Speaking at a dinner summit held in Bangkok on August 8, CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri called upon Thailand to position itself as the gateway to the industries and markets of the ASEAN bloc in Southeast Asia and also serve “as a bridge-way that links it to the world”.

Cavilieri was Keynote Speaker at the summit organised by the country's Department of Trade Promotion (DITP), which brought together senior government and industry representatives “to consider strategies for consolidating Thailand's leadership role in the business”.

“DITP, which is the department within Thailand's Ministry of Commerce responsible for promoting the country's export industries, has recently expanded its involvement in the critically important gemstone and jewellery industry, taking over the management of the Bangkok Gems and Jewellery Fair,” explained a press note from CIBJO. “Its summit in this week was presided over by Apiradi Tantraporn, the Minister of Commerce, who was joined by the DITP Director General, Malee Choklumlerd.”

In his address, Cavalieri noted Thailand has achieved the status of a world leader, seeing its exports grow over the past 10 years by almost 300 per cent to about US$ 11 billion, and peaking in 2012 at US$ 13.1 billion.  However, this was not so well appreciated internationally, he said.

"Thailand's second-tier status as a centre has less to do with production and sales capacity than it has to do with way that it is perceived in the business," Cavalieri said. "But perception is critical, for the way you are perceived by others affects your ability to market your products, and consequently is a principal factor in deciding whether you will be able to optimise sales and exports. As it is said, success breeds success, meaning that, it if you are better able to project your image as a world leader, then it more likely that you will optimize your export capability."

For Thailand, the status of the primary ASEAN gem and jewellery centre could be an irresistible USP, Dr Cavalieri stressed.

Pic Cap: CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri (standing, fourth from right) joins Thailand's Minister of Commerce, Apiradi Tantraporn (standing, third from left), DITP Director General Malee Choklumlerd (standing, fourth from left), and Dr. Pornsawat Wathanakul, Director of GIT, the Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand (standing, second from left), at an impromptu press conference after the dinner summit in Bangkok on August 8.