Source For Kindergarten Workbooks

[sawadeesparkle]

I teach ESL anuban (kindergarten) in Chiang Rai but come to Chiang Mai frequently. Where can I find a selection of workbooks for young students 4, 5, and 6 years of age? I cannot begin to buy online when I can't thumb through the workbooks! Right now I am spending too much time and school money at the copy machine...I find great sites online with challenging material but must copy every page for each child.

Any ideas? Many thanks!

Edited March 8, 2008 by sawadeesparkle

[haybilly]

I teach ESL anuban (kindergarten) in Chiang Rai but come to Chiang Mai frequently. Where can I find a selection of workbooks for young students 4, 5, and 6 years of age? I cannot begin to buy online when I can't thumb through the workbooks! Right now I am spending too much time and school money at the copy machine...I find great sites online with challenging material but must copy every page for each child.

Any ideas? Many thanks!

Downstairs in Carrefour Supermarket is a reasonably well stocked childrens books section with a fair amount of English Learning books, although they do seem to have cut back a bit this year, but I fear that the prices will cripple you--you may still find that you will end up photocopying an awful lot [ probably against copyright laws, but what's new in Thailand?] --I personally would check out as many of the second hand bookshops all over Chiang Mai--although I'm amazed at how much they want to charge for a second hand book it's still probably cheaper than buying new, especially specific imported education books which can be a ridiculous price--sorry not to be more helpful but it amazes me as to how hard it can be to find good educational books in english for the age groups that you mention--I'm not a teacher, btw, just a concerned parent.

Edited March 9, 2008 by haybilly

[p1p]

An online resource with almost everything you could need is Abacus Educational Services.

[Ulysses G.]

--I personally would check out as many of the secondhand bookshops all over Chiang Mai--although I'm amazed at how much they want to charge for a second hand book it's still probably cheaper than buying new

What you probably don't know is that most of these secondhand-bookshops have to import most of their decent books from overseas - There are very few English books in Thailand compared to English speaking countries and tourists often bring the best ones home with them. Constantly finding them, buying them, transporting them and paying all the customs taxes, duties and charges is quite expensive. On top of that is the price to rent a shop in a good area of Chiang Mai which seems to go up every month. I know because I own one.

When I first came here there were no decent bookshops and prices were much higher (compared to the new price of a book) than they are now. We would have given anything to have the choice and prices that buyers have today!

Edited March 9, 2008 by Ulysses G.

[haybilly]

--I personally would check out as many of the secondhand bookshops all over Chiang Mai--although I'm amazed at how much they want to charge for a second hand book it's still probably cheaper than buying new

What you probably don't know is that most of these secondhand-bookshops have to import most of their decent books from overseas - There are very few English books in Thailand compared to English speaking countries and tourists often bring the best ones home with them. Constantly finding them, buying them, transporting them and paying all the customs taxes, duties and charges is quite expensive. On top of that is the price to rent a shop in a good area of Chiang Mai which seems to go up every month. I know because I own one.

When I first came here there were no decent bookshops and prices were much higher (compared to the new price of a book) than they are now. We would have given anything to have the choice and prices that buyers have today!

Well, that goes some way to explain why the second hand books in Chiang Mai are so highly priced but, in my opinion, this is peculiar to Chiang Mai as I used to live in Phuket and shopped in several second hand bookstores there and found the prices to be somewhat lower than C.M.--maybe more people holiday in Phuket with kids/plus books and are prepared to sell these when they leave--maybe???

So, if I read you right, you actually buy these second hand books abroad and ship them here?? You're right in that I was not aware of that--I always thought some well-intentioned parent wandered in with a bundle of books that their little tyke had outgrown--what a let down.

[Ulysses G.]

Yes, we ship most of our better books to Thailand and a lot of trashy stuff too.

In Phuket they buy everything from customers and don't have nearly as many high quality New Age, Spiritual, History, Philosophy, Non-Fiction, Popular Literature, Buddhism, Military books as we do (according to customers and from what I have seen). They mostly sell John Grisham/Patricia Cornwell beach type reads which are quite common here or the kind of no name literature that we sell for 100 baht each in our bargain section. Their prices for these type of books seem simular to Chiang Mai from the ones that I get from customers.

The only other used shops in Thailand that have the same quality books as Chiang Mai are in Bangkok (they ship in a lot from other countries there too, but also can get more good ones from customers because Bangkok has so many more people that read English), but they are more expensive than Chiang Mai and pay customers VERY little for their books.

I do know that expats come from all over Thailand and China specifically to buy books in Chiang Mai.

