Issue 35

The 56th Bangkok Gems and Jewelry Fair (BGJF) looks set to cement Thailand’s position at the forefront of the region’s gem and jewelry trade.

To confirm its position as ASEAN’s capital of gems and jewelry, Thailand will host the 56th Bangkok Gems and Jewelry Fair (BGJF) under the theme Thailand The AEC Gems and Jewelry Capital from September 10 to 15 at the IMPACT Arena, Muang Thong Thani.

Expected to attract over 30,000 visitors from 125 countries, the 56th BGJF will feature 2,313 booths and 802 exhibitors – 688 local and 144 overseas. Visitors will find the most comprehensive selection of gems and jewelry, raw materials and machinery gathered all in one place.

The fair is also a great chance for both buyers and visitors to join the fun and bid for gems and jewelry at the world-class auction, a first time event at BGJF. In addition, foreign exhibitors will be allowed to bring in and sell gems and jewelry from other countries duty-free, while local exhibitors can reduce their selling price due to the lower cost of imported parts and products. Thus, both local and foreign buyers can take advantage of the 20% savings, giving them additional purchasing power.

Another tax-free initiative at BGJF is the Zero VAT Pavilion, where buyers are exempted from the 7% value-added tax imposed on rough gems and raw materials imported into Thailand for manufacturing.

Additional highlights of the event include the design pavilion, gems and jewelry outlets, Ploi Thai jewelry creation, online sourcing projects and business matching.

Somchai Phornchindarak, president of the Thai Gem and Jewelry Traders Association (TGJTA) and chair of the Gems, Jewelry and Precious Metal Confederation of Thailand, has praised the efforts of the government. “It has been working closely with related agencies to promote exports as well as developing overseas markets via trade fairs, road shows and exceptional exhibitions,” he said.

Phornchindarak added that the strength of the industry is built on many factors, including excellent designs, reputed quality, premier craftsmanship and state-of-the-art technology and the best possible support services.

Suttipong Damrongsakul, CEO of the BGJF Organising Committee, said the fair would drive Thailand to become the “golden gateway to the gems and jewelry industry of ASEAN, a region burgeoning with a 600-million population.”

For more information, visit: www.bangkokgemsfair.com , http://www.thaigemjewelry.or.th , www.ditp.go.th

Words by: Manisa Phromsiripranee

Issue 33

If you thought that Thai rice is just a staple, think again. Horizon Thailand talks to a bakery chef about his inspiration to use Thai rice in his sweet creations.

“Rice has always been the staple food of the Thai people, and it … is at the essence of Thai life,” says Manop Bunnak, or ‘Chef Ken’. However, the bakery chef of The Artpiece, Bangkok believes that rice has a sweet potential beyond its traditional filling role.

According to Chef Ken, creating a special cake requires more than simply following a recipe. “It’s not just mixing flour, eggs, butter and milk together,” he says. “Knowing the ingredients is most important. To adapt Thai rice into bakery, we should know its characteristic and properties. For example, our Thai rice has a sweet taste and fragrance while Japanese rice is salty and sticky.”

After quitting his job as an Art Director for an advertising company, Chef Ken went to Le Cordon Bleu culinary art school in Tokyo to discover how to bake.

“I learned not only the ingredients and how to make a good cake, but … how the Japanese put their culture in their cake, and how everyone can recognise its uniqueness. I just wanted to know how they adapt the Western cake to be their own style,” he says.

He uses Thai Hom Mali rice, rice berry, Hom Nin rice, black sticky rice and brown rice milk in his cakes. “Now we have three different styles of cakes – a Mont Blanc with black sticky rice and chestnut, a brownie with Hom Nin rice, and black sticky rice with chocolate,” he says. “The taste and texture of the rice creates the uniqueness of each piece.”

Chef Ken believes that it is the responsibility of all Thais to realise the potential of their key grain. “It should start from the Thai people ourselves,” he says. “We should believe that our Thai rice has various possibilities on the global market. What we need to focus more on, is creativity and technique.”

In the future, Chef Ken hopes to educate the Thai people about their rice.

“My plan is to have a class teaching the basic knowledge of the ingredients, the way of thinking when you plan to make your cake, how to decorate, how to adapt the recipe from the ingredients you have,” he says. “Making cake is like bringing art and culinary skills together. I just want to encourage all food designers, restaurants, chefs or anyone who is interested in food to use their creativity.”

Words by Natthinee Ratanapradsidhi

Issue 34

As Thailand’s tradeshows start to heat up, August proved an important month for those wishing to stay cool.

Regarded as one of the top five refrigeration, heating, ventilation and air conditioning trade events, RHVAC 2015 was held at BITEC Bangna Bangkok in August. It coincided with Bangkok Electric & Electronics 2015, an exhibition of the latest Thai electric and electronic goods at the same venue. The trade days for both events were held from August 13 to 15, with August 16 open to the public. 

