Print-to-order Dailies Expand

[george]

Print-to-order dailies expand

Kiosks available in Bangkok and Phuket

BANGKOK: International tourists and business travellers can now get a copy of their local newspaper in Thailand by simply touching a screen.

At a cost of $4 to $5.50 (160-220 baht) per copy, depending on the number of pages, a machine will produce a specified satellite newspaper in tabloid size and black and white.

There are 131 newspapers from 50 countries in 30 languages on offer at 15 self-contained and stand-alone kiosks in Bangkok and Phuket, according to Rene Fritschi, managing director of RPF-Group Co Ltd, the local dealer for the Netherlands-based Satellite Newspaper Corporate.

To buy a newspaper, a person selects the required continent, country and newspaper on a screen and inserts a credit card for payment. The newspaper is then printed and stapled within a few minutes.

Mr Fritschi, a former vice-president of the Amari Hotel group and a 25-year resident of Thailand, introduced the service locally 18 months ago.

He said current sales per kiosk was five to 10 copies per day, not yet the break-even point, and that the RPF-Group wanted to install more machines but was waiting to complete a management reorganisation next year.

The only Thailand-based publication now available is Business Day, but the company is in negotiations with other Thai media companies including the Bangkok Post.

Publishers receive about 10-20 cents per copy of each paper sold. For the RPG-Group, the cost to transfer a copy of each publication to the database in the Netherlands is around $500.

``Although the amount is not so big, the service is global and we already have 126 machines worldwide,'' Mr Fritschi said.

He believes the service has its advantages over newspaper editions provided on the Internet.

``You have to connect to the Internet and scroll the mouse up and down to see each page. You cannot bring the Internet version to read in a taxi or while lying down on the beach,'' he said.

In addition, he said most newspapers' Internet editions were not complete versions.

Mr Fritschi said he tested the market for six months and finally concluded that travellers who stay at least three days in Thailand long to read their home newspaper.

The strategic locations for the kiosks are beaches or convention hotels, international airports and hospitals. In Thailand, vending machines have been placed in hotels like the Shangri-La, Marriott Resort & Spa, Conrad, Laguna Beach Resort as well as hospitals such as Bumrungrad.

The company plans to expand its service to cover embassies or universities where there is potential to sell many different newspapers at the same time and consequently bring the price for bulk purchases to $1.00-$1.20 per copy depending on the volume.

Clients will receive free software to install in their computers then the company will send them a user name and password to connect with the main database. Customers have to incur the costs of downloading and printing papers on their own laser printers.

--Bangkok Post 2003-11-13

[RubbaJohnny]

Is there anywhere dong this still in downtown Sukhumvit.

I'd like a recent print copy of Le Monde, does the database only hold the current issue?

Edited January 3, 2022 by RubbaJohnny

[mtls2005]

Not exactly a growth business model.

 

Average clientele must be what, in their 80's?

 

I see these in a shop in Bangkok, and for the first time ever, actually saw someone walking away with one, so somebody buys these.

 

On 11/13/2003 at 2:54 AM, george said:

There are 131 newspapers from 50 countries in 30 languages on offer at 15 self-contained and stand-alone kiosks in Bangkok and Phuket, according to Rene Fritschi, managing director of RPF-Group Co Ltd, the local dealer for the Netherlands-based Satellite Newspaper Corporate.

I wonder what the royalty/licensing terms are?

 

And what prevents "knock-offs"?

[RubbaJohnny]

Any clue to the location was it a hotel lobby shop, or newsagents shop please, street, name, telephone etc?