want to purchase the 'ring' in Phuket go to Phuket Town its cheaper. You will probably still get ripped off as I gather you cant speak Thai.

I read a very good quote from this website about a year ago and it said, "you don't take sand to a beach". Quite true.

Don't agree with you at all Nero, first trip went with girlfriend had a brilliant holiday and if anything Phuket has become even more couplee. Yeah I know easy to say taking sand but with a girlfriend you do different things than mongering, in all honesty you probably get more out of the time in phuket and definately I saw more of the island and its attractions than all my other trips added together. There is room to have a great time single and with your girlfriend in my opinion and as for looking unhappy why if its your fiancee then if your not in love and can't have agood time together you shouldn't be getting married.

White Nancy · #4 18-12-2005, 14:22

Don't know if this is of use but, when I was in BKK last I went to this place:-

Gem Production Co. Ltd.,
99 Soi Kasaemsun,
3 phathumwan,
Wangmai,
Bangkok.

Nice premises, seemed better quality that most and had a massive choice.

Having said all that - caveat emptor!

Lord_Farquard · #5 18-12-2005, 15:08

Is that the place with the guards at the door?? Where you are not allowed to be inside without an "escort"??

aussie dollar · #6 18-12-2005, 15:45

all those places you get an "escort"
my belief is that with jewelry buying for GF or fiance if she likes it ,and you can afford or agree on a price its worth what you pay for it.
know people when returning home get it valued ,and the truth is any valuation is not resale price.
if your both happy with your purchase why worry.
before you go have a look at prices in your own area and compare with thailand price.

steve@thaib · #7 18-12-2005, 20:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nero

All I can say good luck mate in your pending marriage. I saw a few married guys when I was in Patong and they looked totally unhappy, hand in hand with some fat ugly white farang chick just longing for some action from a gorgeous Thai girl but 'alas' shackled to the missus!

On the note at hand if you want to purchase the 'ring' in Phuket go to Phuket Town its cheaper. You will probably still get ripped off as I gather you cant speak Thai.

I read a very good quote from this website about a year ago and it said, "you don't take sand to a beach". Quite true.

Jeez, is this neccessary? The guy asked about tips for buying jewelery in Bangkok, not marriage guidance.

steve@thaib · #8 18-12-2005, 20:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by ras2001

Hi,
I am travelling to bangkok and Phuket early March 2006 with girlfriend. I would be interested in getting some feedback with regard to purchasing jewellery in thailand notably an engagement ring. I have heard of all the scams and ripoffs etc can anyone point me in the right direction i.e reputable dealers and what savings I could expect to make.
Cheers
ras2001

I bought a couple of gold rings in Bangkok a few years back and they were nice. I also have a gold chain.

I'm sure someone will put me right here but Thai gold is unusual, to do with it being purer which makes it softer, but it does seem to hold it's value. There are lots of good jewellers on Sukhumvit in Bangkok and I would think they are all on the level, that's my experience anyway.

Go to a shop that you like the look of, tell them what you want and they will take care of your girl and bring you a glass of water, and then bring you a big fat bill. Enjoy

Benjy · #9 18-12-2005, 21:03

Also who says he isnt marrying one of those stunning Thai girls?

Lord_Farquard · #10 18-12-2005, 22:23

Pure gold is pure gold; 24K. The higher the carat count the higher the gold content. 18 carat gold will have 18 parts gold, and 6 parts something else (silver, copper, mercury). If Thai gold is softer, then it has more gold than say 18K gold that you might buy in another store. 24k gold is too soft for rings, they will get bent out of shape, and become damaged very easily.

steve@thaib · #11 18-12-2005, 22:36

I knew someone would know!

Dodger · #12 18-12-2005, 22:48

I personally know very little about gold or gems, one of my clients returned from Thailand and had bought three rather expensive pieces for his wife and needed a valuation for his insurance policy. I had another client who was a manufacturing jeweller so he offered to do a valuation for free. I had always thought european gold standards were the best and thought Thai gold looked a bit tinsely because of its very yellowy gold colour, however was suprised to find that jeweller said they were all very good quality, well made and were worth approximately 50% more than the guy had paid and as the cheapest of the three items he had paid £11,000 for, he was also really chuffed, the insurance valuation was almost double his purchase price! However markets are markets and as posted on another thread gold prices are escalating at the moment, don't know if they will continue or drop back soon.

