Buying Wedding Rings

[Aranyrammie]

Hello all, can somebody advise me on buying gold wedding rings. What I want to know is where will I get best value? Should I buy in Thailand now, bearing in mind that I will be paying pound sterling( changing money to baht) or wait until I return to the UK in two weeks. Grateful for the advice.

Trying is the first step towards failure. --Homer Simpson

[cornishcarlos]

Buy silver, she will be less likely to sell them a month down the line

[TommoPhysicist]

First, one must ask is the lady in question Thai?

If she is Thai, only Thai gold will do.

If she is Thai, remember she will attach no sentimental value to the ring.

In other words, first time she is short of cash, it get's sold.

As CC says, you want her to keep it, buy silver.

PS

Exchange of wedding rings is not a Thai custom, they don't do it, and they rarely wear them.

Edited March 2, 2013 by TommoPhysicist

[Dancealot]

The best Thai gold is soft 99% gold. European gold is more though because other metals are added to enhance it's toughness therefore it's more difficult to estimate the value of european gold.

First, one must ask is the lady in question Thai?

If she is Thai, only Thai gold will do.

If she is Thai, remember she will attach no sentimental value to the ring.

In other words, first time she is short of cash, it get's sold.

As CC says, you want her to keep it, buy silver.

PS

Exchange of wedding rings is not a Thai custom, they don't do it, and they rarely wear them.

@Tommo: Buying wedding rings is a happy experience and i think you are feeding some unnecessary negativity to his precious joyful moments in life.

@The OP: Good luck with your wedding

[TommoPhysicist]

@Tommo: Buying wedding rings is a happy experience and i think you are feeding some unnecessary negativity to his precious joyful moments in life.

@Dancealot

Having your new wife selling her wedding ring because she didn't understand it had any importance to you is a bit of a shocker for some guys. Better you know right from the start.

[Dancealot]

@Tommo: Buying wedding rings is a happy experience and i think you are feeding some unnecessary negativity to his precious joyful moments in life.

@Dancealot

Having your new wife selling her wedding ring because she didn't understand it had any importance to you is a bit of a shocker for some guys. Better you know right from the start.

Nonsense Mr. Tommo. There is not any indication from the OP this will occur. So why wake up a sleeping wolf?

[Dancealot]

The OP used a Homer Simpson quote so to me this means his backyard has been properly been taken care of..

Contemplating exchange rates whilst browsing for a wedding ring is another thing. But to be Frank i would do the same.

My advice is to buy Thai gold.

[pattayadingo]

If it is not Thai gold it will be deemed unworthy.

Do they sell them? Yes they do.

Try buying a 9 ct gold ring from your homeland and giving that to her. Then when she goes to sell it in the future you will be slated from Chiang Mai to Pattaya and back

If she decides to take it to the local gold shop to see how much you spent on her you had better make sure it has some weight to it or forever be labelled a cheapskate. They do this too. Thai women love to know how much an item costs so they can compare with their mates and show their mates up - unless you are a cheapskate and then she gets shown up

[transam]

Forget farang gold. Will be looked at as sh_t. Go to a shop in LOS with the bird then nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo problems. And the family will think your great.

[Aranyrammie]

Thanks for the replies one and all, I neglected to say that we are already married and the rings are my idea as I don't wear any jewellery but I always wanted a gold band if I ever tied the knot, we are in a long term relationship with one son as well. So I guess it's going to be Thai gold then. Thank you also to thaicbr for your input, hope you are back on tv soon.

Trying is the first step towards failure. --Homer Simpson

[chiangmaikelly]

I came to Thailand with three wedding rings. They were from my previous marriages. I had them all in a pocket of my sports jacket. I gave them to bar girls at Nana plaza; kind of like prizes in a box of cracker jacks because they weren't Thai gold. Thai women don't wear wedding rings.

[richard_smith237]

I came to Thailand with three wedding rings. They were from my previous marriages. I had them all in a pocket of my sports jacket. I gave them to bar girls at Nana plaza; kind of like prizes in a box of cracker jacks because they weren't Thai gold. Thai women don't wear wedding rings.

Some people are generalising a whole nation based on their own limited experience.

Most of my Thai Friends Wives and Western Friends wives wear Wedding Bands of varying type... Sliver, Gold, Platinum.

Maybe it's just that Bangkok is becoming more multicultural in its modernisation and cultures are overlapping.

I can't speak for all of my friends Wives as the topic is not high on the list of conversation, but those with whom I have spoken to wear the Wedding Band in high symbolic value.