Edited March 9, 2008 by Ulysses G.

[haybilly]

An online resource with almost everything you could need is Abacus Educational Services.

Also http://www.starfall.com/"]starfall.com

Here is a link to their site--but I'm not sure we are allowed to post links??

EDIT: URL replaced with hotlink

[haybilly]

Yes, we ship most of our better books to Thailand.

In Phuket they buy them from custumers and don't have nearly as many high quality New Age, Spiritual, History, Philosophy, Non-Fiction, Popular Literature, Buddhism, Military books as we do (according to customers and that I have ever seen). They mostly sell John Grisham/Patricia Cornwell beach type reads which are quite common here or the kind of no name literature that we sell for 100 baht each in our bargain section. Their prices for these type of books seem simular to Chiang Mai from the ones that I get from customers.

I bow to your superior knowledge--I must admit that I only ever go shopping for kids books and these seem the same, quality-wise, everywhere--some little booger has invariably scrawled all over them--not all, and probably none in your shop--I am not being unpleasant about your own shop but I do find that prices in the book shop that states it has 5 second hand shops in C.M to be particularly high--I do hope that's not yours?? Ouch.

Notwithstanding the weight involved in baggage I always bring books for my kid back from charity shops in UK and pay peanuts for them--I guess I'm spoilt.

[Ulysses G.]

It is mine and luckily most people tell me that they are quite pleased with our selection and with our prices and how lucky they are that we are here.

Some of our competitors keep changing their prices according to high season and low season and when they are not doing well, but we have a steady business and try to make a fair profit while being consistant and not keep going up and down. I do lower my prices sometimes to not get out of line with other stores, but not to the point where I am actually losing money. That doesn't benefit a business that plans to stick around for the long run.

I know that a lot of people are on a tight budget and always looking for the cheapest deal, but I find that most people are so happy with our stores that we don't have to worry too much about price wars.

Edited March 9, 2008 by Ulysses G.

[haybilly]

It is mine and luckily most people tell me that they are quite pleased with our selection and with our prices and how lucky they are that we are here.

Some of our competitors keep changing their prices according to high season and low season and when they are not doing well, but we have a steady business and try to make a fair profit while being consistant and not keep going up and down.

I know that a lot of people are on a tight budget and always looking for the cheapest deal, but I find that most people are so happy with our stores that we don't have to worry too much about price wars.

OOPs--so it's Ulysses Gekko, I presume--apologies in order--just speaking as I find--you won't let me in the door now--oh, well, can't be nice all the time- in my case very seldom.

[Ulysses G.]

The first used bookstore in Chiang Mai was a Thai lady and she had another bookshop move right in beside her, trying to put her out of business. She lowered all of her prices to half of what they had been before, and they weren't out of line to begin with. Her books were selling for less than she had bought them for.

She told me that many of her customers would still come in and tell her how expensive her books were and try to bargain with her, even though she was losing money. She also told me that the number of customers who complained had stayed the same, no matter how much she cut her prices.

Anyone who wants to start a business should think about that a little.

[Priceless]

Going back to the OP's question, there's a bookshop (sorry, forgot the name) on Rajvithi Rd that seems to have a lot of children's school books. I know for a fact that they have ABC-books and other material for beginners. The shop is on the right hand side coming from the moat (Moon Muang Rd) and maybe 50 metres before the UN Irish pub.

/ Priceless

[Ulysses G.]

Going back to the OP's question, there's a bookshop (sorry, forgot the name) on Rajvithi Rd that seems to have a lot of children's school books. I know for a fact that they have ABC-books and other material for beginners. The shop is on the right hand side coming from the moat (Moon Muang Rd) and maybe 50 metres before the UN Irish pub.

/ Priceless

It is called Udom Porn and also has a lot of other school supplies.

[haybilly]

The first used bookstore in Chiang Mai was a Thai lady and she had another bookshop move right in beside her, trying to put her out of business. She lowered all of her prices to half of what they had been before, and they weren't out of line to begin with. Her books were selling for less than she had bought them for.

She told me that many of her customers would still come in and tell her how expensive her books were and try to bargain with her, even though she was losing money. She also told me that the number of customers who complained had stayed the same, no matter how much she cut her prices.

Anyone who wants to start a business should think about that a little.

There was a topic posted recently asking why were there so many Cheap Charlies in Chiang Mai--still don't know the answer but I must be one of them, apologies.

BTW--just to get back to the OP's question--here's another link which may/may not help

--otherwise she should consider buying a cheap scanner/printer and maybe school might not be so bothered about her photocopying so much.