Bangkok RHVAC featured 750 show booths representing 180 companies from Thailand and other countries including China, South Korea, Singapore, Germany and Malaysia. Bangkok E&E showcased the latest energy-saving innovations and eco-friendly technologies from Thailand and other leading producing countries such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Malaysia, India, USA and Europe.

DITP Director-General Nuntawan Sakuntanaga deemed the events a success. “Advertisements such as email direct marking on websites of related organisations worldwide and banners on both domestic and international websites have captured the interests of participants and visitors,” she said. “The events were held to cater to the growing Asian and international markets, particularly in terms of the upcoming ASEAN Economic Community.”

According to Jintana Sirisantana, president of the Air conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Club, part of the Federation of Thai Industries, in 2014 the country’s air conditioning and refrigeration industry expanded domestically by 6-7% from the previous year, to a total sales volume of 1.5 million units. In addition, exports of air conditioners, refrigerators and parts expanded by 9%.

“Thailand has a competitive edge with a strong supply chain as we can produce air conditioners with as high as 80-90% local content,” said Sirisantana. “Important materials such as copper tube and wire, aluminum fin and parts, including compressors, motors, condenser coils and fans are all locally produced.”

RHVAC also featured attractive activities, including an Innovation Product Showcase of local products with the potential to enter the international market, technical seminars, product presentations and prize giveaways.

As for E&E 2015, Visanu Limviboon, president of Electrical, Electronics and Telecommunications Industry Club, also part of the Federation of Thai Industries, said that Thailand’s main strength lies in its universality.

“We can produce any new innovative products for the world’s leading brand and we are also the production base of many well-known brands such as Sharp, Toshiba, Hitachi and Mitsubishi,” he said. “We have established THAICO, a joint venture of members in the [Electronics and Telecommunications Industry] club, with an aim to develop manufacturers of electrical and electronic products in Thailand. The THAICO brand can also be used as a marketing channel for SMEs, who can produce goods but are unable to afford the high cost of marketing activities.”

For more information, visit www.bangkok-rhvac.com, www.bangkok-electricfair.com, www.ditp.go.th

Words by: Manisa Phromsiripranee 

Issue 32

At the Greater Mekong Investment Forum in Bangkok, experts agreed that Thailand had a unique opportunity to secure its place at the centre of the sub-region.

“This is a lifetime opportunity for Thailand to capitalise on and to transform itself,” said Kamalkant Agarwal, in a debate on the opportunity that the Greater Mekong Sub-region presented the country with the advent of the ASEAN Economic Community at the end of 2015.

“It [Thailand] needs to transition, as its wages costs go up, from being less low-cost manufacturing to higher value added and becoming more of a service-type economy,” the Head of International Banking Business, Siam Commercial Bank, added. “And I think that the CMLV (Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam) platform offers exactly that to Thailand.”  

The discussion was part of a series of panel debates about the region with specific focus on the so-called CMLV countries at the fourth Euromoney Greater Mekong Investment Forum held on May 28.

Kobsak Pootrakool, Executive Vice President, International Banking Group of Bangkok Bank, stated that many of his clients had already realised the growing opportunity the region presented as it continued to open up. “They can not stay in Thailand alone, they have to go out and catch the opportunities and then bring [them] back,” he said at the debate before comparing the sub-region to a highway. “The road is finished, the gateway is opening up … and the traffic is there.”

The expert panel that included HE Sorasak Pan, the Cambodian Secretary of State for Commerce, Boonchai Opas-iam-likit, Chairman and Managing Director of BASF Group Thailand, and Jingjai Hanschanlash, Honorary Chairman of the Greater Mekong Sub-region Business Forum agreed that trade liberalisation of the region offered great opportunities for countries to maximise their comparative advantages. While Thailand has the technology and management skills, the CMLV countries have lower wage costs and a large market. Regional companies are increasingly using Thailand as their base before moving to Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

“Thailand is playing a very important role on the growth of trade and investment [in the region],” said HE Sorasak Pin. “It has large industrial clusters. The cross-border supply chain originating from Thailand is expanding and connecting to countries to the North.” Boonchai Opas-iam-likit compared the region to an orchestra with Thailand acting as its conductor.

Agarwal welcomed the keynote address made by Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister HE Pridiyathorn Devakula to open the forum. “I think the thought process of the government is in the right direction,” he said. “It’s a huge opportunity for Thailand.”

According to him, it is not just in trade where Thailand is strongly positioned to lead the CMLV countries. The kingdom’s strong banking and capital market sectors also represent a realistic alternative for countries when considering where to list.

Over 700 delegates attended the one-day forum held at Bangkok’s Centara Grand, reflecting the continued interest international investors have for the region, according to organisers Euromoney.

Words by Mark Bibby Jackson