Bookazine Sale... A Pattayan's Impressions...

[Weho]

I was there at 11 AM sharp for the opening of the long-anticipated "sale" (where they claim "up to 90% off). There were quite a few farangs right there, waiting for the opening, presumably some from this board. There were a few good deals, but it really hurts me to know that all the books are simply what's left over from last weeks similar sale IN BANGKOK... so while rooting through the books, just knowing that all the grubby fingers of those Bangkokians had "first crack" at the sale, just rubbed me the wrong way... I felt like a third class buyer... dirty... just dirty... But I pulled myself together enought to buy the following books:

1. Fodor's India, 2005 edition, mint condition, 399 baht, reduced from 1,195 baht

2. The Gay and Lesbian guide to great vacations, 199 baht

3. John Stossel's Myths, Lies and Downright stupidity, 399 baht

4. Women's Weekly bbq seafood, 85 baht

5. (title not given, due to privacy concerns), 299 baht

6. Birds of Thailand 199 baht (it was marked 195 but the cashier told me in advance he would charge 199, I said it was ok)

7. DK Guide to Warsaw, 199 baht (not planning on going, but it looks semi-interesting), reduced from 1,295 baht

8. Healthy Eating for IBS (irritable bowel syndrome); don't have it, but want to prevent it! they had one copy left, if you hurry!

9. The Detox diet, 199 baht

10. Collins German verb tables, mini book, 99 baht

11. Martin Gelbert's Atlas of Jewish History, 299 baht

12. How to Live with a Grouch, (not sure of exact title), 99 baht

13. an outdated map of Bangkok, 9 baht

14. Brad and Jen: The unauthorized biography, 19 baht (promises to be a real "page turner")

There was one small incident... the John Stossel book wasn't priced, so I asked the cashier... he just looked at it, and said 399 baht, like he made the price up out of thin air. I asked him how he determined that, (thinking/hoping he might say it's only 199 baht), he said, "I just know"... and I said, "oh, you just know..." and he said, "yes, i just know..." Then I said, "i see, you just know..." At this point, I figured I would see if we could go one more round, so I said, "oh really, you just know..." and he elaborated a bit and said, "I know that book, I know the price, it's 399 baht, I just know..." Later I went to a different cashier, and he rung it up as 599 baht, and I quickly protested that the other cashier dude had already quoted me 399 baht, and he quickly made the change to the lower price... I really hate John Stossel, he's a right wing putz, but the book looks like it has some things of interest.

If you spent over 2,000 baht, they rewarded you with a coupon for 20% off a magazine... Let's see, if a typical foreign magazine is say 400 baht, that's a savings of about 80 baht, bringing the price down to only (about) 320 baht, which brings it down to only about THREE times the price on the newstand in some foreign land.

Wow! I asked the guy if I could have two coupons, "cause I'm so nice", but he said "no can do". Then I asked the guy to "double bag" all my books, cause it was heavy, and he complied.

I did have some shoving and pushing incidents, cause it got a little crowded, and some people just linger a little too long by tables that I want to see... I'm pretty good at hovering over them, and breathing on them, sometimes pretty hard, to get them on their way... usually works well. But I get the feeling lots of farangs don't shower in the morning... not sure why, but especally around the non-fiction table... it got pretty rough at times...

At the sale, I did run into my masseuse, who is a bit of a beach hustler, but knows how to work my temples to my liking... I asked the masseuse who they were with, and the reply I got was "that old Scandanaviana over there..." I made a quick stop for a "Happy Meal' at Micky D's, (want to test out that IBS!), (remember: bad food, in small portions, in moderation, isn't too bad)... then a stop at the Friendship market, but they were out of hummus... they did have the yummy rye bread there... real fresh...

And now I'm going to read my Bangkok Post, (in the new smaller paper size), have you seen it? Hopefully, there were be at least a few articles on what Paris Hilton is up to... gee, I hope Lindsey Lohan is doing well in rehab...

Note: this is the final of my two part series on Pattayans.

[jeffrosner]

I really hate John Stossel, he's a right wing putz, but the book looks like it has some things of interest.

Mr. Rosner hopes that each word John wrote churns bile in your belly. Good for you to read Stossell - he's a Libertarian, not a right wing putz. Go out and rent SUPERSIZE ME while you're out and about.

[Weho]

I really hate John Stossel, he's a right wing putz, but the book looks like it has some things of interest.

