diane

Need help what great buys should we be looking for.<BR>Thanks

Kathie

I've made lots of excellent buys. I've &quot;saved&quot; the most money on jewelry and loose stones. My nieces have loved the beautiful porcelain dolls dressed in the traditional costumes of the various ethnic groups, I have beautiful handicrafts I've bought there like puppets and needlework. Silk is also a great deal. Some people like the designer fakes. it depends on what you're interested in.

mzredhead

I loved the Benjarong porcelain I bought at Narai Phand, a high quality Thai craft store run by the government. They have many other beautiful things.

bob

we think that custom made jewerly is about the best buy of anywhere in the world...know what you want and go to a reputable jewerler (not always the fanciest looking place)...bring pictures or draw a picture before you leave, including details... most everything is at least 18K, but 14 is available and lesser, but why at those prices...<BR>silk is great...watch the quality of one peice to another...<BR>custom made garments for men and women are quite good...wool is not as nice as in some places....bring some with you to have things made....allow time for several fittings...we plan on 2 weeks for all the fittings, etc...<BR>get impact book: the treasurers and pleasures of thailand....simply the best most accurate guide book to shopping of all kinds in thainland

Diane

Just got back this evening from a resort on Maui. A clothing shop in the hotel was selling Thai silk scarves, exactly like the ones I bought at the Bangkok weekend market last month. The shop was selling them for $58 each and I paid $3.25 each. Many of my friends got scarves for Christmas. Someone was recently selling Thai silk scarves on eBay for $10.

Elaine

Beautiful things, very reasonable, at Thai Home Industries, Oriental Ave. (right next to Oriental Hotel. Really a wholesaler. May be in all the books, but we found it by chance. They speak English and the quality is excellent at the most amazing prices. I also found great $3 silk scarves everywhere. Just feel them to get the good ones.

kim

Last year, before visiting Bangkok, a customer service rep. at Cathay Pacific mentioned that if you see it in Bangkok, buy it... as the price will never be that low anywhere else in the Orient.<BR><BR>Bought beautiful knock-off designer watches for $30 US. Faux Louis Vuitton and Fendi bags for $25 - $40 US. Great silk pants, tops and shoes. Remember to bargain. Don't be afraid to walk away, the vendors will quickly follow you.<BR><BR>Also bought some camel bone little sculptures of people, silk jewelry pouches for less than a $1 US....great gifts.<BR><BR>Wonderful shopping....do not miss the floating market. Had a fantastic trip.<BR><BR> <BR><BR>

phoenix

Just got back from almost 3 weeks in Thailand--we brought back cashews from Hat Yai, silk cosmetic bags, scarf, ties from Jim Thompson (Bangkok) and Jolie Ferme (Chaing Mai), thin cotton blouses from Pak Bara, white gold Thai cultured pearl necklace and loose blue sapphires from Gem jewelry (Chiang Mai), hilltribe long skirt (Chaing Mai), fake Fendi handbag (Bangkok), beautiful handmade soaps in silk boxes (Chiang Mai), wooden chopsticks and holders, ingredients for Thai cooking, handmade cards, beautifully carved flower soaps in wooden boxes (Chaing Mai), long cotton scarves, short sleeve golf shirts (Jim Thompson)--and had lots of clothes made at Grand Fashion in Bangkok. Don't worry about taking enough luggage (though we did take 2 empty bags with us)--luggage is cheap.

david

We're going to bangkok tomorrow. Did anyone have any problem bringing back items for cooking like spices?

Map

Hi everyone,<BR><BR>For those of you who had bought loose gemstones, how was the quality? I'm interested in buying some rubies and sapphires, but had heard that unless you know your stuff, it's easy to get scammed. Has anyone had their gemstones appraised after returning home? What are some of the reputable jewellers? Thanks.

Kathie

David, you can bring back dried spices and canned goods, for instance, but no fresh meats, produce or fresh herbs and spices.

scigirl

Map - Gemstone quality varies widely. Accordingly, prices vary widely. Although prices are very good - don't expect to puchase a $2000 stone for $100. I bought a very good sapphire in Bangkok and spent considerable time before my trip learning to evaluate stones, shopping for prices in the United States, etc. The stone has been appraised here in the US and is very good quality and I paid a good price for it (less than appraised value). I looked in several stores before I made a purchase. I found that some stores were significantly overpriced for the quality, and would misrepresent the quality of the stone. For instance, one store told me that inclusions were &quot;common&quot; and didn't effect value in sapphires - this is very much untrue. There are several good books available on puchasing and evaluating gemstones. (I can't recall the specific title I used - Something like &quot;Gemstone and Pearl Buyers Guide&quot; that will help.)<BR><BR>A search on this forum will turn up several older posts related to jewlers, etc. in Bangkok.

