Wednesday, 25th February 2004 (5644 views)

A massive gems and fine jewellery fair has opened in Thailand, with an estimated 50,000 exhibitors and visitors due to attend.

The Bangkok Gems and Jewellery Fair 2004 is the largest show of its kind in Asia by floor space, covering twice the area of last year.

The event, held at the Impact Exhibition and Convention Centre, saw “a good turnout in both the morning and afternoon”, The Nation reports.

The Thai government and private sector is spending Bt5 billion (£68 million) on developing the fine jewellery industry, which will reportedly require about 50,000 more employees by 2007.

Asked about the benefits of using Thailand as an operations base, CB Fine Jewelry president Carl Blackburn told The Nation: “Easy access to high quality gemstones and precious metals are among the reasons we have based our manufacturing here.”

“But a more important one is that Thailand has a wonderful history of high craftsmanship and skilled artistry,” he added.

“There are no duties on importing facilities, and raw materials, and Thais are very used to dealing with people from all over the world, and speaking many languages.”

Gold has long been a feature of Thai jewellery, particularly as it adorns so much of the country's cultural and religious heritage.

 

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