Buying gold in Thailand - worth it?

[how241]

36 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

In Thailand it is priced in THB

Yes, it is priced in THB  but ONLY after they have converted the price using a USD/THB  daily exchange rate.

[Thongkorn]

We have bought gold over the years usually when its price is at a low, Not really as an investment but  as an option if  we need money quickly, We have bought gold bars and  chains, Also We  take  some back to the UK , never had to pay any tax. Never been asked or caught, Most jewelers in the UK will not touch it as there is no mark on it,

[how241]

10 minutes ago, Thongkorn said:

We have bought gold over the years usually when its price is at a low, Not really as an investment but  as an option if  we need money quickly, We have bought gold bars and  chains, Also We  take  some back to the UK , never had to pay any tax. Never been asked or caught, Most jewelers in the UK will not touch it as there is no mark on it,

Yes, Thai gold is best bought and sold and the same shop...Most shops will place a very small identifying mark so they know it is their gold...The bar prices are usually the same wherever you go in Thailand...Sometime,  they put a premium on the very small bars.

[Just Weird]

6 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

It will, absolutely, be cheaper in Thailand than in the U.K. for the gold content.

 

It it is unusual to get a 23k bracelet in the UK. So the price may look similar but the gold content will be much lower, usually less than 14k

 

The one downside to any jewellery ownership in the U.K. is that if you ever want to sell it you will get a ridiculously low amount, around ⅓ the money you would get in Thailand (for Thai gold of course)

 

Why are you directing that at my post?  I didn't say that it wouldn't be cheaper, neither did I comment on 'UK' gold...

21 hours ago, Just Weird said:

She is neither wanting to, or going to, buy bullion.

 

Why would she "run into problems" if she bought a bracelet and took it to the UK and why would it "not be worth it"?  All she wants is a bracelet cheaper than in the UK.

[thrilled]

When I buy gold in the US it’s coins 23.999 There is A mark up on it but usually reasonable.

At Bangkok when I buy gold chains in Thailand it’s 96.5% There’s A mark up on it also.This could be approximately 800 baht more for each 1 baht gold I buy.

You can sell Gold anywhere they will melt it and give you scrap prices.

it’s hard to make big profits on gold cause it sells on the world market.

[Farang99]

On 10/7/2017 at 6:31 PM, jackdd said:

It's a little bit cheaper, but not too much.

Be aware that the gold here in Thailand has a very high percentage of actual Gold, so it's not as sturdy. And if you plan to sell it in the future it could be difficult to do so in a country other than Thailand.

If you go to any of the bigger gold shops in a mall i doubt they would try to sell fakes.

But be aware that normally you would have to pay taxes on it when you bring it home

Thai gold is the equivalent of 23 K. Thais treat the standard western gold of 18 K as costume jewellery, but it can be difficult to resell Thai gold in the west simply because to accept the higher purity the buyer would have to see a guaranteed assay.

[bazza73]

Thai gold is useful as a currency hedge. It's not an investment, because it earns no income. While long-term the price tends to appreciate due to countries debasing their currencies by money printing, short-term it doesn't offer much in terms of capital gains.

As other posters have noted, the unique nature of Thai bullion means it can only realistically be bought and sold within Thailand - elsewhere, its value will be discounted.

[SpokaneAl]

A few years ago we had some miscellaneous small pieces of Thai gold and sold it in the US. Reputable gold dealers have the tools to quickly analyze the quality and quantity of the gold and will pay you based on the current world price, absence a small service fee of course.


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[MrPatrickThai]

18 hours ago, how241 said:

Yes, it is priced in THB  but ONLY after they have converted the price using a USD/THB  daily exchange rate.

Interesting, I thought it was converted from HK$.

[EcigAmateur]

On 10/7/2017 at 8:31 PM, theguyfromanotherforum said:

 

You are correct and I completely misread the OP. Call me an idiot.

 

For some reason I thought she wanted to buy for resale?!

 

 

 

I can confirm. Of course Thai gold is more pure than in EU or US.

 

 

[bazza73]

On 10/17/2017 at 10:16 AM, EcigAmateur said:

 

I can confirm. Of course Thai gold is more pure than in EU or US.

 

 

Gold jewellery in Thailand is purer than that in Western countries. Thai gold bullion is less pure than Australian bullion. I don't know about EU or US.

 

https://www.abcbullion.com.au/

[Jack100]

Without mentioning  the name , I went to one of the famous old gold shops in Chinatown -  it looked real shabby compared with the

modern red  air conditoned stores down the road  .   Also , I only saw  a few amulets on display , no gold chains etc .