Diane

David -- I brought home two boxes of spices. Each had ten different spices. One was in a decorative box made of paper from the mulberry tree. The box was as much a gift as the spices. Bought at two different places -- one cost $4 and the other $5. Made great Christmas presents.

Caren

I too, just returned from a trip to Thailand and Cambodia this past Sat., and agree with the others that the Thai puppet dolls, with porcelain heads and jeweled costumes are a GREAT buy, (I waited until Chaing Mai to buy mine in the Night Market, and bought some 6 different ones for 150 baht, approx. US $3). They make wonderful gifts for kids (and also are very colorful and decorative in a display on the wall). I have looked but to date have not seen these puppets at either Pier ONe or Cost Plus, or any other import store. (I'm sure they're out there on the Internet somewhere!). Remember, for wonderful Thai silks and puppets, you need to bargain, bargain, bargain. (In Bangkok, one vendor wanted 900 baht for a puppet!) Make sure to go to JatuJat market on the weekends-huge weekend flea mkt. with some great bargains on beautiful Thai silks-the market is very easy to reach by Skytrain-it's at the end of the line-get off at &quot;MO CHIT&quot; station-cost (I started from Silom Rd. station) was 40 baht.<BR>However I believe the Night Market in Chiang Mai was where I secured the best bargains for the things I was interested in-such as lovely silk pillowcovers, and also, Thai flatware made of brass, with rosewood handles. I went to the bronze factory where the flatware was made, and their prices were almost 50% more than in the Night Market! To me, it was addictive-I was there in the Mkt. every night. If you like bronze Buddha heads, this is also the place to go, as they can be quite pricey in the stores-but very reasonable in the Market. NEVER pay more than 150 baht for a T-shirt-the more you buy, the bigger discount they'll give you, generally speaking.<BR>As for the Jim Thompson store in Bangkok, my friend bought 3 exquisitely lovely silk purses there. I did get there-and I regret that, but then again, it gives me a great excuse to go back again some time in the future!<BR>

stephen

The best buy was seeing The Two Towers/Lord of the Rings in a state of hte art theater with reclining seats for about 2 bucks per person. Next to that was the float-away-to-heaven massage at the Wat Pho temple for about 5 dollars an hour. Gold in Chinatown seemed pretty cheap, too.

bob

it just occrred to me that noone has mentioned that many thai items can be imported into the usa outside of your $800. customs allowance...check with the customs department either here or at the us embassey in bkk...we brought back lots of jewerly totally duty free---it must be 100% thai however,...not thai gold and cambodian stones---must be thai gold and thai stones....i think the program is called GSP, by the us gov't...its not just jewerly, its other items, mainly those without strong us competition--protected products in other words...

Kathie

Gemstones: It always helps to know your stuff before buying gemstones. That's true in Thailand and that's true in the US. I find I can buy excellent quality loose stones for half the wholesale price in the US (that is, one fourth of the retail price). <BR><BR>As far as bringing things back to the US duty-free, the rules are changing constantly. In December, 2002, Thai jewelry was NOT duty free, but loose stones, (as always) were duty free. Ask before you go. Various items at various times are duty free (usually handicrafts are duty free, but every customs agent has a different definition of what is a handicraft). Some nations have &quot;most favored nation status&quot; which makes more of their goods duty-free.

bob

i disagree with the last review...we brought home almost $5000. worth of finished jewerly from thailand on nov 24, 2002 with full approval of the customs service in minneapolis...it must be fully of thai origin...precious and siemi precious stones and gold and silver...

Kathie

That's fascinating, Bob. I brought back lots of Thai jewelry (yes, all Thai) and was charged duty in December at the Seattle port of entry. Rules change, and customs agents knowledge of and enforcement of rules changes as well...

Nikki

I bought a pair of light slippers shaped like a cow - not the usual giant fluffy ones. But I love them, and my nieces wish I'd gotten it for them *grin* I bought Japanese pearl earrings, that I hardly wear but a girl needs a pair. We also bought a CD burner - which my brother in law is happy about. The thing with Bangkok is that if you want it, you truelly can get it - and you can choose if you want the real maccoy or not. The best shopping haven I've ever encountered. Oh, also bought a recycled paper photo album with a carved elephant on the front - now if I could get around to organising the photos we took! Some of which can be found on http://www.gardkarlsen.com/thailand2002.htm