Gold rate today in Bangkok

What gold costs in Bangkok today

The international price puts a gram of 24k gold in Bangkok at roughly 4,393 THB today, with 22k at about 4,027 THB. Per 10 grams, a common size for small bars and rate boards, that is about 43,927 THB for 24k. These are spot-based figures, before any tax, premium or making charge. Bangkok shops sell 96.5% gold by the baht-weight of 15.244 grams for bars and 15.16 grams for ornaments at the Gold Traders Association's announced prices, and VAT on ornaments is charged only on the price above the association's buy-back price.

What moves the gold price in Bangkok

Everything on a Bangkok rate board starts from the same place: the dollar price of gold (about $4,072.1 an ounce today) converted at the USD/THB rate of 33.552. The baht floats, managed by the Bank of Thailand, and it often strengthens when the dollar weakens, which can dampen gold rallies for Thai buyers.

The dollar price itself responds to US interest-rate expectations, the strength of the dollar, inflation data, central-bank buying and geopolitical risk. Our guide to what moves gold prices covers each in turn.

Premiums, making charges and tax in Bangkok

The shelf price in Bangkok is higher than the converted figure above. A shop adds VAT on ornaments, charged only on the price above the association's buy-back price (unworked gold of at least 96.5% is VAT-exempt), and the shop's margin. On jewellery, making charges are added per piece on top of the ornament gold rate, so two pieces of the same weight and purity can carry very different prices. The standard Thai purity is 96.5% gold, sold by the baht-weight of 15.244 grams for bars and 15.16 grams for ornaments.

Where gold is bought in Bangkok

Yaowarat, Bangkok's Chinatown, is the centre of Thailand's gold industry, and gold shops are found in malls and markets across the city. When comparing shops, ask for the gold rate per gram, the purity, the making charge and the buy-back price separately; that is the only way to see which offer is really cheaper.

Buying seasons in Bangkok

Gold is a popular gift for newborns and weddings, and Chinese New Year brings buyers too, though many families now give cash in red envelopes instead. Across Thailand, demand is strongest around weddings, births and Chinese New Year. Seasonal demand tends to show up in shop premiums, promotions and queues rather than in the international price, which is set by global flows. Knowing the calendar helps explain why a local quote can look expensive or cheap against this page in a given week.

Gold market hours in Bangkok

The international gold market trades almost around the clock on weekdays. In Bangkok the London–New York overlap, usually the busiest and most volatile part of the day, runs today from about 20:00–00:00 local time. The two LBMA Gold Price auctions in London, at 10:30 and 15:00 London time, fall at 17:30 and 22:00 in Bangkok, and major US data released at 08:30 New York time, such as payrolls and inflation, lands at 20:30 local time. The week's trading closes at 05:00 on Saturday and reopens at 06:00 on Monday, Bangkok time; over the weekend the price on this page is the last close. The Gold Traders Association announces bar and ornament prices, and the Thailand Futures Exchange lists gold futures on 96.5% gold. Our gold market hours tool shows the sessions in any time zone.

Bangkok compared with Singapore

It is natural to compare Singapore with the price at home. On the converted spot price neither city is cheaper: Singapore quotes about 167.82 SGD per gram of 24k, which is the same $130.92 per gram as Bangkok's 4,393 THB. What differs is what each market adds. In Bangkok that is VAT on ornaments, charged only on the price above the association's buy-back price (unworked gold of at least 96.5% is VAT-exempt), and the shop's margin; in Singapore it is 9% GST on jewellery (investment bars of at least 99.5% from recognised refiners, and listed bullion coins, have been GST-free since 2012), workmanship charges and the dealer's margin. Buying abroad also means paying an exchange margin and checking the customs allowance at home.

How this THB gold price is calculated

Three numbers decide everything on this page. First, the international gold price in US dollars per troy ounce: $4,072.1 at the last update. Second, the exchange rate: 1 USD = 33.552 THB. Third, the weight: one troy ounce is 31.1035 grams, and one tola is 11.6638 grams.

1. Price per gram in USD = $4,072.1 ÷ 31.1035 = $130.92.
2. Price per gram in THB = $130.92 × 33.552 = 4,393 THB (24k, pure gold).
3. Price per 10 grams = 4,393 × 10 = 43,927 THB.
4. For a lower purity, multiply by the fineness: 22k = 0.9167, 21k = 0.875, 18k = 0.75.

The gold price is the spot price of gold (XAUUSD) from a public real-time feed, refreshed every few seconds while the page is open; the 7-day table and the 30-session chart use COMEX gold futures closes, which usually sit a few dollars above spot. The exchange rate is a mid-market rate; the rate your bank or money changer gives you will be slightly different. If you want to do the maths yourself, our guide to converting the gold price per gram, tola and kilo walks through every step with worked examples.

What this price does not include

The figures above are the international spot price converted into local currency. They are the starting point for every retail price in Bangkok, but they are not the price you will pay or receive at a shop. The shop price adds some or all of these on top:

• Import duty or customs charges, where gold or jewellery is imported.
• Sales tax or VAT, where the country charges one. Many countries tax jewellery but not investment bars; the sections above say what applies here.
• Dealer premium: the margin a bullion dealer or bank adds to the spot price for bars and coins, usually larger on small pieces.
• Making charges (labour) on jewellery, often a percentage of the gold value or a fixed amount per gram.
• Local supply and demand, which can push the physical price to a premium or a discount against the international price for weeks at a time.

When you sell, the buyer usually quotes below the spot-based number and deducts for purity testing, wear and sometimes stones. The gap between the buying and the selling price is the real cost of owning physical gold, and it varies a lot between shops, so it is worth asking several.

Frequently asked questions