Quote:
Originally Posted by shokdee
Any of you ever traveled in the East? Here in Thailand, as throughout Asia, there are gold shops aplenty, even the smallest town will have a few. At these shops you can buy gold jewelery or bars of various weights. It's an easy, quick transaction. Even more amazing is that these shops have no security: no security bars, no guards, no security cameras - one of the clearest indication you could hope for that this is a low crime environment. Whenever Thai people need some cash they sell a necklace or bracelet. There is NO SHORTAGE here at all. Interestingly enough necklaces can be broken down into individual links and you could use these to pay for small amounts. People know the value of each link. Small rings and bracelets too can be used for minor payments. Much easier then carrying coins around - how do you cut up a coin for a small payment? All this talk about coins really makes me laugh, very impractical system I think.
Silver jewelery is also readily available - either sterling (96%) or Karen hilltribe (99%) purity. You can also go to specialist shops and buy lab grade (99.99%) to your heart's content. Again NO SHORTAGE at all.
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no offense but you cannot compare thailand to america. the average person there doesn't have the means to buy a large amount of gold or silver. the economys are totally different and the expendable wealth for the average person there is about what a homeless person here is. so there is undoubtably no run on precious metals there like there is here.
Namaste'