Thus for the Op: Those who speak with Absolute authority on all things related to Thailand often have a very limited experience and forget to think outside of their area of experience. They fail to recognise that they don't know what they don't know...

Op: Your situation is as individual as anyone else's and only you can know whether your Wife will mirror the symbolic value you place on a Wedding Ring.

I'm not sure if I am correct with this next point: Is Thai Gold less durable than Western Gold ?

Edited March 2, 2013 by richard_smith237

[2unique]

We bought white gold rings. My wife had a duplicate engagement ring made with a fake diamond so that she COULD wear it everyday...

she attaches great symbolic and emotional value to our wedding rings.

But then I'm always told Thais only attach financial value to all western things. They don't understand Valentines, Christmas or the Western concept of monogamous marriage.

Thai gold reminds me of 21 carat gold, soft malleable and not often used in England for that reason and the price being too high for your average Ratners and Argos shopper!

[homeownership]

We bought our wedding rings from Chiang Mai in 2007, still wearing it this minute. There are a few things to note.

1. The purity of the gold in around 23k, which is unbelievably high. This makes the gold soft and scratches easily. It does however feel very comfortable on your ring finger.

2. In the UK (I am from there, they will not recognise the hallmarks should you wish to sell). I dont know why, but we wanted to get our rings insured and had to get the rings checked out by a jeweller for an approximate value. Because the hall marks are Thai, they will NOT even certify that the gold is gold, until it goes for metallurgical testing.

3. I have heard the lifespan of the rings is only around 12 years after they become so worn and tatty that you have to have them reformed. We intend to use the original gold in the ring, to make the new one and renew our vows. Seems romantic.

Hope this info helps.

[Semper]

I have heard the lifespan of the rings is only around 12 years after they become so worn and tatty that you have to have them reformed.

I've heard that the lifespan of a marriage is shorter than 12 years.

[chiangmaikelly]

I came to Thailand with three wedding rings. They were from my previous marriages. I had them all in a pocket of my sports jacket. I gave them to bar girls at Nana plaza; kind of like prizes in a box of cracker jacks because they weren't Thai gold. Thai women don't wear wedding rings.

Some people are generalising a whole nation based on their own limited experience.

Most of my Thai Friends Wives and Western Friends wives wear Wedding Bands of varying type... Sliver, Gold, Platinum.

Maybe it's just that Bangkok is becoming more multicultural in its modernisation and cultures are overlapping.

I can't speak for all of my friends Wives as the topic is not high on the list of conversation, but those with whom I have spoken to wear the Wedding Band in high symbolic value.

Thus for the Op: Those who speak with Absolute authority on all things related to Thailand often have a very limited experience and forget to think outside of their area of experience. They fail to recognise that they don't know what they don't know...

Op: Your situation is as individual as anyone else's and only you can know whether your Wife will mirror the symbolic value you place on a Wedding Ring.

I'm not sure if I am correct with this next point: Is Thai Gold less durable than Western Gold ?

I would agree with you about the generalization. And point out that some people live in Thailand full time, never seeing Farang or talking to them or living in a gated community or working with them. I see only Thai people and have for 10 years. And I first got to Thailand 40 years ago so..... No Thai women don't wear wedding bands. But if in your limited experience they do. That's cool. Some Thai women travel to Europe but very few as a percent of the whole. Some Thai women speak English but very few as a percent. Thai women don't speak English.

[rak sa_ngop]

I recommend you check out the Jewellery Trade Centre on Silom road next to the Holiday Inn. Jewellery at trade prices, cheaper than the high mark-up jewellery shops elsewhere.

Note most businesses in the JTC follow normal hours i.e. about 10.00 to 5.00 mon-fri

[homeownership]

I have heard the lifespan of the rings is only around 12 years after they become so worn and tatty that you have to have them reformed.

I've heard that the lifespan of a marriage is shorter than 12 years.

Then the product could be described as "fit for purpose haha".

[homeownership]

I recommend you check out the Jewellery Trade Centre on Silom road next to the Holiday Inn. Jewellery at trade prices, cheaper than the high mark-up jewellery shops elsewhere.

Note most businesses in the JTC follow normal hours i.e. about 10.00 to 5.00 mon-fri

Good advice.

[krisb]

I think I would feel more comfortable buying rings back home than Thailand. Unless your a gold and probably diamond expert, least back home I know Im getting the real thing. Not that you would get ripped off, but you know what Im saying.

BTW, dont listen to the marriage cynics here. Its good being married.