Mr. Rosner hopes that each word John wrote churns bile in your belly. Good for you to read Stossell - he's a Libertarian, not a right wing putz. Go out and rent SUPERSIZE ME while you're out and about.

I saw the movie... it was fair, but I thought a bit melodramatic for no reason... i'm waiting for the broadway musical.

[Ulysses G.]

"Sales" in Thailand are almost always not up to sales in the West, but if you thought that Bookazine's wasn't all that great, you would have really hated the Asia Books "sale" in Bangkok. There was almost nothing worth buying and you had to look through shelves full of books to find the odd one that was marked down more than a little bit.

At least Bookazine offers many books at 99 and 29 baht that are 350 elsewhere which is cheap no matter how you look at it.

The truth is that many stores of all types put out a very few real bargains and then try to trick you into coming and buying a normally priced item and whoever posts "sales" all over Thai Visa and publisizes them is helping them.

Edited June 13, 2007 by Ulysses G.

[Weho]

"Sales" in Thailand are almost always not up to sales in the West, but if you thought that Bookazine's wasn't all that great, you would have really hated the Asia Books "sale" in Bangkok. There was almost nothing worth buying and you had to look through shelves full of books to find the odd one that was marked down more than a little bit.

At least Bookazine offers many books at 29 baht which is cheap no matter how you look at it.

The truth is that many stores put out very few real bargains and then try to trick you into coming and buying a normally priced item and whoever posts these "sales" all over Thai Visa and publisizes them is helping them scam you.

I basically agree... it's rare that something is really "on sale"... here in Thailand... ten, even twenty percent off doesn't excite me... and if you go in the "big box" superstores, they may have something like a bag of potato chips reduced from 26 baht all the way down to 25 baht... yes, i've seen it... we probably all have. Another disturbing thing they do: i've seen a six pack of something like Coke for say 80 baht, which might be say 600ml total of liquid, and they might have a 600ml bottle of the same stuff for say 85 baht... in other words, the more you buy, the more you pay per unit of measurement... Yes, the Bookazine sale did have some real sale items... they even had some very recent books say regularly for 995 baht, on sale for 699 baht... not overly exciting, but in Thailand, it's like a frickin' gift from gawd.

A real sale/promotion, like I've seen when visiting Amerigay, might be something like "everything on this rack has already been reduced... cashier will take off additional 50% discount"... but honestly, Bookazine's "spend 2,000 baht, get 20% off ONE magazine or ONE newspaper" is close to insulting... If a newspaper, like the Pulitzer Prize-winning Pattaya People is 25 baht, that means you could reduce that by, let's see, by... ugh, ... 5 baht... so the total price would be 20 baht... I'm sorry, but that doesn't do it for me... I think it would be more reasonable for a 50% off a newspaper, or 40% off a magazine, or 30% off any book, MIGHT be smarter for business.

I wonder what they do with the leftover books... i guess they save them for next year's sale...

[JimmyTheMook]

5. (title not given, due to privacy concerns), 299 baht

Is a prize awarded for the correct guess?

[Ulysses G.]

Better NOT to post these sales on Thai Visa.

[rambler]

5. (title not given, due to privacy concerns), 299 baht

Is a prize awarded for the correct guess?

A GUIDE TO THE C***** P****S IN PATTAYA

[Weho]

5. (title not given, due to privacy concerns), 299 baht

Is a prize awarded for the correct guess?

A GUIDE TO THE C***** P****S IN PATTAYA

Nice try, but not it... that book is only 199 baht, and I referenced a book for 299 baht...

And did you ever notice that in the Bookazine store on the second floor of Royal Garden, they have above the cashier this shelf for the "Top 10" best selling books... and they just put up ANY book, in ANY random order, with NO THOUGHT to what really is selling best... take a look... They may put up there, like in the #3 spot, something like "Lonely Planet Guide to Chile"... like that's really the #3 book, and as if they really are counting and keeping track... and in what time frame? Best sellers of the last hour, last day, last month, last decade??? They don't specify... it's all so random for me...

[markr]

Do you ever have time to read weho?

Maybe you should write your own book!

[rambler]

Do you ever have time to read weho?

Maybe you should write your own book!

Only just started using this site but WEHO u certainly are a member and man ,woman ,3rd gender i dont care i like u cos u make me smile without even trying too.How about a date i,m pretty flexible. x

[Weho]

Do you ever have time to read weho?

