THE official opening of the 59th Bangkok Gems & Jewellery Fair 2017 in one way or another sets the theme for our short getaway to Bangkok and Pattaya. It’s all about glitter, glamour, fun and indulgence.
The day starts with a sneak preview of the gem and jewellery fair at the 60,000 sq metre exhibition hall of IMPAT Muang Thong Thani, a convention centre north of the capital. There are 2,011 booths by 730 business entities from 17 countries and Thailand takes 1,865 booths!
Just before we express our surprise over the eye-popping number of Thailand’s jewellers, our chaperon Noor Ashikin from the Tourism Authority of Thailand KL Office drops an anti-climax statement. “Gems and jewellery business is one of the country’s earners and Thailand is the world’s tenth largest gems exporting country,” says the marketing officer.
The first day reaches its climax with a 30-minute fashion show that showcases jewellery from the participating countries and the fair’s six highlights. They include 60+ (that features jewellery for senior citizens), The Moment (jewellery for wedding), Metro Men (for men), Spiritual Power (opulence and horoscope), Culture Club (art and craft jewellery) and Pet Parade (for pets).
Jam-packed bangkok
The first in our itinerary is the Ananta Samagom Throne Hall to visit the Kingdom of Arts exhibition. It showcases a collection of arts and craft that belong to the royal family.
However, it’s hard to enjoy and scrutinise the exhibits as the royal reception hall is packed with tourists — there is a long snaking queue at the vast compound of the royal residence, Dusit Palace.
As we’ve been enticed with the jewellery at the fair and the exquisite exhibits at the throne hall, the next best thing is to get our own. Thus, a short stop at a gem store; it’s not difficult to persuade some of us to make purchases.
The shopping spree continues at the popular Platinum Fashion Mall, a massive mall that is considered as the crown jewel of Pratunam shopping district. Something like Jakarta’s Tanah Abang, the mega mall houses over 1,300 shops, dedicated mostly to fashion items from clothing to accessories for both men and women.
Haggling is fun here and the price gets better when we buy three pieces or more at the same shop. Some shops even allow us to mix different types of items! But I look forward more to the night market, not Chatuchak Weekend Market. The latter, a massive market, is too claustrophobic for me.
The one in our itinerary is the famous “train night market” called Talad Rot Fai Ratchada. It got its name from its original location, which was to the train tracks behind Chatuchak market.
More like our Uptown night markets but with less fake items, the train market not only has fashion items from local indie brands but also vintage and classic collectibles. Id, our guide, reminds us: “When you find something you like, grab it right away because chances of finding the same item or the same booth again, are slim.”
Id dishes out the same advice when we head for the much-talked about Asiatique, a more elegant version of Chatuchak market that occupies a complex of warehouse on the banks of Chao Phraya River. Yes, Chatuchak seems to be the benchmark for Bangkok’s night markets.
And, yes, Asiatique is by far my favourite shopping venue in Bangkok. It not only offers spacious, well-organised shopping pleasure, it’s also a nice place for people-watching while enjoying the evening riverside scene.
When it comes to dining, Bangkok does not disappoint at all.
Halal food is plentiful, from booths at food courts to small family-run restaurants like Nang Phaya Restaurant at Petchburi and the more elegant Sophia Restaurant & Dining, and its neighbour Diwan, the all day-dining restaurant of the city’s only Syariah-compliant Al Meroz Hotel, at Ramkhambaeng Road in Suanluang.
TOURIST-PACKED PATTAYA
We head to Pattaya right after Bangkok’s morning rush ceases. It takes us about 2½ hours to reach Pattaya which is about 147km southeast of Bangkok.
Traffic in Pattaya is building up when we arrive at the beach city around noon. Since it’s still too early for lunch, we make a quick stop at Mini Siam. But we still haven’t seen the beach.
Mini Siam is a miniature park that showcases both the world’s and Thailand’s landmarks and famous buildings. Judging from the condition of the miniatures, the park has probably seen better days. Nevertheless, the park is well kept. There’s not much to do here except to walk along the footpaths while checking out the miniscule landmarks.
Still haven’t checked out Pattaya’s stretch of beach. Instead, we head to the Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden, about 20 minute from our hotel which is located south of Pattaya.
With Mini Siam still fresh in mind, I don’t expect much here. But as our van turns from the city road into the park-maintained boulevard, interest starts to seep in.
I am pleasantly surprised the moment I see the toll plaza-lookalike entrance as I know that this is not a small garden.
“The park is really huge, about 2.4sq km, and it’s easy to make it an all-day visit because there are so many things to see and do,” Id says. She then reveals her plans on how to cover the vast garden in just three hours.
Firstly, we have to rush over to the auditorium to catch the cultural show before heading to the adjoining amphitheatre for the elephant show. We then end the tour with a tram ride that will take us around the garden.
While the shows are typically Thai, the garden is totally something else. There are themed gardens from France and Stonehenge to palms and bonsai. And there are animal kingdoms too. No, these are not zoos but animal statues placed at sections of the garden according to their natural habitat.
It’s already late in the afternoon when we finally leave the beautiful garden. Since we are already running late for dinner, we skip Pattaya Hill, the highest point in Pattaya.
But the hill is our first stop the following day. Though not very high, it is a vantage point to get the best view of Pattaya’s crescent-shaped bay. I can imagine how it looks when the sky is painted with dusk’s colours.
Just before we leave the city’s limit enroute to Bangkok, Id says we have to check out the world’s biggest jewellery store, Gems Gallery. But we’re saving our baht for last-minute shopping in Bangkok tomorrow.
But I’ll save the best for last — the Sanctuary of Truth, an all-wood temple-like complex filled with sculptures based on traditional Buddhist and Hindu motifs.
Since the visionary art is based on traditional religious themes and mythologies, visitors to the sanctuary are advised to dress appropriately. There are pareo for rent for those in short pants or skirts.
Every inch of the sanctuary is covered with carved sculptures, all sculpted manually and philosophically designed and planned to reflect the owner’s visions and philosophy.
The complex was the brainchild of millionaire Lek Viriyaphant, whose other heritage projects include the Ancient City near Bangkok and the Erawan Museum in Samut Prakan province.
Seeing the intricacy of the sculptures and the story behind the sanctuary, I can’t help but compare it to the over-the-top Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Sagrada Familia, designed by Catalan Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi.
Both were built out of ambitious visions and passions and are still undergoing extensive constructions.
While the Spanish church is expected to be completed in 10 years, totalling almost 150 years of construction, the Sanctuary of Truth is scheduled for completion in 2050, 69 years after it first started.
GEMS AND JEWELLERY HUB
THE Bangkok Gems & Jewellery Fair is the region’s leading trade show for the jewellery industry, organised and managed by Thailand’s Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP).
The 60th edition of the fair, scheduled from Sept 6-10, is expected to be bigger, having over 1,000 companies taking up the 2,500 booths. The products will be grouped into categories such as gemstones (precious stones, semi-precious stones), rough stones, diamonds, pearls, precious metal, synthetic stones, costume and fashion jewellery, fine jewellery, gold jewellery, silver jewellery, display and packaging, equipment and tools, jewellery parts, machinery, etc.
Bangkok is not only the renowned centre for Asia’s gems and jewellery business but is also an exciting city that offers great value-for-money getaways.
Details at www.bkkgems.com/.