Lord_Farquard · #13 18-12-2005, 23:56

There are different colors of gold--------------------but, it just means the impurity that is in the base metal. Copper will give a reddish tint to the gold, silver white. So whatever they mix with the gold to make it harder will give it a different color.
Ahh, then there is value. An appraisal is what a new one would cost, NOT what you could sell it for. The appraised value, only has worth to an insurance company, the higher the value, the ,more you pay for your policy. Remember jewelery can be marked up as much as 500%, thats why you see all the 75% off sales, you really think they are going to lose money?

faultytowers · #14 19-12-2005, 00:42

In the Middle East , most of the gold on sale is 22K , similar to the type in LOS. It is the very yellow , shiny stuff that to a lot of us looks cheap but has a higher gold content than most of the jewelery in the UK.
Main difference out there is that you do not pay for the labour/workmanship involved in making the rings/necklaces , all they do is weigh the piece and you pay so much per gram. So , when taken back to the UK , it would cost almost double to find a "similar" item , and this is reflected in the insurance premium.
I don't know the situation in the bigger gold shops in LOS , if they charge by weight , then it could be a worthwhile purchase.

White Nancy · #15 19-12-2005, 16:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lord_Farquard

Is that the place with the guards at the door?? Where you are not allowed to be inside without an "escort"??

No guards on the door, but there was an escort although a lot less pushy than most and let me wander around quite happily.

steve@thaib · #16 20-12-2005, 04:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lord_Farquard

There are different colors of gold--------------------but, it just means the impurity that is in the base metal. Copper will give a reddish tint to the gold, silver white. So whatever they mix with the gold to make it harder will give it a different color.
Ahh, then there is value. An appraisal is what a new one would cost, NOT what you could sell it for. The appraised value, only has worth to an insurance company, the higher the value, the ,more you pay for your policy. Remember jewelery can be marked up as much as 500%, thats why you see all the 75% off sales, you really think they are going to lose money?

Insurance valuations are exactly that. I don't want the valuation for my insurance company to tell them that my watch is only worth half what I paid for it, it's replacement value so that is what you insure. You think the jewellers are going to work for cost? Of course they make a profit!

If you like something buy it, and always insure it for what it will cost to replace it . Mine costs me around 1% a year to insure all risks and I pay it happily. The insurance company are as entitled to a profit as the jeweller.

steve@thaib · #17 20-12-2005, 04:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by faultytowers

In the Middle East , most of the gold on sale is 22K , similar to the type in LOS. It is the very yellow , shiny stuff that to a lot of us looks cheap but has a higher gold content than most of the jewelery in the UK.
Main difference out there is that you do not pay for the labour/workmanship involved in making the rings/necklaces , all they do is weigh the piece and you pay so much per gram. So , when taken back to the UK , it would cost almost double to find a "similar" item , and this is reflected in the insurance premium.
I don't know the situation in the bigger gold shops in LOS , if they charge by weight , then it could be a worthwhile purchase.

Most of the gold I've seen is sold by weight.

Lord_Farquard · #18 20-12-2005, 05:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve@thaib

Most of the gold I've seen is sold by weight.

That way you know exactly what you are paying. You can get a comfortable idea looking at the spot price for gold and comparing.

steve@thaib · #19 20-12-2005, 07:58

Thais seem to use gold like currency, it holds its value. That's what leads me to think that it is good quality.

I vaguely remember a discussion on the board about this, and the consensus was that Thai gold is unusually soft (as you say soft=pure) and therefore normally worth what you paid or thereabouts.

There is some science in there that I don't understand, but if it was me I would have no hesitation in buying gold in Thailand.

stevem · #20 20-12-2005, 08:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve@thaib

There is some science in there that I don't understand, but if it was me I would have no hesitation in buying gold in Thailand.

We just sold a heap of the stuff, and made a nice 100% profit.

steve@thaib · #21 20-12-2005, 19:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevem

We just sold a heap of the stuff, and made a nice 100% profit.

In Thailand or Oz? Is the profit in the fact that gold has gone up, or the fact that you moved it from one country to the other?

LivinLOS · #22 20-12-2005, 22:08

Gold prices have risen dramitcally.. Also easy to liquidate here.. Workmanship is only 400 - 600 baht per baht weight..

stevem · #23 21-12-2005, 05:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve@thaib

In Thailand or Oz? Is the profit in the fact that gold has gone up, or the fact that you moved it from one country to the other?

We sold in Thailand, the gold was mostly purchased 10 or so years ago.