Maybe you should write your own book!

Only just started using this site but WEHO u certainly are a member and man ,woman ,3rd gender i dont care i like u cos u make me smile without even trying too.How about a date i,m pretty flexible. x

Sure, I'll date you... but I'm warning you, I won't go past third base on the first date. This is Pattaya... we have standards here... Meet me at the Bookazine sale, by the table labeled "SHOCK SALE"... and by the way, the only think shocking about the prices at that table are how LITTLE those old tattered books have been reduced. It's truly shocking.

[ercorn]

If you register with bookazine they give you a discount card of 5% of book and magazines and a extra special discount for your birthday,I registered about 5 years ago anyway everytime I go and buy a magazine I just mention my name and they find me on their computer and give me the 5% discount.which I think is pretty cool.Asia books has really gone down hill over the last few years so I dont buy there much anymore.

[Kerryd]

Only just started using this site but WEHO u certainly are a member and man ,woman ,3rd gender i dont care i like u cos u make me smile without even trying too.How about a date i,m pretty flexible. x

Be prepared to pick up the check (and I'll be he's not a cheap date when someone else is paying !)

[rambler]

Do you ever have time to read weho?

Maybe you should write your own book!

Only just started using this site but WEHO u certainly are a member and man ,woman ,3rd gender i dont care i like u cos u make me smile without even trying too.How about a date i,m pretty flexible. x

Sure, I'll date you... but I'm warning you, I won't go past third base on the first date. This is Pattaya... we have standards here... Meet me at the Bookazine sale, by the table labeled "SHOCK SALE"... and by the way, the only think shocking about the prices at that table are how LITTLE those old tattered books have been reduced. It's truly shocking.

please please i need to know exactly b4 i commit myself whats 1st,2nd and 3rd base,i am abit shy

[raro]

5. (title not given, due to privacy concerns), 299 baht

Is a prize awarded for the correct guess?

A GUIDE TO THE C***** P****S IN PATTAYA

...honestly, I don't really want to know...the titles of the other books were enough...weho: are you German? I always sensed so...

[raro]

5. (title not given, due to privacy concerns), 299 baht

Is a prize awarded for the correct guess?

A GUIDE TO THE C***** P****S IN PATTAYA

...honestly, I don't really want to know...the titles of the other books were enough...weho: are you German? I always sensed so...

[Naam]

wife went there yesterday to buy books. came home empty-handed. her comment was

[Ungabunga]

5. (title not given, due to privacy concerns), 299 baht

Is a prize awarded for the correct guess?

A GUIDE TO THE C***** P****S IN PATTAYA

I got it!!!!! 'CURRENT PRICES IN PATTAYA' At first I thought it may have been a type of 'self help book' but then it dawned on me...

[DeputyDawg]

didn't happen to notice if they had either of these two books did you:

Sp*nk on the bed post by Mister Completely or

Rusty Bed Springs by I P Nightly

Weho did you get a copy of the pattaya guide to fudge packing?

[Weho]

didn't happen to notice if they had either of these two books did you:

Sp*nk on the bed post by Mister Completely or

Rusty Bed Springs by I P Nightly

Weho did you get a copy of the pattaya guide to fudge packing?

Wow, who knew we had a real comedian here! Let's see, I'm going to have to go back to second grade to TRY to compete with you, but here goes...

I read a book about China: "The Yellow River", by I.P. Daily

Last time I heard those jokes, I fell off my dinasaur. ba dum bam.

[DeputyDawg]

didn't happen to notice if they had either of these two books did you:

Sp*nk on the bed post by Mister Completely or

Rusty Bed Springs by I P Nightly

Weho did you get a copy of the pattaya guide to fudge packing?

Wow, who knew we had a real comedian here! Let's see, I'm going to have to go back to second grade to TRY to compete with you, but here goes...

I read a book about China: "The Yellow River", by I.P. Daily

Last time I heard those jokes, I fell off my dinasaur. ba dum bam.

Bestiality as well I see

[rambler]

5. (title not given, due to privacy concerns), 299 baht

Is a prize awarded for the correct guess?

A GUIDE TO THE C***** P****S IN PATTAYA

I got it!!!!! 'CURRENT PRICES IN PATTAYA' At first I thought it may have been a type of 'self help book' but then it dawned on me...

Please see Wehos post DRESS CODE FOR ROYAL GARDEN PLAZA and all will be revealed