Hello fellow Fodorites - My husband and I are planning a trip to Thailand/Cambodia for Feb 2007. Basically, we are doing 2-4 nights each in Bangkok, Siem Reap, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai (actually, Anantara there), and returning to Bangkok. I have a hobby/small business designing semiprecious stone jewelry, and am interested in buying sterling silver Hill Tribe pieces to incorporate into my work, as well as strings of semiprecious stones. (It's almost as addicting a hobby as travel planning...)

Can anyone recommend a specific store, village, etc. to purchase these items in any of the areas we plan to visit, as well as the best way to do this (i.e., whether using a driver or guide and driver)?

Also, anyone recently stayed at D2 in Chiang Mai? We're likely going to stay at Baan Orapin, but D2 looks intriguing. Posts here from its post-renovation days don't sound impressive, but Tripadvisor reviews are very positive. Given our desire to purchase sterling components, are we better off staying in the old town to purchase in Chiang Mai, or waiting til Chiang Rai to buy there, or trying to find villages outside CM? If the latter, I think Baan Orapin wins.

Thanks for your thoughts! Claire

claire....not sure about the beads in CR area but i should think CM might be better....you will need a driver in all of these places, although i rented a car for my anantara stay....transportation is very limited in CR/CS area except for hotel cars...
a driver might have an idea about the beads....poon, rats' sister might be a good one to have...


the wholesale silver shops are all around the new road area near the river and in back of the shangri-la, oriental and sheraton hotels...new stuff and not hill tribe but maybe imitation...

there was a posting last year about this same thing....was it eurotraveller who did it?? not sure...try doing a fodors search...

Bob - Thanks for your reply. Good memory - Eurotraveller did post a similar request but I can't find her trip report. Responses to her request were not very helpful, so I am most interested in what she found. You'd be surprised how difficult it is to track down jewelry supplies in other countries...

Would you recommend renting a car and driving from Chiang Mai to Anantara? Apparently the road climbs two mountains? Anantara has a limo service that I'm strongly considering, with our flying back from Chiang Rai to BKK. I'd love to hear about other options people would suggest or recommend.

Am (still) enjoying your brief (ha) post from June 2005. Think some day you and Gpanda will maybe kiss and makeup?? As a casual observer though, it's much more fun this way! Great report. Claire

ttt

Hill Tribe silver can be found at "Silver Bell" in Chiang Mai. The store is in town not far from the night market area. It is not a tourist trap . Silver items are sold by weight (gram) and 1/2 to 1/3 cheaper than I saw in other areas. The selection is also very large. You can purchase wholesale or retail. I don't remember the address but it should be in a phone directory. The specialty is Hill Tribe silver.

claire...andy and i are great friends....we are total opposites...i am always right and he is always wrong....we are spending time with them in bkk at the end of next month...

i rented my car at the chiang rai airport....it was a very easy drive to the hotel, about one hour....no traffic...not sure of the CM drive but it can't be that bad and about 3 hours to CR i guess from CM....how bad can it be??

Claire,

There are quite a few Hill Tribe silver stores along Tha Phae Road north of the Night Bazaar in Chiang Mai. If you want to purchase more unusual pieces, there is a store near Lost Horizons on Tha Phae (I think it was Under the Bo) that had some gorgeous spirit locks. On the west side of Chiang Mai on Niemanhammin Road near the intersection with Huay Kaew there is a store that specializes in antique Hill Tribe pieces -- you could get their name from the concierge at the Four Seasons, which, btw if you want to spring for the price of D2, would just as luxe and a bit less over the top (but I'm partial on this one.)

Also, I've recommended her before but you might want to check out Susan Stem's collection of Hill Tribe silver and if you have time, schedule a visit to her home/shop near the umbrella village. Her web site is www.tribaltrappings.com She has an exquisite eye and I would trust her on provence explicitly. I found her online last year before we took our trip and count myself lucky that I did.

Have a great time !!

You will find beads etc in Chiang Mai - but in Bangkok the two best places I know are either the weekend market or for the beads (I think) better still a series of shops in New Road - there are a number (maybe 8 or 10 ) almost next to each other. They all sell semiprecious stone beads by the string and a number also sell hill tribe beads (as well as bigger necklaces). The cheaper stone is sold by the string but the better stuff is weighed out and charged by the gram. You will find them on New Road almost directly opposite the end of Silom Road and slightly towards the post office. Very easy to find - masses of silver shops there too which may have some interesting bits for you.

There is a trade in counterfeit silver coins in Thailand, and I warned someone who was offered fakes when we visited a Hill Tribe, and the price suddenly dropped right down.


I trust you know fake semi-precious stones from real ones? As I found out in Asia, even buying from a dealer does not guarantee they are real, since they work on the fact that you are not going to come back again.

Hi Claire,

I am the one who posted about this before my trip this past Feb. You're right; the response wasn't good.

I looked around while I was in Thailand. The prices were outrageously expensive compared to what I can purchase for in the US wholesale! The price per ounce was 3 times more than what I pay.

I did meet a guy in Chiang Dao who had a friend in Bangkok who was a silver wholesaler. I will try to contact him to get the guys info. I leave for my SE Asia trip on Oct. 29th so I will check out a few of the suggested places and report back on oz price for Hill Tribe silver.

Cheers!

