Thais Reading Books ?

[sbk]

My husband loves to read books but there are no Thai language bookstores here, the nearest one is in Koh Samui at the Tesco Lotus. Lets face it, for the average Thai 300 baht ++ a book is extremely expensive. Both of the girls who work for us love to read but certainly cannot afford to buy many books on their salaries when kids and living expenses necessarily come first. It seems to me the height of arrogance to assume that just because you don't see many people reading a book is because they don't like to read. Start thinking about the choices people have to make in their daily lives and then decide how many would choose to buy a book rather than pay for their kids education.

[plachon]

One of my biggest surprises in Thailand is that nobody seems to know the diary of Anne Frank, let alone read it (even though there is an Thai-translated version of it).  I'm not even from western country but it's a reading you grow up with when you are kid, that it literally takes a retarded person not to know of her diary.  I thought the book has a universal message and I used to think it is read in any countries of any culture and religion except a country with little freedom of expression like Burma or North Korea, but I haven't come across a single Thai who even knows the name Anne Frank.  I was shocked when I found out my wife didn't know, then later found not even my Chula graduated friends nor a Thai BOI sraff living in Germany (who's fluent in German) knew of her and her famous diary.  Ask your Thai friend, wife, GF, or whoever it is around you.  I bet s/he doesn't know.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wanna bet Nordlys? I'll wager you a crate of Heineken that you're wrong.......Are we on?

Guess what my wife is reading at this very moment? Sorry dude, that's a dozen greenies you owe me.

She's been reading it for the past couple of weeks and has been quite shocked that the nasty farangs could do that kind of thing to one another. She was even more shocked when I told her about the genocide that went on in Cambodia just 30 years ago. Thais are generally more aware of European history and literature, than they are with SE Asian equivalents, which is rather a shame, but not altogether surprising. Bit like the footie I guess.

Somebody said they wanted some stats on Thai reading habits. The following are taken from a Bangkok Post article (Titled: "Knowledge Society, PM wants to improve reading rate") I cut out of the paper, but unfortunately neglected to record the date. Sometime last year I believe. Apparently, Thais:

* read on average 8 lines per year

* spend 0.02 minutes in a library each year

* children over 10 years old, spend less than 3 minutes reading a book annually

Those are pretty frightening stats, if true, and prompted the irrepressible PM to state: "The trend needed to be reversed urgently or Thailand could not compete with other countries" and "Money is not a problem, as the government attaches importance to people learning". He promised to spend more on libraries round the country.

That's all well and good Mr PM, but one can't help thinking if people are only encouraged to read so that they can compete in your brave new world, the beauty and essence of reading for the sheer pleasure of a good novel will not be encouraged or fostered. Hence, the proliferation of "How to make a million dollars" and "Twenty must know secrets of a self-made millionaire" type of books dominating the shelves of the average Thai bookstore, not forgetting the computer manuals and "mor duu" books.

Yet, some people still manage to find Ann Frank's diary tucked away and Hemingway translations, so there's hope for the nation yet.

[Richard W]

Worst of all right in the heart of Uni area -MBK does not have one single bookshop ! it did have one some years back but it closed .

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Are you talking about this one?

SE-ED Book Center MahBoonKrong Branch

MahBoonkrong Shopping Centre, 7th Floor, Thailand

Tel: 02-611-7165

Fax: 02-216-3551

It was still open in November. It used to be several floors lower down (4th, I think) 6 years ago.

[Patex]

Also, nobody reads "Crime and punishment", "War and Peace", "Gulag Archipelago" ... btw, who is Anne Frank ?

cheers

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I read'em all, except Anne Frank's dairy. Daughter is addicted to Harry Potter in Thai and one part she also has in English.

Regards, Patex

[Tarragona]

Worst of all right in the heart of Uni area -MBK does not have one single bookshop ! it did have one some years back but it closed .

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Are you talking about this one?

