Luangta Maha Boowa Thailand and Gold

There was an article in one of Thailand's Nearly English Language Newspapers today about the gold Luangta had collected for the Thai Government following the 1997 crash. As he well knew the buggers would be trying to get their grubby hands on it.
Well a real newspaper with real journalists might have given you abit more information about that 13 tonnes of gold.
Not too worry some of us old expats do a bit more than sit around and drink all day. My friend "Khon Kaen Retirement Larry" did a bit of math for us.

13 metric tons = 458561 oz (rounded down from 458561.507)
Gold in December 1997 was $290/oz.
Gold in December 2011 is $1600/oz.

1997 = $132,982,690 or  3,989,480,700 Baht
2011 = $733,697,600 or 22,010,928,000 Baht

There are also long tons and short tons but I just used on.
Nice little profit sitting there.
Keep the money where it belongs.
Luang Ta Mahabua, who demanded the country's reserves be permanently safeguarded from potential manipulation or use by the authorities.
And he is not dead quite a year yet and they are already after it.