Is there anywhere in CM I could get this done? I know a place that would do the scanning if I could get the spine lopped off but I don't think they have the kit to do the lopping. Heavy books are not travel friendly but there are a few good Thai language ones that you can only get in hard copy.

Why do want to spiral bind the original if you plan to scan anyway and the weight of the paper is a problem? If you do, chances are the margin will be a problem if you guillotine the backs. Are the originals hb, pb, sewn or unsewn?

Any of the shops near CM University, they do it with the students books all the time.

Chances are they already have your 'language book' on a memory stick.

23 hours ago, sharktooth said:

Why do want to spiral bind the original if you plan to scan anyway and the weight of the paper is a problem?

Just being old-fashioned. I don't like to throw the original away. The weight of the paper is a problem if I travel with it - I have quite a few flights before I get back home - but I can send it home and keep it there without too much drama.

29 minutes ago, Percy Penguin said:

Just being old-fashioned. I don't like to throw the original away. The weight of the paper is a problem if I travel with it - I have quite a few flights before I get back home - but I can send it home and keep it there without too much drama.

Either way, if they are decent books you will have to destroy the spine in order to scan it properly. That and a spiral bound copy would hardly be original?

There's a larger-than-average book copying shop right across the street to the north from the Three Kings Monument.  They will very likely have a heavy-duty paper cutter to chop the spine from your book.  They can do your photocopying as well, however, I don't know if they do the spiral binding.