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In Thailand, Those Seeking a Golden Glow Rush to the Spa

As Price of Precious Metal Rises, So Does Demand for Gold Facials; 'It Tickles a Bit'

BANGKOK—Wealthy people have long done peculiar things with gold, mostly just to show that they can.

During Japan's boom years, bankers stirred gold flakes into their cappuccinos, while later American rapper Nelly spun rhymes about hip-hop stars replacing their teeth with gold "grillz." The enemies of Roman general Marcus Licinius Crassus, meanwhile, reputedly finished him off by pouring molten gold down his throat as punishment for his seemingly unquenchable thirst for wealth and power.