Why Used English Books Are So Expensive In Thailand

[BlackArtemis]

I buy from a certain group of stores that we seem to not be naming

Personally I feel that the price, though sometimes the same price as the US, is worth it. I mean I live here so I can go spend a few hundred baht, get some books and be done. The other choice is to ship them over which costs way too much $. I am big into fantasy/scifi and the selection seems to be very adequate. Besides, for people who complain, it is supply and demand. I think the price is ok, if you don't then don't buy the book :shrug:

[Ulysses G.]

ohh really, well check your prices again, you won't find a single Grisham priced for 100THB in your stores, (for fair condition books your tags says 140-180, and 220+ for new ones.)

Oh really?

I just looked and there are 10 Grishams on the shelf for 100 baht in the store that I am now, plus some for 110 baht and some for 120 baht and others for more depending on how new or hard to get they are. There are none over 200 baht and that is one that has been sitting there a while and no one bothered to lower the price, but there are cheaper ones of the same title right next to it.

If a Grisham is 220 baht it would normally be very newly published, in excellent condition and not many around.

[adjan jb]

I am a sponsor of Thai Visa if you want to know the name of my stores.

Most of your books are wrapped in plastic. Though I understand why, I hate not being able to read the author's biography (in case he's unknown to me), the summary and a few excerpts.

Wrapped in plastic isn't that fantastic, so what can be done about that ?

Edited March 12, 2007 by adjan jb

[Ulysses G.]

I thought that I had told you before, just open the books and look for the style or read whatever you need and if you don't want any books, just hand them to a staff member and they will put them back for you.

My staff tell customers to open any books they like all of the time, but maybe because you are French and they can't speak it, they were afraid to tell you.

[Jet Gorgon]

Plastic wrap is more for dust covers.

I found many old classics at street vendors on Khao Sarn years ago. But everything changes. Got most of my reads from leftovers at resorts or thru friends. Passalong. Never kept books in Thailand except OED and a Maugham book -- too much weight.

[bendix]

Nice thread.

I've just spent the weekend wrapping most of my more valuable dust-jacketed books in (NON-ADHESIVE) plastic to protect them. Ahh, the simple pleasures of life. I really must get them valued again. Some of them are very very rare indeed. First editions (in jackets) of early Graham Greenes. Firsts of some Olympia Press titles. Even a first of the pulped 'Worm and the Ring' by Anthony Burgess - only around 30 of those left in the world, and most in libraries. Gormenghast in DJ. Another first. Oh, and even the George Newnes first edition of Wodehouse's My Man Jeeves (1911), the very first appearance of Jeeves and Bertie Wooster in bookform.

What a joy. What a joy.

Ulysses. I think I've been to your shop before. Very nice place you got there.

Tell me, do you know of any online resource for valuing first editions. I should get them insured.

[The Dan Sai Kid]

Is the shop quiet today UG?

[Ulysses G.]

Tell me, do you know of any online resource for valuing first editions. I should get them insured.

You probably know more about selling 1st editions than I do. We don't get many decent ones offered to us in Thailand and I am more interested in reading for pleasure than collecting.

However, one poster was asking about a shop that specializes in first editions and rare editions. There WAS one in Bangkok, that I think is still there. It is called Merman Books and, if I remember correctly, it is on Silom Road in the building that has a Burger King on the first floor, but you have to look for the floor on the building directory. It is pretty far up. It used to be quite good and from time to time someone mentions it favorably now.

Lastly, it is NEVER "quiet in the shop" for more than a few moments - and that's how I like it.

[bendix]

Yeah, the demand - and, thus, supply - for first editions is close to non-existent here. I used to do a bit of trading when I lived in the UK years ago and actually edited a magazine devoted to the subject. Ahhhhhhh, those were the days - afternoons spent browsing the shops for bargains or head down in the Reading Room of the British Museum, investigating the finer points of bibliographical history.

And - then - I sold my soul for the corporate dollar!

[Ulysses G.]

A freind of mine who buys books in London for me will be here in a few weeks and he is a collector and quite learned about it. If you have any questions PM me and I will pass them on.

By the way, he is the "Duke" that The Duke's Restaurant is named after and should be at the grand opening of the new Night Bazzar branch next month!

[polecat]

Cheers UG, you're being very well natured about all this.

If you've really got popular paperbacks at that kind of range (100-200), I can't see cause for complaint. Although if you charge 100 baht for Grishams, that is overcharging. Scott's double quilted is only 64 baht for a 4-pack at my nearest Carrefour. How much are your Archers?

AND

If you think Murakami and Welsh are trendy, you're at least 5-10 years behind the times, daddio! No hep cat would be seen dead without DBC Pierre or Zadie Smith these days. Ya dig?

