BGJF to begin next week

Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), Gems, Jewelry and Precious Metal Confederation of Thailand (GJPCT) and Thai Gem & Jewelry Traders Association (TGJTA) will jointly organise the 57th Bangkok Gems and Jewelry Fair during 24 - 28 February 2016. Apiradee Tantraporn, commerce minister of Thailand, will officiate the opening ceremony at 9am on the first show day at the Royal Jubilee Ballroom, Challenger Hall, Impact Muang Thong Thani.

There will be over 3,500 booths and numerous interesting activities, namely:

• - A gems and jewellery fashion show displaying jewellery worth millions of bahts
• - An auction of specially-priced gems and jewellery, the ‘Gemopolis Auction’
• - Design pavilion exhibition displaying ‘Art of Kingdom’, an exhibition of traditional Thai masterpieces
• - A seminar on ‘Developing a strategy to combat the Middle Eastern marketing crisis’
• - Ruby symposium to promote Thailand’s imageas the King of Ruby

Gems and jewellery may be traded duty-free for five days during the fair. Traders and buyers are exempted from the 20 percent customs tax as a move from the Thai government to support and promote the industry and create a buzz for international traders to buy and sell in Thailand.

In addition, to help the Thai gems and jewellery industry compete internationally,value addedtax (VAT) on imports of unpolished diamonds, coloured stones, rubies, emeralds, topaz, garnet, opal, zircon, chrysoberyl, jade, pearl and other gems except imitation or artificial items are waived for importers or sellers who are registered as individual traders. Furthermore, individual importers will only be taxed on a one-percent flat tax for income generated by selling unpolished gems and pearls.