Wow - thank you to all for advice as well as warnings. (Bob - you two sound like an old married couple; come to think of it, just ask David - I'm always the one who's right...). Jenskar - great info and will check out Stem's collection online; MaryW - did stone quality seem questionable in the Bangkok markets? Kaneda - I don't plan to buy coins, but will be vigilant about fake stones from dealers. You just never know...
Eurotraveller - Am so glad to hear from you. The lack of response to your posting really worried me. I pay 55 cents/gram lately at wholesale shows - retail in the DC area goes as high as $1/gram. I'd really love to know where you find prices in Thailand now. Tweety - would it help to get wholesale pricing if I bring my jewelry business license with me?
Again - thanks for all the help! Claire

At Silver Bell you don't need a business card. If you buy in bulk, that is enough for a discount. By the way, the sign on the store which says Silver Bell is in English because it helps business. I can't remember what I paid per gram but it was 1/3 of the
asking price at the night market. I showed my receipt to the merchant at the night market and still couldn't get a lower price, so I surmised that the night market people went to Silver Bell to buy their goods for resale.

Claire - I think the stone quality is probably more reliable from the New Road shops than at the market - but it can be mixed there too. From memory I looked at some turquoise beads and the price was (I think) 14bt per gram. Hill tribe necklaces (as in the full thing) they were asking between 10 and 12 bt gram - of course its only about 80 to 90 % silver. Don't know what they wanted for the loose beads. These were prices for only the odd string - customers buying lots were getting wholesale price.

Thanks for the additional information. Do any of these vendors ever take credit cards, or is this all cash deals? US dollars or THBs? Claire

Thai Baht

If still interested in this old post, the D2 hotel's lobby is great and it is centrally located to buy hilltribe silver. Another hotel option is the central duangtawan hotel on Loykroh road about 100 meters away. More importantly, from D2 or chang klan road, walk to loykroh road, take a right and walk approximately 10 minutes and you will find Sherry silver on the right and Silver Bell across from them a little further on and Alla silver (also at weekend market in bangkok) a little further still on the same side as Sherry, all of them are retail and wholesale hilltribe outfits supplying the largest importers in the U.S. The price depends entirely on how much you buy and it is true that if you are buying less than 1 kilo, you can possibly get it cheaper in the states (I sell at wholesale shows and sell for $.55/g at 1 kilo+ only because i bought most of my stuff for $.28 in 2005...also a testament to my incredible slack in 2006 doing only 8 shows;-) anyway, buy over there whilst you are there, it's fun and you have a great selection.
Another good one is chiang mai design (where i usually go) and is on tha phae road and they also have a store in bangkok between silom and surawong on charoen khrung called Orient Silver(the road that the main post office is on). the price right now with silver at $12.25/troy ounce is 16.5 baht per gram at 50 kilos+ with the U.S. dollar at 35.5 baht or thereabouts. at a kilo, the price may be 18 or 19 baht per gram.
although there are quite a few stone bead/pearl stores around, you can definitely get better prices in Tucson in Feb. as it all comes from China and India and in thailand, they have to pay 200 baht per kilo in custom's duties and that is if they know someone to pay under the table. that is to say, i sell in tucson now for less than i used to pay in bangkok and i am not the cheapest in Tucson, so... still, shopping there is fun and a few stores with relatively good prices are shahabi, which is on charoen khrung closer to sri phraya road on the right (beautifully friendly Afghani folks) and jai mataji...lots of bead stores on charoen khrung, so if you enjoy shopping and having fun with haggling...
good luck and have a great time!!

podimer - No, it's not too late - we don't leave til Feb 1. Am grateful for your info here. I buy mostly from wholesale room of international gem show in the DC area (Baltimore, Timonium, Chantilly shows) and .55/gr is a good price -- what I generally pay in the wholesale rooms. Do you ever sell at those shows? Won't make it to Tucson til retirement most likely - a few years down the road.
Does the BKK branch of a store like CM Design charge more than the CM branch for the same merchandise? Bottom line, it sounds like silver will be cheaper in large quantities, but not stones, but my goal is more to find really great Hill Tribe silver (and any other interesting silver produced there).
Is buying in large bulk the only way to establish a wholesale price - no matter whether you bring proof of being in the business? Also, ever try to set up an ongoing relationship by having them ship to the US, or is that too expensive?
I had assumed I would get better deals by visiting local hill tribe towns and dealing directly with the artisans by finding a local guide to take us. Am I way off the mark on this?
Thanks again - Claire

Doi is an ingredible guide to take you to hilltribe villages from the Anantara. She is the Tong or Ponheary of the Golden Triangle. She took us on a day trip to two Burmese villages and also to a few gem places on the Thai side of the border. Highly recommended - I would book her in advance.

Crosscheck - Thanks - Sounds like Doi is just what we're looking for. Do I book her now through the Anantara or does she have a private email address you can provide me with? I emailed the Anantara a few days ago and haven't heard back yet. Claire

Sorry, I didn't get Doi's email address. I would suggest booking her by emailing Mark Heather, the general manager of the hotel, [email protected] or [email protected] (try both addresses). Give him your dates and say you want to book Doi; he will pass your emails on to the right people. You will be charged on an hourly basis for Doi and a driver (in our case it was her husband who was also a delight). Because there were four of us and we required a van, it came to 900 baht (around $25 US) an hour, which is not cheap, but way less than if you go on one of the preset hotel "tours".