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Buying Gemstones in Thailand

Tuk-Tuk Taxi in Bangkok Thailand is well known as one of the most important trading centers in the world for colored gemstones. So it is not surprising that many visitors to Thailand - over 12 million tourists per year - are interested in buying Thai gems. But it's not as easy as it sounds. In fact many tourists fall prey to unscrupulous con men in an infamous swindle sometimes known as Thai Gem Scam.

Here's how it works. A tourist sets out to visit one of the well-known tourist attractions in Bangkok, such as the Grand Palace or Wat Phra Keow, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Upon arriving in the area, the tourist will be approached by a friendly well dressed Thai, perhaps a student, who speaks good English. He informs the tourist that unfortunately the attraction he wants to see is closed today because of a special holiday, but there is a tuk-tuk (auto rickshaw) that will take him to a special temple that few tourists have a chance to see.

Upon arriving at the temple, the tourist meets another friendly Thai who strikes up a conversation. In the course of the conversation the tourist is informed about a special government program that allows foreigners to buy gemstones and jewelry tax free and make a profit on the items when they are shipped back home. However, he also mentions that today is the last day of the program.

The unsuspecting tourist who falls for this story is taken to a gems shop where he is pressured to buy stones or jewelry which, he is assured, are of the finest quality. The shop owner insists on cash payment but provides the extra service of packaging up the goods and mailing them to the tourist's home address.

Grand Palace in Bangkok / Thailand Once he returns home, he discovers the gems are synthetic or of inferior quality, worth far less than he paid. At this point there is little he can do.

Tourist scams are an unfortunate fact of life in many places in the developing world. You can protect yourself by being skeptical when faced with improbable stories about special promotions. Additionally, high pressure sales tactics are always a warning sign. Never pay cash for valuable items - credit cards and electronic payment methods such as PayPal provide an important measure of consumer protection.

Probably the most important thing is to buy from a dealer who has a reputation for honest business. That can be difficult to do when you're a stranger in town, but you can do research on the Internet before you leave home. A number of well known gem dealers sell over the Internet and in fact you can find the same prices online as you'll find in Thailand, with much less risk.

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Overall Rating -> 9

Me parece que la pagina es muy accesible para la compra y el pago ; solo tengoUna oportunidad de mejora seria que exista la opcion de recoger el pedido directamente en la sucursal de mensajeria porque en ocasiones casi siempre estamos fuera de casa. en general todo muy bien por el momento.Otra opcion de mejora es que existieran cupones de descuento y ofertas especiales , ya que una amiga y yo compramos frecuentemente gemmas para uso personal y a ella le comentaron que no tenian ningun descuento como cliente frecuente , esto lo pregunto previo a hacer este pedido .gracias !

Posted By CINLU in June, 2022

Source: Bizrate

Overall Rating -> 10

Easy to navigate.

Posted By Lainey in January, 2023

Source: Bizrate

Overall Rating -> 10

After working with and polishing low-grade, rough fire-agate, only to be disappointed, this shop was nirvana. The costs of some gems might seem high, but I have easily spent the same amount rough polishing lousy material only to get a few hints of fire. If you want Fire-agates, BUY the agates you want. These are excellent specimens and are worth considering.

Posted By Jim in October, 2022

Source: Bizrate

Overall Rating -> 8

order arrieved earlier than expected. item was as advertised.

Posted By Amerhyst in November, 2022

Source: Bizrate

Overall Rating -> 10

I have been looking for a good place to buy gem stones for my girlfriends engagement ring and this site has stones I didn't even know existed. They have all the stones I need to bring her ring to life.

Posted By Sean T in February, 2023

Source: Bizrate

Overall Rating -> 10

Excellent. Very intuitive and easy to navigate.

Posted By Kiki in March, 2022

Source: Bizrate

Overall Rating -> 10

Easy survey, to the point and thoughtfully done.

Posted By WystyE in March, 2023

Source: Bizrate

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