SE-ED Book Center MahBoonKrong Branch

MahBoonkrong Shopping Centre, 7th Floor, Thailand

Tel: 02-611-7165

Fax: 02-216-3551

It was still open in November. It used to be several floors lower down (4th, I think) 6 years ago.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'd guess he's talking about the DK that used to be there. He's obviously never gone across to Siam Square.

[Nordlys]

How about a bottle of greeny?

Well I'm really glad your wife is reading it.

How did she find out about the book and what prompted her to read it?

And are you now telling me most Thai people don't know the Cambodian genocide of 3 million people just across from our border mere 30 years ago????

.... and average 3 minutes of reading annually?????

Wanna bet Nordlys? I'll wager you a crate of Heineken that you're wrong.......Are we on? 

Guess what my wife is reading at this very moment? Sorry dude, that's a dozen greenies you owe me. 

She's been reading it for the past couple of weeks and has been quite shocked that the nasty farangs could do that kind of thing to one another. She was even more shocked when I told her about the genocide that went on in Cambodia just 30 years ago. Thais are generally more aware of European history and literature, than they are with SE Asian equivalents, which is rather a shame, but not altogether surprising. Bit like the footie I guess. 

Somebody said they wanted some stats on Thai reading habits. The following are taken from a Bangkok Post article (Titled: "Knowledge Society, PM wants to improve reading rate") I cut out of the paper, but unfortunately neglected to record the date. Sometime last year I believe. Apparently, Thais:

* read on average 8 lines per year

* spend 0.02 minutes in a library each year

* children over 10 years old, spend less than 3 minutes reading a book annually

Those are pretty frightening stats, if true, and prompted the irrepressible PM to state: "The trend needed to be reversed urgently or Thailand could not compete with other countries" and "Money is not a problem, as the government attaches importance to people learning". He promised to spend more on libraries round the country.

That's all well and good Mr PM, but one can't help thinking if people are only encouraged to read so that they can compete in your brave new world, the beauty and essence of reading for the sheer pleasure of a good novel will not be encouraged or fostered. Hence, the proliferation of "How to make a million dollars" and "Twenty must know secrets of a self-made millionaire" type of books dominating the shelves of the average Thai bookstore, not forgetting the computer manuals and "mor duu" books.

Yet, some people still manage to find Ann Frank's diary tucked away and Hemingway translations, so there's hope for the nation yet.   

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[brianbrain]

How about Chula University Bookshop, located "round the back" of Siam Square? It was very busy with customers (browsers) when I visited today.

Worst of all right in the heart of Uni area -MBK does not have one single bookshop ! it did have one some years back but it closed .

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Are you talking about this one?

SE-ED Book Center MahBoonKrong Branch

MahBoonkrong Shopping Centre, 7th Floor, Thailand

Tel: 02-611-7165

Fax: 02-216-3551

It was still open in November. It used to be several floors lower down (4th, I think) 6 years ago.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'd guess he's talking about the DK that used to be there. He's obviously never gone across to Siam Square.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[brianbrain]

Okay, so they start reading (looking at?) comic books from a young age. And by the time they reach their 20s or 30s they, erm... well they still read comic books. Sure there are exceptions, but the truth is that for whatever reason, most Thai people do not read books without pictures.

There is hardly any reading culture in Thailand. I know people around my age (29) who have never picked up a novel and during their education, have never been encouraged to do so outside of their text books.

Even reading comics or magzines is a good thing since it encourages a culture of reading and books from a young age. These days its all about mobile phones, game consoles and Thai soap opera or gameshows.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Nordlys]

Well, different values (and priorities) for different people, I guess.

I agree you have to have money to buy a book and a time so you can read, but for me book shopping is not what I do because I have some disposable income to spend, in fact it's the last commodity I have to save on.

I often envy my wife for how cheaply she can buy books in Thailand. Often I spend some B1,500 + to buy a same book my wife can get for B300 +. Of course the freight to Thailand would add the cost to the book but where I'm from often a magazine can cost more than B300. I think the prices of books in Thailand are set in line with the Thai scale of ecnomy.