All the best!

[richard_smith237]

I came to Thailand with three wedding rings. They were from my previous marriages. I had them all in a pocket of my sports jacket. I gave them to bar girls at Nana plaza; kind of like prizes in a box of cracker jacks because they weren't Thai gold. Thai women don't wear wedding rings.

Some people are generalising a whole nation based on their own limited experience.

Most of my Thai Friends Wives and Western Friends wives wear Wedding Bands of varying type... Sliver, Gold, Platinum.

Maybe it's just that Bangkok is becoming more multicultural in its modernisation and cultures are overlapping.

I can't speak for all of my friends Wives as the topic is not high on the list of conversation, but those with whom I have spoken to wear the Wedding Band in high symbolic value.

Thus for the Op: Those who speak with Absolute authority on all things related to Thailand often have a very limited experience and forget to think outside of their area of experience. They fail to recognise that they don't know what they don't know...

Op: Your situation is as individual as anyone else's and only you can know whether your Wife will mirror the symbolic value you place on a Wedding Ring.

I'm not sure if I am correct with this next point: Is Thai Gold less durable than Western Gold ?

I would agree with you about the generalization. And point out that some people live in Thailand full time, never seeing Farang or talking to them or living in a gated community or working with them. I see only Thai people and have for 10 years. And I first got to Thailand 40 years ago so..... No Thai women don't wear wedding bands. But if in your limited experience they do. That's cool. Some Thai women travel to Europe but very few as a percent of the whole. Some Thai women speak English but very few as a percent. Thai women don't speak English.

That was precisely my point... my experience is as limited as anyone else's because I too can't generalise a whole nation... Hence..

"Op: Your situation is as individual as anyone else's and only you can know whether your Wife will mirror the symbolic value you place on a Wedding Ring"

[asiasurfer]

Why is everyone here so sarcastic about marriage??? It's completely off topic. The OP is just seeking advice for buying some wedding rings...

Good luck to the OP.

[transam]

Why is everyone here so sarcastic about marriage??? It's completely off topic. The OP is just seeking advice for buying some wedding rings...

Good luck to the OP.

Some of us know stuff, thats why.

[saakura]

Some extremely sad and sarcastic comments coming from people who have probably never had any good experiences so they see only the negatives. In most asian countries, gold is always given in marraiges in jewellery form. Usually treasured and passed down to the next generation, sold only as a last option in case of emergencies.

It is of course different in the poor (and hence undereducated, underpreviliged) sections of society where it may get sold soon after marraige for a bottle of alcohol (sold by the husband).

[Semper]

Usually treasured and passed down to the next generation, sold only as a last option in case of emergencies.

Been in Thailand a long time?

[GooEng]

Thai gold is what she's likely to prefer. The Thai gold wedding rings we got were 1/2 baht for mine and 1/4 baht for hers.

Look up today's price for a baht of gold (22,300baht per baht) and there you have the cost.

Source : http://www.goldpricethai.com/

[saakura]

Usually treasured and passed down to the next generation, sold only as a last option in case of emergencies.

Been in Thailand a long time?

Yes, very long. But probably in a completely different section of society where there is no need or reason to run to the pawn shop. As i said earlier, this would be common only among the lower economic classes and not unique just to thailand.

[HardenedSoul]

I came to Thailand with three wedding rings. They were from my previous marriages. I had them all in a pocket of my sports jacket. I gave them to bar girls at Nana plaza; kind of like prizes in a box of cracker jacks because they weren't Thai gold. Thai women don't wear wedding rings.

Jesus H Christ. Can you get any more crap out of your mouth?

[HardenedSoul]

Some extremely sad and sarcastic comments coming from people who have probably never had any good experiences so they see only the negatives. In most asian countries, gold is always given in marraiges in jewellery form. Usually treasured and passed down to the next generation, sold only as a last option in case of emergencies.

It is of course different in the poor (and hence undereducated, underpreviliged) sections of society where it may get sold soon after marraige for a bottle of alcohol (sold by the husband).

Yes well that socio-economic group is where many of these clowns get their insights into all things Thai

[simple1]

OP: My Thai wife actually wanted a gold ring prior to returning to Thailand to live. So I asked her if she wanted to wait & buy a Thai gold ring. She decided upon an 18 carat ring as longer lasting and "different" to Thai gold. She knew of the minimal resell value in Thailand.

BTW we have been married for nearly 18 years.

Best wishes for your future together.

Edited March 4, 2013 by simple1