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Viewing cable 08CHIANGMAI114, THAI MARKET TURNS TO AFRICAN RUBIES AS SMUGGLING OF BURMESE

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08CHIANGMAI114 2008-07-22 09:50 2011-08-25 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED Consulate Chiang Mai
VZCZCXRO3067
PP RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHGH RUEHHM RUEHVC
DE RUEHCHI #0114/01 2040950
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 220950Z JUL 08
FM AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0806
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY 0008
RUEHCHI/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI 0873
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CHIANG MAI 000114 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV ECON ETRD PGOV EINV TH BM CH
SUBJECT: THAI MARKET TURNS TO AFRICAN RUBIES AS SMUGGLING OF BURMESE 
STONES DECLINES 
 
REF: A. 2008 RANGOON 61: FINANCING THE REGIME WITH JADE, NOT GEMS 
     B. 2007 BANGKOK 6239: A BURMESE ROCK BECOMES A THAI RUBY 
 
CHIANG MAI 00000114  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Sensitive But Unclassified; please handle accordingly. 
 
------- 
Summary 
------- 
 
1. (SBU) The long and porous border of the Mae Sot area with 
Burma, and proximity to the Burmese gem mines, have made this 
region historically a center for the smuggling of Burmese gems. 
However, imported African rubies now dominate local markets in 
Mae Sot.  Retailers say Burmese rubies are too expensive 
compared to African ones and believe stricter Burmese controls 
are directing Burmese production into the Rangoon auctions, 
especially in high-end gems.  In addition, China's appetite for 
jade has caused the Thai border trade in jade to all but dry up. 
 End summary. 
 
----------------------------- 
Mae Sot Gem Market in Decline 
----------------------------- 
 
2. (SBU) Because of its geographically and commercially 
strategic location, Mae Sot in Tak Province has played a 
historically significant role in the trade of Burmese gems.  The 
Thai border town is home to about 300 gem traders and retailers, 
many of whom work part-time, and a few gem wholesalers, 
according to the chairperson of the Mae Sot Gemstones and 
Jewelry Club.  The two small gem markets in Mae Sot, which are 
located in the center of town and at the Thai-Burmese Friendship 
Bridge, bustle every morning with brokers buying and selling 
smuggled gems and semiprecious stones.  Over time, these factors 
have built up Mae Sot's reputation as a Burmese gem supply hub. 
 
3. (SBU) During recent casual visits to the Mae Sot gem markets 
by local Consulate staff, however, traders and retailers 
reported that the Mae Sot gem market is in decline because of 
the falling competitiveness of Burmese gems, low local demand, 
and an increasing control of the market by the official auction 
in Rangoon that leads to fewer, and lower quality, raw gems 
available to be easily smuggled out of the country. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
Burmese Rubies Can't Compete with African Imports 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
4. (SBU) Despite its proximity to Burma and the mines of Mogok 
north of Mandalay and the Mineshu mines in Shan State, 
approximately 70 percent of rubies sold in Mae Sot are now 
imported from Africa, mainly Madagascar, according to one shop 
owner.  In the shop stalls, it appeared to the Consulate staff 
that over 90 percent of the rubies for sale were from Africa.  A 
source at the Tak Chamber of Commerce said that the "vast 
majority" of rubies in Tak now come from Africa.  Local 
merchants said that the low prices of African rubies are too 
competitive for Burmese gems, even when smuggled.  Because of 
low quality and demand, the price of a one-karat rough, uncut 
Burmese ruby in Mae Sot is only about $0.90; but even that low 
price cannot compete with African rubies which are marketed to 
the tourist crowd as more beautiful and affordable, though less 
rare than Burmese rubies. Many retailers admitted to falsely 
selling African rubies as Burmese rubies to tourists, who are 
willing to pay more for "Burmese" ones. 
 
-------------------------- 
Low Demand Hurts Retailers 
-------------------------- 
 
5. (SBU) Besides declining competitiveness of Burmese gems, Mae 
Sot and Chiang Mai merchants complained of low demand for 
precious gems.  In Mae Sot, retailers said that local demand has 
dwindled to a few local traders and tourists.  The trade of 
valuable smuggled gems from Burma through Mae Sot is a thing of 
the past; and local demand survives only because of Mae Sot's 
historical reputation.  In both Mae Sot and Chiang Mai, jewelry 
retailers complained of the decline in global demand for 
precious gems as luxury goods.  With high commodity prices 
globally, jewelry merchants believe that consumers are shifting 
their preferences to cheaper, custom-made jewelry. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
The Dominance of the Rangoon Gem Auction 
---------------------------------------- 
 
6. (SBU) Merchants believe that the decline in Burmese stones in 
Mae Sot has driven more Bangkok-based gem dealers to buy 
directly from the auction in Rangoon.  Mae Sot's share of the 
value of Thailand's total Burmese ruby imports is now only 5%, 
 
CHIANG MAI 00000114  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
according to the Mae Sot Gemstones and Jewelry Club.  One 
merchant said that the Burmese regime has taken increasing 
control of the high-end ruby trade.  A Chiang Mai jewelry 
producer said that high quality gems are now more difficult to 
find in the border towns of Mae Sot and Mae Sai.  (Note: Post 
plans to visit and report separately on the Mae Sai gem market.) 
 
--------------------------- 
China Takes the Jade Market 
--------------------------- 
 
7. (SBU) The economic rise of China has also contributed to the 
decline of the Mae Sot market.  Besides rubies, jade has 
traditionally been the other major gem export from Burma.  While 
Thailand's demand for jade is relatively low, Thailand's border 
towns used to do a moderate trade in jade.  Now that has 
changed. Chinese bidders have pushed prices so high that Thai 
traders in Northern Thailand have all but dropped the jade 
trade. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
8. (SBU) While we cannot say for sure what is going on in the 
Burmese gem industry, the decline in volume and quality of 
Burmese rubies in the markets of Mae Sot is consistent with 
local vendors' beliefs that the Burmese government has tightened 
control over gem mining and transport, leaving less to smuggle 
out cheaply.  The most dramatic change, however, has been the 
influx of African gems.  Prices for Burmese stones may be rising 
because of greater interest in the Rangoon gem auctions, but so 
long as African rubies can be brought in at lower prices, they 
will inevitably continue to dominate local markets, at least for 
non-high-end stones. 
 
9. (U) This cable was coordinated with Embassies Bangkok and 
Rangoon and Consulate General Chengdu. 
ANDERSON