Gold souk or gold street
Yaowarat (Chinatown) gold shops
Bangkok, Thailand
Bangkok's Chinatown has long been the city's gold street: family gold shops along Yaowarat Road sell Thai 96.5% gold by the baht weight, at prices that follow the Gold Traders Association's daily announcements. A retail street, busy in the evenings.
Yaowarat Road, the spine of Bangkok's Chinatown, has been the city's gold street for generations. Family-run gold shops, many with red-and-gold fronts, sell Thai gold to local families, who buy it as jewellery and as savings.
What you find
Thai gold at 96.5% purity (about 23K) as chains, bangles, rings and small bars, sold by weight in the Thai unit, the baht (15.2 grams for jewellery). Prices follow the daily announcement of the Gold Traders Association of Thailand and change during the day; a workmanship charge is added for jewellery.
How it works
A retail street: walk in, choose by weight and style, and pay the announced price plus the charge. Shops also buy gold back at the announced buying price, which is why many Thai families treat gold as a store of value.
Tips
- Wat Mangkon (MRT) is the nearest station; the street is busiest in the evening, when the food stalls open.
- Ask for a receipt showing weight and purity: it makes reselling easier.
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