[bendix]

A freind of mine who buys books in London for me will be here in a few weeks and he is a collector and quite learned about it. If you have any questions PM me and I will pass them on.

By the way, he is the "Duke" that The Duke's Restaurant is named after and should be at the grand opening of the new Night Bazzar branch next month!

Just found out the name of the rare book shop in Bkk. Ironically, it's called Bangkok Rare Books and is in the Amarin Plaza, right next to Ploenchit BTS. They've got a website full of sexy Greene, Waugh, Christie first editions etc, but I don't think i'm allowed to post a link here.

Never seen the place before - Now I know what I'm doing on Saturday

[Barney_the_Dinosaur]

Tell me, do you know of any online resource for valuing first editions. I should get them insured.

You probably know more about selling 1st editions than I do. We don't get many decent ones offered to us in Thailand and I am more interested in reading for pleasure than collecting.

However, one poster was asking about a shop that specializes in first editions and rare editions. There WAS one in Bangkok, that I think is still there. It is called Merman Books and, if I remember correctly, it is on Silom Road in the building that has a Burger King on the first floor, but you have to look for the floor on the building directory. It is pretty far up. It used to be quite good and from time to time someone mentions it favorably now.

Lastly, it is NEVER "quiet in the shop" for more than a few moments - and that's how I like it.

Merman Books = devilishly handsome salesboys.

[A_Traveller]

A freind of mine who buys books in London for me will be here in a few weeks and he is a collector and quite learned about it. If you have any questions PM me and I will pass them on.

By the way, he is the "Duke" that The Duke's Restaurant is named after and should be at the grand opening of the new Night Bazzar branch next month!

Just found out the name of the rare book shop in Bkk. Ironically, it's called Bangkok Rare Books and is in the Amarin Plaza, right next to Ploenchit BTS. They've got a website full of sexy Greene, Waugh, Christie first editions etc, but I don't think i'm allowed to post a link here.

Never seen the place before - Now I know what I'm doing on Saturday

This looks very like the place I was describing. I recall when I looked some while ago they had just moved so maybe that was why I was so underwhelmed with their selection. I'm due over that way today or on the morrow so 'll drop a line back here.

Regards

[A_Traveller]

Tell me, do you know of any online resource for valuing first editions. I should get them insured.

You probably know more about selling 1st editions than I do. We don't get many decent ones offered to us in Thailand and I am more interested in reading for pleasure than collecting.

However, one poster was asking about a shop that specializes in first editions and rare editions. There WAS one in Bangkok, that I think is still there. It is called Merman Books and, if I remember correctly, it is on Silom Road in the building that has a Burger King on the first floor, but you have to look for the floor on the building directory. It is pretty far up. It used to be quite good and from time to time someone mentions it favorably now.

Lastly, it is NEVER "quiet in the shop" for more than a few moments - and that's how I like it.

Merman Books = devilishly handsome salesboys.

Merman was in Silom Complex, the one linked to BTS Saladeang, on the fourth floor but closed and the store is now Orchid Press, a publisher of books on SE Asia, though Merman may have opened elsewhere subsequently.

Regards

/edit correction of store name & locale //

Edited March 12, 2007 by A_Traveller

[andy1308]

I have to add this about buying the overpriced books at Chatuchak.

I was there a couple of weeks ago and saw, of all things, an Argos catalogue on the shelf. For those not from the UK Argos is a retailer that gives away it catalogues. I asked the price, just for a laugh, and the guy picked it up, searched in vain for a price tag, flicked through and came up with 400 baht. I politely declined.

[steveromagnino]

A freind of mine who buys books in London for me will be here in a few weeks and he is a collector and quite learned about it. If you have any questions PM me and I will pass them on.

By the way, he is the "Duke" that The Duke's Restaurant is named after and should be at the grand opening of the new Night Bazzar branch next month!

Just found out the name of the rare book shop in Bkk. Ironically, it's called Bangkok Rare Books and is in the Amarin Plaza, right next to Ploenchit BTS. They've got a website full of sexy Greene, Waugh, Christie first editions etc, but I don't think i'm allowed to post a link here.

Never seen the place before - Now I know what I'm doing on Saturday

Four somewon hew knot know how two reed aye have manage to help you a lot bye tell ewe about Amarin.

Yew owe me some reeding material aye will take some first edition of Playbouy and Gallery please no second hand copies, and make shore they are rapped in plastic aye dew knot want two sea evidence that adjan_B had bean reeding them befour me :-)

BTW an Idea for your book sellers. If people want to read the inside front cover, why don't you wrap it so they can open and read the sleeve, but cannot thumb through all the pages? It would be wraped with an extra fold so it could be opened with an extra layer of plastic.

