How silver is priced in Thailand
Thai bullion shops usually quote silver bars per kilogram (บาท/กิโลกรัม), and some also quote per baht weight or per gram. Each quote has a sell-out price (ขายออก) and a buy-in price (รับซื้อ). The figures on this page are the international silver spot price converted into baht at the live exchange rate. They show the value of the metal before VAT, dealer spreads and casting or stamping fees, so a shop will sell above these numbers and buy back below them.
VAT on silver in Thailand
Silver is treated very differently from gold in Thailand. Gold bullion carries no VAT, but silver bars, silver grain and silver jewellery are ordinary goods, so value added tax applies. The statutory rate is 10%, but a reduced 7% rate has been extended by Royal Decree No. 807 for the period 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027. Shops do not all show VAT the same way. Some show the sell-out price before VAT and add it at the till, often with a separate stamping fee (ค่าปั๊ม), while others display prices with VAT already included. Check which kind of price you are looking at before comparing shops.
How silver is priced locally
For gold, the Gold Traders Association sets a daily reference price. Silver has no official reference price. Each dealer calculates its own price from the US dollar spot price per troy ounce and the baht exchange rate, and updates it during trading hours. As a result, prices for the same 1 kg bar can differ noticeably between Yaowarat shops, bullion companies and online sellers. The gap between sell-out and buy-in prices is also wider than for gold. Many shops buy back old silver and scrap per gram, priced by percentage purity, and pay a separate buy-back rate for silver jewellery (เงินรูปพรรณ).
Purity: 99.99%, 999 and 92.5
Investment silver in Thailand is sold as bars and grain marked 99.99% or 999. The 1 kg bar is the standard, with smaller bars sold by gram weight or in baht-weight sizes. Jewellery is usually sterling silver, described in Thai as เงิน 92.5 (92.5% silver). The purity setting in the calculator above lets you value 92.5 jewellery correctly. Silver-plated items and low-grade alloys have little melt value, so when you sell, expect the shop to test the metal and pay according to its measured purity.
Silver traditions and buying tips
Thailand has a long silversmithing tradition. The best-known example is Chiang Mai's Wua Lai community, whose artisans worked on the silver-clad main hall of Wat Sri Suphan, the "Silver Temple". Today many buyers also hold 1 kg bars as a cheaper alternative to gold. Silver is bulky, it attracts VAT and its spread is wide, so prices need to rise meaningfully before a buyer breaks even. When buying, confirm the purity, the VAT treatment, any stamping fee and the shop's buy-back policy.
Tax and duty information last reviewed October 2026. Rules change — confirm with your dealer or tax authority before a large purchase.