efficient synthesis from p-substituted acetophenones. Alkylation of heterocycles 6–10 in the form of their potassium or tetraalkylammonium salts 11–15 affords N-alkoxy-4-arylthiazole-2(3H)-thiones 16–20 in good to satisfactory yields. The hitherto unknown thiones 16–20 have been subjected to a detailed structural investigation (NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography) and furthermore to a mechanistic