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Deleted Member
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With some retailers ripping off foreigners, where would be the best place to buy gold jewellery? I've read up on the things they do to pass poor/low quality gold of as the good stuff.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 6:54 am on Jan. 2, 2003
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TimidGuy
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What with this facination of Gold and LOS? I've walked through the day market in chiang mai (where the locals buy stuff, haven't seen a single farang) and there were like 6-7 gold shops in it... all too odd.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 7:24 am on Jan. 2, 2003
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Sauron
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It's really very simple.
In Asia, particularly Hong Kong, Thailand, India and Pakistan, but generally in Asia gold jewelry is regarded as portable, readily convertible hard assets. This is because it is worked almost pure, between 22K and 24K, actually closer to 24K, and as the labor content (value added by workmanship) is small, gold bracelets and chains etc can be bought for little more than the bullion value, and resold back to the same shop or any other shop, or to a pawnbroker, for a high percentage of its purchase price.
Westerners have been programmed to regard pure gold as:
1. Too brassy
2. Too soft to be useful as jewelry
and to regard Asian high-karat gold jewelry as of inferior workmanship compared to Western gold jewelry.
This is part truth and part self serving lies from the jewelry industry.
The Western jewelry industry wants you to buy 18 K (which is 75% gold 25 % base metals) and then pay a HUGE inflated premium for 'workmanship' (which is really just mostly multi-tiered profit taking). For 14K and less the situation is even worse.
To prove to yourself that this is so, try to recover the bullion value of a 14K gold trinket some time. You will end up owing THEM money.
Whereas Thai goldsmiths are happy to take back the real thing and the loss on your side is rather trivial.
The color issue is bogus as Thai gold can be smelted to be about any color, and still be the same huigh % pure gold; the Thais can and do make 18K and so on for export. Thai gold sold in Thailand is...the color of gold. It is not attacked by nitric acid, or other mineral acids except a particular mix of nitric and hydrocloric acids called aqua regia (royal acid).
So it comes down to a value judgement. Do you want real, almost pure gold for a tiny premium over the bullion content, or do you want to be FLEECED by people selling you ADULTERATED SHIT for NEEDLESS MARKUPS and justifying their thievery with a tissue of lies about hardness, color and workmanship?
I rarely wear jewelry but when I do it's Thai gold and nothing else.
The best shops are on Yaovarat Rd. in Sampeng (Chinatown) and they NEVER cheat on weight or on purity.
Thai gold is typically around 97-98%, not 999 fine but still not garbage like 14K. It is sold by the baht weight which is just slightly under a half a Troy ounce. Pls be aware that the Troy system used for jewelry is NOT the Avoirdupois system used commonly. There are 14 not 16 Troy ounces to the Troy pound and the Troy pound is not same as the Avoirdupois pound. If you want the Metric conversions to grams I'll be happy to look them up and post them.
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 8:25 am on Jan. 2, 2003
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Jerseyboy
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Cj, lot of good information there.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 8:10 pm on Jan. 3, 2003
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CalEden
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Yes CJ excellent post! I always buy gold as a memento of each trip. I love the color of Asian gold. This memento is so to speak baptised by the best TG or TG's of the trip. Just a little memento.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 8:29 pm on Jan. 3, 2003
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Been2Bangkok
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Any info on gold coins available in BKK? Can you get US Lady Liberty coins at spot gold prices?
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 3:03 am on Jan. 4, 2003
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Been2Bangkok
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BTW, excellent post by sauron (aka, cj?). Nitric acid and hydrochloric acid will dissolve almost anything except platinum.
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Thai Girls : Meet Active Thai Girls
Posted on: 3:05 am on Jan. 4, 2003
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Sauron
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Don't go mixing up the aqua regia yourself as the nitrogen oxides that come off are insidiously toxic, and can cause fatal delayed pulmonary edema (drowing you in your own body fluids as your scarred lungs fill up.)
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 2:27 pm on Jan. 5, 2003
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bandit
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Bros,
There was a lot of information about gold in this topic, which was very interesting to read.
But... the original question remains still unanswered. I should be buying some gold during my next trip. Does anyone know a good shop in BKK and has an idea about the prices?
I am in possession of some items of Thai gold, but this has been given to me as a present. So, I have no clue!
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 4:19 pm on Jan. 5, 2003
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