Where to buy jewelry in Bangkok? Stick to the city's established jewelry districts and to shops that can show a laboratory report for what they sell. The Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand (GIT), the government's gem-testing and standards body, points buyers to four areas: Silom and Surawong for diamonds and fine jewelry, Mahesak for gemstones, Yaowarat in Chinatown for gold, and Charoen Krung for silver. The one purchase to avoid is the one that comes looking for you: a friendly stranger or a driver steering you to a "special" gem sale.
This guide covers each district, how GIT certificates and the Buy With Confidence scheme work, the scam the Tourism Authority of Thailand warns about, and the tax refund rules for jewelry.
Bangkok's jewelry districts
Silom and Surawong: diamonds and fine jewelry
GIT describes the Silom and Surawong roads, in Bangkok's financial district, as lined with hundreds of jewelry shops, along with many of Thailand's leading gem and jewelry exporters. For Surawong, GIT suggests BTS Sala Daeng; for Silom, BTS Chong Nonsi.
Two addresses here are useful to know. The Jewelry Trade Center at 919/1 Silom Road, by Silom Soi 19, is a trade building with retail jewelers, gem dealers, and several independent gem laboratories among its tenants. The GIT itself is also on Silom Road, in the ITF Tower, where its public laboratory tests stones and precious metals.
Mahesak: gemstones
Mahesak Road is Bangkok's gem-trading street, home to many wholesalers and exporters of colored stones. GIT's directions are to take the BTS to Surasak and walk about 10 minutes. Much of the trade here is wholesale, so ask whether a shop sells to individual buyers.
Yaowarat: gold
Yaowarat Road, the main street of Chinatown, is where GIT sends buyers for gold jewelry: necklaces, rings, pendants and brooches in a long run of gold shops. GIT's directions are to take the MRT to Hua Lamphong and continue about 10 minutes by car. Before you buy, ask how the price is calculated, including the gold weight, its purity and any charge for workmanship, and get it in writing. Wat Traimit and the Golden Buddha stand near Hua Lamphong at the edge of Chinatown, and Potong is in the same district if you want dinner nearby.
Charoen Krung: silver
GIT calls Charoen Krung the city's silver street, with both wholesale and retail silver shops. BTS Saphan Taksin is the nearest station.
Malls also have jewelry floors. MBK Center, beside BTS National Stadium, runs a Gold and Jewelry Zone, which is convenient if you are already shopping there. See our Bangkok shopping guide for more.
What a GIT certificate tells you
The GIT Gem Testing Laboratory is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025, is recognized by the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) and is a member of the Laboratory Manual Harmonization Committee. It identifies natural, synthetic and imitation stones, detects treatments, reports on the origin of rubies, sapphires and emeralds, grades diamonds on the 4Cs, and inspects finished jewelry. A separate GIT precious-metal laboratory has tested and hallmarked gold, platinum and silver since 2003.
Keep three things in mind:
- A report describes a stone; it does not guarantee a price. As the Tourism Authority of Thailand puts it, no laboratory certifies a stone, it only reports on it.
- The report should be recent and should match the piece. Check the weight, measurements and description against the stone in front of you. GIT offers an online report verification service.
- You can test before you commit. For a significant purchase, ask the seller to agree that the sale depends on an independent report, from GIT or another recognized laboratory, and have it tested before paying in full.
Look for the Buy With Confidence sign
GIT runs the Buy With Confidence (BWC) scheme, launched in April 2018 with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Office of the Consumer Protection Board, the Department of Tourism and the Tourist Police. Member shops display a BWC sticker at the entrance with a QR code that shows the shop's details. Pieces sold under the scheme carry a BWC tag with a QR code that links to the item's GIT quality report, and you can ask to see the original report in the shop. If a dispute arises with a member shop, GIT directs buyers to the Office of the Consumer Protection Board hotline, 1166, and the Department of Internal Trade, 1569.
The gem scam: how it works and how to avoid it
The Tourism Authority of Thailand's advice on buying gems is blunt. Street touts who say a nearby gem shop has a deal that will make you rich are, in its words, almost always running a scam. The pattern usually looks like this:
- A well-dressed stranger, sometimes claiming to be a government official, strikes up a conversation near a major sight, often the Grand Palace, and may say it is closed today.
- A tuk-tuk or taxi is offered cheaply to a temple, a "government" export sale or a one-day promotion.
- The shop presses you to buy loose stones quickly, often with the promise that you can resell them for a large profit at home.
TAT's rules for avoiding it:
- Don't deal with strangers or drivers who promise special gem deals.
- Never buy gems as an investment to resell at home.
- Research the stone and its fair price before you shop, and walk away if the price seems too good to be true.
- Don't let anyone hurry you.
- Get a written receipt that states the type of stone, color, weight, size, cut and quality.
- Look at the stone in daylight, even if the shop has a daylight lamp.
- For larger pieces, ask for a recent report from GIT or another established laboratory.
If something goes wrong, call the Tourist Police on 1155.
VAT refunds on jewelry
Visitors can reclaim Thailand's VAT on jewelry they take home, with some rules specific to jewelry. The Revenue Department says gemstones without settings are not eligible for the refund, so loose stones don't qualify. Jewelry, gold ornaments and watches worth 10,000 baht or more per item must travel in your hand luggage and be shown again at the VAT Refund for Tourists office after immigration. The general rules also apply: buy from a shop displaying the VAT Refund for Tourists sign, spend at least 2,000 baht there in one day, ask for the P.P.10 form and tax invoices, and have them stamped by Customs at the airport before check-in.
Sources: GIT Buy With Confidence: jewelry districts, GIT Buy With Confidence: about, GIT Gem Testing Laboratory, GIT Precious Metals Laboratory, Tourism Authority of Thailand: buying gems and jewellery, Tourism Authority of Thailand: Buy With Confidence, Jewelry Trade Center, Revenue Department, MBK Center. Checked September 26, 2026.
The Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand points buyers to Silom and Surawong for diamonds and fine jewelry, Mahesak for gemstones, Yaowarat in Chinatown for gold and Charoen Krung for silver. Choose shops that can show a recent laboratory report.
A report from the Gem Testing Laboratory of the Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand, a government public organization. It identifies the stone, notes treatments and, for diamonds, grades the 4Cs. It describes the stone; it does not set a price.
In the ITF Tower on Silom Road, Suriyawong, Bang Rak, Bangkok 10500. The gem lab is on the 4th floor and is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed on weekends and public holidays. Call 0 2634 4999 (gem testing ext. 409).
A GIT program launched in April 2018 with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Office of the Consumer Protection Board, the Department of Tourism and the Tourist Police. Member shops show a BWC sticker, and certified pieces carry a BWC tag with a QR code linking to the GIT report.
Ignore strangers or drivers offering special gem deals or government sales, never buy stones to resell at home, do not be rushed, get a detailed written receipt, and ask for a recent lab report on larger pieces. Call the Tourist Police on 1155 if you need help.
For shops in the Buy With Confidence scheme, GIT lists the Office of the Consumer Protection Board hotline, 1166, and the Department of Internal Trade, 1569. The Tourist Police answer on 1155.
Yes, on set jewelry from shops displaying the VAT Refund for Tourists sign, if you spend at least 2,000 baht in one store in one day. Loose gemstones without settings are not eligible. Items worth 10,000 baht or more must be hand-carried and shown at the VAT refund office after immigration.