I'm often surprised how much people of my parents' generation read, even during the war time when there was hardly a food to eat. That is when my country (Japan) was much poorer than Thailand. I often hear how books were their best friends and how much readings sustained them in their most difficult times. Often soldiers brought books with them to the war front.

Even in Bangkok I don't find many books I'm looking for. So I just don't bother going to a book store if I know what book to buy, just order it through amazon.co.jp.

My husband loves to read books but there are no Thai language bookstores here, the nearest one is in Koh Samui at the Tesco Lotus. Lets face it, for the average Thai 300 baht ++ a book is extremely expensive.  Both of the girls who work for us love to read but certainly cannot afford to buy many books on their salaries when kids and living expenses necessarily come first. It seems to me the height of arrogance to assume that just because you don't see many people reading a book  is because they don't like to read. Start thinking about the choices people have to make in their daily lives and then decide how many would choose to buy a book rather than pay for their kids education.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[bambob]

My husband loves to read books but there are no Thai language bookstores here, the nearest one is in Koh Samui at the Tesco Lotus. Lets face it, for the average Thai 300 baht ++ a book is extremely expensive.  Both of the girls who work for us love to read but certainly cannot afford to buy many books on their salaries when kids and living expenses necessarily come first. It seems to me the height of arrogance to assume that just because you don't see many people reading a book  is because they don't like to read. Start thinking about the choices people have to make in their daily lives and then decide how many would choose to buy a book rather than pay for their kids education.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

you raise a valid point ,however they still seem to find themoney to top up their mobilephones to gas about nothing for hours on end .that money could but a book purchase .

[meom]

...It seems to me the height of arrogance to assume that just because you don't see many people reading a book  is because they don't like to read.

It would not surprise me if the majority don't like to read.

Reading is something you do alone and the way I see it most thais don't like to do things alone. They prefer to do things together be it eating, drinking, playing cards,looking tv, dancing etc.. Even sleeping they prefer to do together; upto 8 people in the room no problem.

[aletta]

Did a straw poll of some locals yesterday and the number one answer as to why they don't read books was "kee giat" which means cannot be bothered and some said "jeb dtaa" which means reading hurts their eyes.

You see very few Thai with glasses so maybe that's a factor.

[plachon]

How about a bottle of greeny? So long as it's ice-cool Heineken inside.

Well I'm really glad your wife is reading it.

How did she find out about the book and what prompted her to read it?

She says she saw a friends daughter (Matayom 4) reading it and looked at the blurb on the backcover and asked to borrow it. Hasn't regretted it.

And are you now telling me most Thai people don't know the Cambodian genocide of 3 million people just across from our border mere 30 years ago???? Yes! Most Thais have little idea of the events that unfolded in Cambodia in the late 70s, more than there was a civil war and lots of Khmer sought refuge in Thailand and were housed in camps along the border. But then few Brits and Yanks have a clue that their govts were covertly aiding and abetting the Khmer Rouge for years after Pol Pot's fall from power, even to the extent of sending SAS troops to train the KR in mine laying and guerillla tactics, which helped to kill many more thousands of innocents and are still killing and maiming civilians to this day.

.... and average 3 minutes of reading annually????? Does that surprise you? It doesn't me, when you average out all those folk upcountry that never lay hands on a book from one year to the next.

It's quite often quoted that Thailand has "95 % literacy" rates - which would put it on a par with most "developed" countries. It would be interesting to know about the sampling technique and what was considered as "functional literacy". One only has to do a quick straw poll of 100 villagers upcountry (the majority of this fair land),to know that most finished at Bor 4 (4th level primary) or below and would have a tough time reading the instructions on a medicine bottle, for example, to be a little bit sceptical about such official figures.

[Steve2UK]

...It seems to me the height of arrogance to assume that just because you don't see many people reading a book  is because they don't like to read.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It would not surprise me if the majority don't like to read.

