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Wednesday, 25th February 2004 (9886 views)

A massive gems and fine jewellery fair has opened in Thailand, with an estimated 50,000 exhibitors and visitors due to attend.<BR/><BR/>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.<BR/><BR/>The event, held at the Impact Exhibition and Convention Centre, saw “a good turnout in both the morning and afternoon”, The Nation reports.<BR/><BR/>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. <BR/><BR/>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.”<BR/> <BR/>“But a more important one is that Thailand has a wonderful history of high craftsmanship and skilled artistry,” he added.<BR/><BR/>“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.”<BR/><BR/>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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