Page turners: Survey reveals shift in Thai reading habits

[retarius]

Out of all the Thais I know,  the only one I have seen reading is my wife. 

[retarius]

23 minutes ago, Goat said:

Obviously you have never been to a book shop in Thailand. They lounge around in the isles reading books for free.

I go often to Kinokuniya in Siam Paragon. The coffee store is mobbed with people drinking coffee and eating desserts, and the aisles are completely free of customers. 

[BritManToo]

49 minutes ago, Goat said:

Obviously you have never been to a book shop in Thailand. They lounge around in the isles reading books for free.

Nah, they're just looking at the pictures. Most Thai books are comic books.

[retarius]

Come to think of it, I do see Thais reading newspapers. But think if the average Thai read 2 hours every day, you would see Thai's reading on the train, on public transport and you would see Kindles for older folk. I have a suspicion that the report is hogwash. 

[retarius]

On 4/12/2024 at 6:37 AM, dinsdale said:

Why would a Thai person read a Spanish manga book? 

[Captain Monday]

On 4/12/2024 at 10:27 AM, BritManToo said:

49 minutes ago, Goat said:

Obviously you have never been to a book shop in Thailand. They lounge around in the isles reading books for free.

 

No wonder. I have never seen a Thai reading a book.  

Not even a comic book, only textbooks. and newspapers

There ARE many bookstores. 

 

And what about all the red post boxes in Chiang Mai.

I have never seen a person drop a letter in one.  Or a postman empty one. Not once.

Another mystery of the Kingdom.

[PremiumLane]

I like that we have some research that shows that Thai read, cos you know, they are normal people. but the old boomers on here know better, cos their feel feels tell them different. 

[PremiumLane]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Nah, they're just looking at the pictures. Most Thai books are comic books.

 

Comic books don't have text in them, and wait till you find out how popular comic books are in the west 

[Hellfire]

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Edited April 15 by Hellfire

[dinsdale]

22 hours ago, retarius said:

Why would a Thai person read a Spanish manga book? 

A bit picky of you but yes in Thai would've been better. Tried to change a bit later but edit option had gone nevertheless the message stays the same.

[watthong]

On 4/14/2024 at 9:42 AM, eumenades said:

Incidentally, sales of Orwell's 1984 skyrocketed in Russia, post-prohibition, and many are saying it could contribute to Putin's downfall. Here's hoping!

 

In the few local malls that I frequent, now and then they would have on the ground floor a mini-book fair (selling discounted books plus a few tables of stationary and knicknack) just to stir the popular reading interest up I guess. In the (translated from) foreign-language corner, you can find a lot of history books, and among these Hitler/Mein Kampf feature prominently, as if this is the latest trend... Even though this book fair does move around from mall to mall, its stock remains more or less the same. So what can we be hoping- or dispairing rather - from this?

[eumenades]

8 hours ago, watthong said:

 

In the few local malls that I frequent, now and then they would have on the ground floor a mini-book fair (selling discounted books plus a few tables of stationary and knicknack) just to stir the popular reading interest up I guess. In the (translated from) foreign-language corner, you can find a lot of history books, and among these Hitler/Mein Kampf feature prominently, as if this is the latest trend... Even though this book fair does move around from mall to mall, its stock remains more or less the same. So what can we be hoping- or dispairing rather - from this?

 

Hopefully, no more life-size photos of Adolph Hitler (?)

[jacko45k]

On 4/14/2024 at 10:16 AM, Goat said:

Obviously you have never been to a book shop in Thailand. They lounge around in the isles reading books for free.

Well it gets them off their phones!