Am I missing   something  here ?

[onera1961]

On 10/7/2017 at 6:31 AM, jackdd said:

if you plan to sell it in the future it could be difficult to do so in a country other than Thailand

You can sell in any Asian countries - Thailand, India, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia,  Singapore, UAE, Dubai, Kuwait, etc. But you will get best rate if you sell in the same store in Thailand. Most stores sell 23K jewelry. Gold is like investment for asians though in recent decades other forms of investment are becoming popular. 

Edited December 11, 2018 by onera1961

[sjeng]

On 10/8/2017 at 5:55 PM, thrilled said:

When I buy gold in the US it’s coins 23.999 There is A mark up on it but usually reasonable.

At Bangkok when I buy gold chains in Thailand it’s 96.5% There’s A mark up on it also.This could be approximately 800 baht more for each 1 baht gold I buy.

You can sell Gold anywhere they will melt it and give you scrap prices.

it’s hard to make big profits on gold cause it sells on the world market.

The clue to get seme money out of it is only by the different VAT % 

in Thailand 7 % in europe about 20% 

Buy goldbar 100 gr 99.999 % you even get your vat refund in Thailand and smuggle it to europe.

that is the profit.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

On 12/11/2018 at 8:06 PM, sjeng said:

The clue to get seme money out of it is only by the different VAT % 

in Thailand 7 % in europe about 20% 

Buy goldbar 100 gr 99.999 % you even get your vat refund in Thailand and smuggle it to europe.

that is the profit.

 

Doesn't work there is no VAT on gold purchases in Thailand.

 

and of course if you try to smuggle and get found out 100% loss of the gold plus a fine and free accommodation for the next few months or years. Then a nice notation on your police record.

 

So where is the profit?

[sometimewoodworker]

On 12/11/2018 at 8:06 PM, sjeng said:

The clue to get seme money out of it is only by the different VAT % 

in Thailand 7 % in europe about 20% 

Buy goldbar 100 gr 99.999 % you even get your vat refund in Thailand and smuggle it to europe.

that is the profit.

 

Doesn't work there is no VAT on gold purchases in Thailand.

 

and of course if you try to smuggle and get found out 100% loss of the gold plus a fine and free accommodation for the next few months or years. Then a nice notation on your police record.

 

So where is the profit?

[thrilled]

Someone stated that thai gold is more pure than in the U.S.I buy gold in Chinatown all the time.Ornaments are 96.5% pure.At the U.S. I buy gold coins they are 99.99%. The mark up is lower than the gold shops at Yaraphat rd.

[YogaVeg]

On 10/8/2017 at 3:58 AM, Thongkorn said:

Most jewelers in the UK will not touch it as there is no mark on it

Why?

I've only sold in the US, but buyers have methods they always employ to test purity ect.

Seems a simple stamp would be easy to counterfeit, aren't all gold buyers going to test the piece by other means than simply looking at a stamp?

 

Great read, this thread.

[dreaming]

Dont buy gold jewellery in thailand to "impress" people back home. I guess that would be the only reason to buy gold jewellery

 

Farangs, women in particular, dont like the colour of the thai gold - it is too yellow. I know this from experience 555

[Nyezhov]

3 hours ago, dreaming said:

Dont buy gold jewellery in thailand to "impress" people back home. I guess that would be the only reason to buy gold jewellery

 

Farangs, women in particular, dont like the colour of the thai gold - it is too yellow. I know this from experience 555

I think it looks great on me. The yellow blends in nicely with the sickly pale colour of my skin, and the chain design accentuates the lines of my slim, yet oh so manly neck. Worn just peeping out of a black faux silk shirt, with just a hint of masculine chest hair, it gives me a look of studied insouciance while at the same time preserving the dangerous affect of the sophisticated male beast. In this ensemble, women frequently claw at me in unbridled passion.

Edited December 22, 2018 by Nyezhov

[LongTimeLurker]

If she's travelling through Dubai / Abu Dhabi get it in the duty free there, or better still if she has a stopover, get it in the gold souk.

Edited December 23, 2018 by LongTimeLurker

[LongTimeLurker]

On 12/22/2018 at 2:42 AM, YogaVeg said:

Why?

I've only sold in the US, but buyers have methods they always employ to test purity ect.

Seems a simple stamp would be easy to counterfeit, aren't all gold buyers going to test the piece by other means than simply looking at a stamp?

 

Great read, this thread.

The  first thing the jewellers in UK look for is the assay mark and thongkorn is right, they won't touch it without the assay.

 

You can always have your gold assayed at the office in Birmingham though.