divediva -- i do not know the exact location of the jade carving factory. mai sai's a fairly small town i think if you ask you should find it easily. or, you could post a new thread and i'm sure someone could be more helpful. i didn't venture far from the border this time, maybe next trip! enjoy your upcoming adventure! i will be heading over to the europe board for awhile...

I'm not familiar w/jade prices. How does it compare to sapphires in BKK?
Is jade common at the BKK jewelers Fodorites mention? Thanks!

insticher - i wasn't familiar with jade prices either, but what i discovered when i got to bangkok is that the factory in mai sai had a huge variety of colors and cuts, that i did not see in the places i went to in bangkok, and at much better prices. there were some great items for gifts too. they also had a great selection of rubies and sapphires, although i did not look into prices too much. i did notice a lot of buying going on though. i learned the best quality jade is even more expensive than sapphire, which i found interesting. there is a wide range of quality/price range to choose from there. it is a tourist destination and the busses take people there, but well worth it in my opinion.