Buy Gold in Thailand 2025: Practical Tips For First Time Gold Buyers

[00:00:00] Did you know that Thai gold costs less than gold in the us, Canada, or Europe? International markets usually charge 5-10% premiums on gold, but in Thailand, the premium is just 1-2%. The catch. Well, buying gold here can be a little bit tricky if you don’t understand the system. I’ve been purchasing gold in Thailand for the last 10 years and I’ve made some mistakes, but they’re really easy to avoid.

[00:00:20] In this video, I’ll show you how pricing works, what to buy, and where to find the best deals so you can make your first gold purchase with confidence.

[00:00:28] If you haven’t purchased gold Thailand before, you might be a bit hesitant. You might be wondering, why is gold cheaper in Thailand? Is it lower quality? Well, there are three big reasons why gold is more affordable here in Thailand. The first is local production and purity. Thai gold is 96.5% pure or 23 karat, which cuts the refining cost and gives it the rich yellow color that I personally love.

[00:00:52] The second reason is high supply and regulation. Gold is huge in the Thai culture. Shops buy and sell daily, keeping the margins low, and the Thai Gold Traders Association assures fair pricing so that every shop shows clear pricing in their shop window along with the purity.

[00:01:11] The third reason is lower costs. So Thai shops keep it simple with really basic tools like scales and calculators, and they have lower labor fees, both in terms of the manufacturing and in the shop staff.

[00:01:23] In summary, the quality is still very high and you get incredible value for money when you purchase gold in Thailand.

[00:01:29] But how does gold pricing work here?

[00:01:31] In Thailand gold is measured in Baht, but not the currency. Here, one Baht of gold equals 15.244 grams, and it’s also 96.5% pure, so it’s equivalent to 14.71 grams of pure gold. When you see the gold price in the shop display, it’s the cost for one Baht of weight of Thai gold.

[00:01:56] But what if you don’t wanna buy exactly one Baht of gold? Well, you can buy larger or smaller amounts than one Baht. Common weights are one Baht, half a Baht, quarter of a Baht, one eighth of a Baht.

[00:02:08] But it gets a little bit more confusing because you might hear a few other Thai terms for smaller weights like Sa-lèung and Sà-tâng.

[00:02:16] Here’s how it works. So one Baht is equal to four Sa-lèung which is also equal to a hundred Sà-tâng. A half Baht is two Sa-lèung or 50 Sà-tâng, and a quarter Baht is one Sa-lèung or 25 Sà-tâng. Lastly, an eighth of a Baht is equal to half a Sa-lèung, also called Khrùeng Sà-lèung.

[00:02:39] So I know it can all seem a little bit confusing, but don’t worry. I’ve included a free guide in the description of this video, which goes through all these details.

[00:02:48] To keep things simple, I’d recommend buying one Baht if you can afford it. It offers the best value for money as you’re paying a very small fee relative to the gold weight.

[00:02:57] Now, let’s pick out what to actually buy.

[00:02:59] Thai gold shops offer three common options. You have bars, coins, and jewelry. Gold bars are best for saving and investing with the lowest fees, about 300 Baht per Baht weight. So a one Baht gold bar is gonna be your best value overall.

[00:03:17] Next you have gold coins. Now they’re very similar to gold bars, but of course they’re round, they’re a little bit more, detailed. They might have certain designs on them, and the premium is just a bit higher than the gold bars.

[00:03:27] And lastly, you have jewelry like necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. These have the highest fees, usually 800 to a thousand bought per piece, but they’re obviously a bit more useful since you can wear them. I personally buy gold jewelry for my wife and kids, and it’s one of the few gifts I can buy that actually increases in value.

[00:03:45] Here’s what I’d recommend. For savings, pick a one Baht gold bar. If you want jewelry, it’s still well worth it given the small additional fee. Just try to go with a one Baht or a half a Baht so it’s nice and sturdy, because the smaller pieces can be a bit delicate if you’re going with the smaller weight.

[00:04:04] Now that you know what you want, the question is where you should actually buy the gold.

[00:04:09] Well, in Bangkok, you have a lot of options. In Bangkok’s Chinatown or Yaowarat Road, it’s really a gold buying hub. There’s plenty of trusted shops and they all show clear prices.

[00:04:20] To get there, take the MRT to Wat Mangkon station and you’ll be able to walk down the street and see plenty of gold shops. There are also plenty of other options outside of Yaowarat Road, like in many shopping malls. Now my personal favorite is Hua Seng Heng shop in Silom. It’s a short walk from the Sala Daeng BTS station. It’s less busy and it’s just more convenient in my opinion.

[00:04:44] If you wanna see some other options, I’ve included a list of other reputable shops in the guide. I have a link to this full gold buying guide in the description below.

[00:04:54] In summary, it’s super easy to find gold shops in Thailand. They’re on every corner, so as long as you stay outside of the tourist areas, you’ll be just fine.

[00:05:02] But before you go shopping, let me share a few more tips.

[00:05:06] First, be sure to budget first, know your budget so you know the weight of gold you’re going to buy. The first thing they’re gonna ask you when you walk into a shop is how many Baht.

[00:05:17] Do you wanna buy one Baht? Do you wanna buy half a Baht? And remember, if you know your budget, you’re gonna know your weight. That’s what you’re gonna tell them right away.

[00:05:26] The second is to bring cash. So if you wanna purchase gold in a shop with a credit card, they’re gonna charge you three to 7% fees. So you’re gonna wanna bring cash with you. Now, you might be able to just go to a local ATM and withdraw cash there, but some of the ATMs will have withdrawal limits. So you might need to go to an actual bank branch to do a withdrawal. If you don’t have a local bank branch, then you can go to a exchange like Super Rich is a really common and reputable one, and they’re gonna give you better exchange rates.

[00:05:58] The third tip is to bring your id. So shops will need a photocopy of your passport due to anti-money laundering rules. So be sure to bring the original passport. If you’re going with a Thai, then they will need to bring their national ID. but overall it’s gonna be really quick. They’re just gonna make a copy of it for their own records.

[00:06:17] Tip number four is to buy from reputable shops. So stick with the trusted shops that are outside of the tourist areas. I know that’s pretty self-explanatory.

[00:06:26] Number five is pay attention. So when you are going to make your purchase, just make sure that there’s a stamp on your item that says the 96.5% purity, and also has the weight listed on it. It’s really easy to see in the gold bars, but on the jewelry you’ll also find those markings. You just have to look very closely for them. And of course the staff will give you a receipt and you wanna hold on to that so that if you do happen to come back and need to exchange it, they’re gonna very likely give you a better exchange rate or buyback rate at the shop that you’re making the purchase from.

[00:06:59] If you keep these things in mind, you’ll do just fine. It’ll go incredibly smoothly. It’s a very easy process overall.

[00:07:05] All right. I hope you got some value outta this. If you did, it’ll be amazing if you give me a thumbs up on the video or if you feel really generous, go ahead and subscribe to the channel.

[00:07:15] If you have any questions or if you have any insights to share, please comment below.

[00:07:19] And lastly, don’t forget about the free, gold buying guide that I have, LinkedIn, the description. Remember, it’s completely free. It’s just gonna give you access to local shops that you can buy from and other small tips and recommendations that I included in this video.

[00:07:31] Alright, thanks again and I’ll catch you on the next one.