It's being hailed as a step forward for a miniature-making club - from a few stalls at Chatuchak market to Phuket's new upscale mall - as well as a giant leap for the craft.

When "Amazing Thai Miniature Arts" opens at Jungceylon mall in Phuket next week it will mark the first time so many moveable miniatures have gathered in one place, says the man behind the exhibit, Choophan Banjongchat.

After years of perfecting their craft the members of the Bang Nam Chan miniature club are ready to dazzle the resort island's tourists with intricately detailed panoramas - including light, sound and movement - which bring entire communities to life and celebrate traditional ways of life.

A floating market, a temple carnival and Buddhist parade will be on display, and visitors can even watch a miniature television, with the assistance of a magnifying glass.

Choophan, a former science teacher, sees miniatures as a blend of art and science.

He set up the Bang Nam Chan miniature club to give residents of the community - where unemployment is high - a way to make a living.

His first effort, training residents to make miniature glassware, failed so he turned to miniatures of traditional things instead.

The miniature club has had a major effect on the community by providing skills and employment, he says.

Choophan says the exhibit provides a window into the past as well as the present. It offers more than a little hi-tech wizardry, including miniature vehicles that move.

The exhibit aims to promote and conserve miniature artwork while depicting community life, he says.

"There are many beautiful works from Thailand's miniature champions, including mini-puppets," he says.

Prawit Chanyasithikun, a manager at Jungceylon mall, says the exhibit - which will include demonstrations by miniature masters - will provide Thai miniature art with a global platform as about 55 per cent of the mall's visitors are from overseas.

Jakrapan Seebunruang

The Nation