A week ago I bought a bag in a little shop at the Night Bazaar. The seller said it was Chinese Silk. At time I believed her because of the price (although I knew it was too much)

The day after I doubted it was silk, it looked very synthetic to me, and now I am positive it is not silk.

I don't know what to do: take my loss, and accept it as a lesson I had to learn as a newbie? Or go back to the shop and tell her that it is not silk and that I am disappointed?

What would you do?

An inexpensive lesson, take it with a smile but next time know your stuff.

For the silk-challenged, how do you tell if it is real silk or fake silk?

Thanks,

TheWalkingMan

For the silk-challenged, how do you tell if it is real silk or fake silk?

Thanks,

TheWalkingMan

Heat/Burn it

That happened to someone I know who bought some 'silk' clothes in Bangkok. After getting the tourist police involved, he got his money back.

PS apparently if it's some synthetic material it will melt under a match flame, which real silk won't. But never tried it.

I guess it depends on the amount of the loss and how much confrontation you feel like dealing with. Personally, I take it as one of those lessons on life that we get from time to time here. If it makes you feel better you could go back to the Night Market and purposely buy something from a neighboring stall.

I guess it depends on the amount of the loss and how much confrontation you feel like dealing with. Personally, I take it as one of those lessons on life that we get from time to time here. If it makes you feel better you could go back to the Night Market and purposely buy something from a neighboring stall.

Buying something from her neighbour is a good one...haha...

I had long sit on this, but I think I go back and just say "no silk" and look a bit disappointed. It is not about the money, but it really makes me sad to get lied by. I can't do nothing about it, then I agree about this kind of practice.

About silk: I didn't burn it, but it has a canvas-like feel. I asked Thai women about it, and they said no by shaking their heads.

And the seller was such a lovely girl...

cheap lesson.

unless u bought 1000 of those purses.

being lied to is what happens when u put urself in the liars habitat..sorry. but it cuda been worse, eh.

imagine if ur silk purse had been made by blinded 'orphans' or stuffed with heroin...

smile and i'll join ya.

ef

PS - those 'lovely' girls sell all sorts of fake stuff. (for someone considerably less lovely looking)

love being one of em, but they so lovely....

Edited April 9, 200917 yr by edgarfriendly

They lie (more) when they think you are a tourist and not coming back (reason why I never dress like a tourist). If you go back and complain you might get your money back, they probably do the same scam over and over hoping for most of them to be tourists about to jump on the plane. Go back and ask for your money back, they might be in the habit of just smiling and returning your money like nothing happened since they do it all the time, seen it happen.

I went back to the girl and confronted her. She turned on a sad face and kept telling it is real China silk. I didn't ask for money because she is only a small puppet of the shopowner, has nothing to say in this matter. BTW, confronting her was enough for me, it was a closure.

Well good for you, if you feel better about it that is what matters. I'm pretty hardcore and would have had it tested by someone with silk expertise lol, well you know what I mean, and then would have gone back and demanded my money back. Kind of a waste of my time but scammers just get me all worked up.

During my first trip to Thailand (almost 30 years ago), I bought several nice necklaces, mostly at jewelry shops in hotels and reputable-looking shops. I did buy one "jade" necklace from a street vendor outside a wat. The price seemed too good to be true but he assured me it was genuine jade.

When I returned home, I took the necklaces to my jeweler to be restrung, since the Thais didn't seem to individually knot each bead even with the rather expensive necklaces. A few hours after I dropped them off, with an explanation of where I got them, my jeweler called with the bad news that the "jade" one was actually glass. He questioned if I wanted to pay for restringing. I laughed, and said yes, I intended to keep the necklace as a reminder that if something seems too good to be true, then it probably is. I still wear it regularly today and it looks rather nice with the fancy clasp I had the jeweler add.

The consulation was that the jeweler loved the lapis necklace I got at a shop at the Oriental Hotel and said I paid a very good price. I figured I'd been overcharged because of the high-priced location of the shop!