 | Bangkok Jewellery and Gem Scams. Reviews | Tips 1 - 10 of 23 |  |
 | |  |  | Jewellery and Gem Scams.: Wat Phra Keow is never closed !!! | Tip Rating:    |  |  | |  |
When it comes to precious stones, there is no such thing as a discount. In this industry, what you pay is what you will get. These scam artists will try to convince you otherwise. They commonly operate at these places: 1. The Grand Palace entrance 2. Wat Pho 3. Wat Saket 4. Lately, Wat Paknam What they will tell you: 1. The Grand Palace is closed for a festival. 2. There is a gemstone DISCOUNT only for FOREIGNERS at the Gemstone Export Centre (a non-existent entity) and it's the last day for discounts. 3. The Grand Palace will be opened later, but because we're palace officials, "Take this tuktuk for a day tour at "other tourist attractions and the Export Centre" and the tuk tuk bring you back when the palace opens in 3 hours." 4. The gemstones could be sold to a jeweller in your country of origin for a tidy profit. You will then be met by a so called expatriate Thai (another scam artist buddy) at another location where the tuk tuk has taken you and you'll be told exactly the above. He'll then show you a receipt from a dodgy thai jeweller (where you are to go soon) for a large carat blue sapphire at a reasonable price. He'll often quote big name jewellers from your home country eg. Mappin & Webb, Aspreys, Tiffany's, Soo Kee etc. where he's "sold" his sapphire which paid for his European / American / Singapore holiday. The scam is indeed a very elaborate and well planned endeavor to fleece alot of money off you. Many who've bought from these scam jewellery shops will find out back home that instead of buying something they were told to be undervalued, are after all genuine but low grade corundrum (the scientific name of sapphire and ruby) that have been treated with beryllium (a technique developed by the Thais themselves) to ARTIFICIALLY enhance or change its original colour, rending them undesirable and unsaleable to a jeweller. Refunds are often hard to arrange and even if successful, you will only get 80% of what you've paid plus sleepless nights and days off from work. Continued... Website: angkor.com/2bangkok/2bangkok/Scams/Sapphire.shtml Other Contact: Tourism Authority of Thailand
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