Asian love for Leica gear continues unabated. A Hong Kong businessman paid the equivalent of nearly 667,000 US-dollars for a golden Leica special edition at a recent auction in Bangkok, Thailand.

For another green version of the special edition combo the businessman forked out further 133’000 dollars, for the total sum of 30 million Thai baht. That’s a proud price for two limited Leica editions that commemorate the coronation of the kingdom’s monarch.

A total of exactly 800,000 dollars at the current exchange rate, that’s the probably highest price ever paid for a set of brand new Leica cameras.

The proud new owner gets a gold-plated Leica M10-P with yellow crocodile leather and matching exquisite fast Leica glass, plus a slightly trimmed down combo with green leather and one lens.

Altogether the auction of 21 royal limited edition M10-P cameras raised 214 million baht, approximately 5,7 million dollars. Proceeds from the auction were almost three times higher than the organizers’ target of 80 million baht, reports the Bangkok Post. All proceeds go to charity.

Terence Cheung, the deep-pocketed Hong Kong businessman, did not quibble with a price that seems obscene for mere mortals. Cheung told the newspaper: “I came to join the action because these cameras are unique with a special edition and I can’t buy them from outside Thailand and importantly, it is for charity and I’m happy to donate.”