Not my idea of a good weekend to read books, i would rather spend it throwing money away at a boat, but I think that this is not the type of interest that would be synergistic; after all most of my reading materials end up wet at some point; by reading on board a boat, it would be wetness of a different type.

And they say reading is a high class activity. Ah well, I do like a bit of High Society :-)

[bendix]

Not my idea of a good weekend to read books, i would rather spend it throwing money away at a boat, but I think that this is not the type of interest that would be synergistic; after all most of my reading materials end up wet at some point; by reading on board a boat, it would be wetness of a different type.

And they say reading is a high class activity. Ah well, I do like a bit of High Society :-)

Steve, what would you know about reading? You're Thai. Unless it's one of those comic novels or 'How to Make Farang Kwai Fall in Love With You' I'm not sure I've ever seen a Thai read a book.

Isn't it banned by law or something?

[Donz]

Do people still read books these days?

Just watch the movie, its so much better

[GuestHouse]

Do people still read books these days?

Just read the T-shirt, its so much better

[Donz]

Do people still read books these days?

Just read the T-shirt, its so much better

I dont read t-shirts, just wear them (they also look grat on me, but i guess everything does)

[steveromagnino]

Do people still read books these days?

Just read the T-shirt, its so much better

I just pretend i am blind and get those audio books.

Ah yes.

Risk Management.

Of course, being Thai, I know nothing about reading engrish books, my Thai client keeps giving me loads of books to read under the pretext of 'you should read this it is great' but I know since she is also Thai that she hasn't read it either. As you say Bendix, I think it is covered by law.

But since no one ever doesn't read nothing, no one knows for sure :-)

[girlx]

I'm the guy who told you to go to Chatuchak!

oh! thanks! i am gonna try that too next time i go to bangkok. by the way i liked the story on your website.

hmm i did get a price list from someone who will send out a container of books, but i can't choose the books so no thanks.

[Ulysses G.]

I'm the guy who told you to go to Chatuchak!

oh! thanks! i am gonna try that too next time i go to bangkok. by the way i liked the story on your website.

hmm i did get a price list from someone who will send out a container of books, but i can't choose the books so no thanks.

I bought bulk books once and it was my worst business mistake. Opening all those boxes and seeing the useless crap they sent me was like a reverse Christmas!

[The Dan Sai Kid]

UG, out of interest, do you have any books on pregnancy? The Dan Sai Wife is expecting a Dan Sai Baby!

[Boon Mee]

Most of the better shops import most of their good books from other countries and someone has to fly there - pay for an air ticket -

Exactly...which leads to the question of why used or new books are expensive even in the states. Take a trip down the Wal Mart book aisle sometime when y'all in Farangland and note the price of a recent edition book. We're talking >$20.00US and that's with those funky pages that don't meet right...

[Ulysses G.]

The Dan Sai Kid Today, 2007-03-12 20:07:23 Post #55

UG, out of interest, do you have any books on pregnancy? The Dan Sai Wife is expecting a Dan Sai Baby!

Yes, I think that we have several and some about the first year of having a baby as well.

I have to ask the staff where they are because we have so many stores, but I bought some recently and am pretty sure that we still have them.

Soon, I'll just be able to check the data-base and will know exactly where they are!

Edited March 12, 2007 by Ulysses G.

[tuky]

I haven't had time at the moment to read all the posts in this thread, but I am an addicted reader. At the age of 11 I read my first novel "for the term of his natural life", it was written in Ye Olde English and I had to read about 4 times before I fully understood. Since then I read a novel every 3-5 days.

I do find it hard to buy books where I live and I have yet find a novel under 700 baht. Including duty free at the airport.

My wife is so angry at me each time I buy a book, but what can I do? I need to read.

I have over 200 books at home, and my work takes around the world, in my last job I spent 3 years in the sae country, when I left a donated my books to the office library, it turned out I had 385 books to donate. It took me nearly 3 weeks to transport them to the office.

But, I live in xxxxxxxx where english books are few and far between. Luckily I travel a lot, so I can buy my books elsewhere. I wish I had a bookshop near here...I would be buying a new book every 3rd day.

GP, If I make it to CM I will bring my collection, perhaps we can deal....

[Boon Mee]

Yes, I think that we have several and some about the first year of having a baby as well.

I have to ask the staff where they are because we have so many stores, but I bought some recently and am pretty sure that we still have some.

Soon, I'll just be able to check the data-base and will know exactly where they are!

Ya got any good books on how to be a successful real estate developer in Phuket?

[Ulysses G.]

GP, If I make it to CM I will bring my collection, perhaps we can deal....

I would be most interested in buying your books tuky, however, I don't know who this GP character is. Must have been from before my time.