#  >  > Travellers Tales in Thailand and Asia >  >  > Vietnam, Nepal and Burma  Travel Forum >  >  Colonial Antiques in Thailand /Burma

## Little Chuchok

Well,close.Not quite Antiques,but older then me....est between 60 and 80 years old.

In the process of sending a container of these sorts of things to NZ for a mate of mine.All of these came out of Burma and are made of Teak.I suppose we should thank the Brits for something....

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## RDN

Very nice. Got any prices that you paid for this stuff?

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## Little Chuchok

THB20000
THB32000
THB18000
THB35000

From top to bottom.

Bit of a guess,but should be close as I haven't got the paperwork handy.

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## danbo

I like the bureau, that'll be lovely after a clean up....Not sure about the chest of drawers, looks like a triple decker coffin.

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## RDN

> I like the bureau, that'll be lovely after a clean up...


Yes, I was thinking that - all for 500 nicker. Can't be bad.

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## kingwilly

bladdy great prices, they come up tops, and if u dont like a piece = wont be hard to sell it for 2 -3 times the price u paid

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## mrsquirrel

My old man does up furniture and antiques.

Makes a good living off Ebay these days.

Before that he used to sell at antique fares as a hobby.

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## Little Chuchok



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## Lily

Did you go to Burma or did you buy them from a dealer in Chiang Mai.

At those prices though, they arent going to make much in NZ.

May be cheap for the UK but not in the Kiwi dollar.

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## Dougal

> Not sure about the chest of drawers, looks like a triple decker coffin.


That is called a 'campaign chest' and was designed to enable easy moving from one place to the next i.e. an army on campaign. They are usually made with brass corners.

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## Little Chuchok

I would say almost impossible for a farang to buy these in Burma and ship them out.Bought from a dealer here.Even by NZ standards,they are priced quite well.Most of the antique dealers in NZ buy from the UK anyway.

Interestingly is that stuff like tis is for sale in the USA.Asking price can be up to 5-6 times what we paid here.

All the dealers are complaing like hell though about getting things across the border here.Used to be it was all under the table.Now everybody is asking for receipts etc and they all have their hands out.So they are paying official duties/taxes etc plus the under table stuff.

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## Jarvis

^^^That wardrobe on the right looks the business - how much was that LC?

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## Little Chuchok

This one Jarv?This is an art-deco jobbie.Fucking huge.It's close to 8'wide.You could open a bar in there.About 45k off memory,but I'm not sure

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## Jarvis

Thats the one LC, a right beut innit

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## Little Chuchok

^Yep,it's the knees alright.Saw an even bigger one,(but not in great nik) for 85K.

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## mrsquirrel

what are the rules on fumigating before they enter the country?

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## Little Chuchok

Rules into NZ are quite tough.In saying that,Teak is one of the woods that is not high on the priority list as it is resistant to most critters.The container is normally fumigated with Methyl bromide anyway.Cost approx THB1500.Cheap really.If MAF officials find something though (Very unlikley,as Methyl Bromide is nasty,nasty stuff) they will justwant it redone in NZ at a cost of THB4000!!!

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## Thetyim

I like that bureau.

Take a very close look at it because some had secret compartments.
Well the one my parents got back in the UK has anyway.
If it is has a secret then the value will rocket

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## mrsquirrel

My father has a few nice roll tops at home. Some have secret compartments some don't

I would love to show him those photos but I don't think he would benefit from finding out about teak door

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## Pimp of the LOS

True, he'd most likely have a fit!

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## Little Chuchok

> My father has a few nice roll tops at home. Some have secret compartments some don't
> 
> I would love to show him those photos but I don't think he would benefit from finding out about teak door


Are they worth much in the UK?

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## mrsquirrel

Fixed up yes

He enjoys fixing them up.

I have many good memories of him annoying my mother by his absent mindedness during his restoring projects.

My mother and I were watching TV one night when we heard the microwave pinging away. After a good 5 minutes of it my mum was getting agitated and wanted to know what my father was doing.

I went through to the kitchen to find him frantically scrubbing the microwave inside and telling me to stall mum. It was too late though, she knew that something was up and came into the kitchen.

My old man had been trying to soften a block of wax for making a mold of some cornicing on the one of his projects (maybe a picture fram or a wardrobe) not 100&#37; sure how but he managed to explode the block of wax inside the microwave.

Mum was furious and made him buy a new one. It just wouldn't clean.

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## Lily

If anyone is interested, there is a shop on Ekkamai at the front of the nursery that has always been there and next to the new Big C, that is full of that stuff. 

Prices seem to be around about the same.

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## dirtydog

Here is one of mine, an antique suitcase I believe, I got quite a few bits and pieces that I was going to renovate, just never bothered getting round to it  :Sad:

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## Little Chuchok

There are lots a bit like that up here.Is there anything inside.ie:Is it like a glorybox?

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## dirtydog

Glasses I believe, plus some brass stuff.

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## Lily

^I think that may have been a tea box.

You really should do them up DD. It is a great hobby. Most of my furniture at home is old stuff that I have rubbed back and refinished.

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## RDN

LC, there are lot of furniture shops in Phuket with stuff like this, but they've usually been "restored" and they are asking silly prices - probably because the farangs like 'em. You might find a bargain or two though, but probably best to stay away from farang enclaves.  :Smile:

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## DrAndy

> I would say almost impossible for a farang to buy these in Burma and ship them out.Bought from a dealer here.


where was the dealer LC? or is that a trade secret

looks like from Lampang

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## Little Chuchok

Not far away at all Dr A.just in Ban Tawai/Hang Dong.I'll PM you the details.

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## danbo

^^Nice case DD, lovely wood grain pattern.  Can I have it?  I don't want to pay for it I want you to give it to me.


LC, what are the shipping costs to NZ?  And how do such large items get there from CM? - I'd imagine it to be a nightmare of logistics and paperwork.

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## Little Chuchok

shipping is quite easy,but expensive.Have to get MT containers from BKK .

Rate to nz is really cheap from BKK,around US$450/20' plus a few add ons.BKK -CNX -BKK is around THB45,000.That does include local pick up of goods,packaging,fumigation and tea money to customs.

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## danbo

Good luck with it - I'd like to see a picture of that bureau in all its glory if one comes your way in the future.

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## Little Chuchok

I was out there yesterday and the bloke told me that they are quite rare.He gets about two a year if he's lucky.Don't really know if he was bullshitting or not.

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## DrAndy

I love all that old stuff, but I feel like cheating if I just go to a dealer

It is a lot more fun to go to some more remote areas and walk around, get chatting and find out if anyone wants to sell something. well, my wifey will do the chatting. 

I am always amazed at how cheeky she can be, asking the owner if they want to sell a chair or box etc

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## dirtydog

I have loads of brass stuff, I doubt if it is antique and I can never be bothered polishing it, so yes they are generally just kept in cupboards, heres a plate, wouldn't eat off of it though.

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## dirtydog

Nice set of brass scales with a few years worth of dirt on them.

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## sledge

I lived 3 years in Burma. There's amazing antiques there alright, that is furniture, buddhas and things stolen from temples. Alot of fakes  as well though that they weather in the elements or bury in the ground for a couple of years then sell onto farangs as antiques. Very hard to get Buddha images out but other things seemed to be ok. Alot of paper work crap and paying off the right arsehole military offical.

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## Spin

Oh, i thought this was a thread about Blackgang.

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