Reading is something you do alone and the way I see it most thais don't like to do things alone. They prefer to do things together be it eating, drinking, playing cards,looking tv, dancing etc.. Even sleeping they prefer to do together; upto 8 people in the room no problem.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This thread really got me thinking. It certainly does seem to be the case that you generally see far fewer Thai reading a prose (as opposed to picture) book than in the West - to be fair, I can really only speak for UK & Germany. There aren't the bookstalls (with Thai titles) at rail stations, bus stations and airports that I'm used to. I wouldn't dream of going on even a one hour journey without something to read - even if it's a light "airport" novel (timekiller) - but then I'm genetically incapable of leaving a bookstore without having bought something.

Department store book departments and specialist book stores in LOS seem to have rack after rack of academic publications, but next to no Thai-language fiction (never mind whether it's translated). I recently spotted a Thai translation of a very funny UK novel called "e" - made up of entirely of brief e-mail messages, so it's very far from being a "dense" read. I bought a copy to give to an intelligent Thai friend - thinking that he would really enjoy a great laugh with it. He looked at it as if I'd decided to give him a car jack........when he doesn't have a car. After a while he said: "Maybe better you keep it and use it yourself sometime?".

[aletta]

Thais are very gregarious and like to do things in a crowd and reading a novel is a very egocentric thing to do."mai sanuuk"A comic you can share and show.

The wife does not ever eat on her own and will always find someone to join the meal as "khon diow gin khao mai alloy".Eating on your own makes the meal unappetising.

[sbk]

You think 300 baht for a book is cheap? If the person earns 3000 baht a month (and many do), 300 baht is a substantial amount.

Many people here (and many farang I see for that matter) do not have the habit of reading. And how does one develop that habit if one has limited or no access to books? It's a pity Thailand doesn't have public libraries like in the US or Europe because I think that if they did then it would be easier to develop an interest in reading from an early age.

[Sarpedon]

There are libraries available to the public. Neilson hayes on Surawong, The SET library which is next to the Queen Sirikit and the Knowledge park which is onthe 6th floor of the Central World Plaza. There ya go for starters!

[siamesekitty]

There are libraries available to the public. Neilson hayes on Surawong, The SET library which is next to the Queen Sirikit and the Knowledge park which is onthe 6th floor of the Central World Plaza. There ya go for starters!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think the last two were opened not too long ago; as for the Neison Hayes library, I hadn't heard about it until last year, I don't think many people know about it either.

The only one I've been to so far, Knowledge Park, was already overflowing with people on the weekends. And how many people are there in Bangkok??

[ProfessorFart]

Thais are notoriously bad novel readers. Consider that the average print run for a novel in Thailand is only 2000 copies for a population of 60 million and you start to get the picture.

[sbk]

There are libraries available to the public. Neilson hayes on Surawong, The SET library which is next to the Queen Sirikit and the Knowledge park which is onthe 6th floor of the Central World Plaza. There ya go for starters!

So my husband is supposed to travel to Bangkok to check out a book? A very large percentage of the population do not live in Bangkok and the few libraries you list (3 compared to how many millions of people?) are only in Bangkok. You forget that Bangkok is not the entire country.

[Sarpedon]

Yeah i only know of libraries in bangkok. Dont know what the situation is outside of the capital. I would like to think there are other libraries around but somehow i doubt it.

Thailand doesnt have much of a reading culture here but i think its changing all over the world too..Its all playstation, surfing the internet and playing with mobiles these days..maybe with the new mobile technology soon people can read books on their mobiles!

[siamesekitty]

Yeah i only know of libraries in bangkok. Dont know what the situation is outside of the capital. I would like to think there are other libraries around but somehow i doubt it.

Thailand doesnt have much of a reading culture here but i think its changing all over the world too..Its all playstation, surfing the internet and playing with mobiles these days..maybe with the new mobile technology soon people can read books on their mobiles!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I read the first three Harry Potter books on my Palm