From The Nation tues September 20

The Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand yesterday announced an ambitious plan to prepare Bangkok as a candidate for Unesco’s World Book Capital in 2008.

The President of the Association said the significance of Bangkok being the World Book Capital was in developing Thailand from a knowledge based society to a society that embraced wisdom.

There are no financial rewards for being the World Book Capital, but inherent in the title is acknowledgement of the city’s ability to produce effective reading programmes and promote reading among residents.

You gotta love em.

I'm so glad that they're finally going to be taking a step up from this creaky old 'knowledge based' society that we all know and love now to a....what was that? a wisdom based society? Jeez, I never knew there was any money in wisdom......

The Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand yesterday announced an ambitious plan to prepare Bangkok as a candidate for Unesco’s World Book Capital in 2008.

The World Comic Book Capital maybe, but I think Japan would still give Thailand a run for its money even for that title.

There are no financial rewards for being the World Book Capital, but inherent in the title is acknowledgement of the city’s ability to produce effective reading programmes and promote reading among residents.

You gotta love em.  

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Has anyone ever seen a Thai read a book for the sheer enjoyment of it? - comic books do not count....

World Book Capital my @ss....

Edited September 20, 200520 yr by WhiteShiva

Our age has robbed millions of the simplicity of ignorance, and has so far failed to lift them to simplicity of wisdom.

Robertson Davies  (1913 - 1995)

There are no financial rewards for being the World Book Capital, but inherent in the title is acknowledgement of the city’s ability to produce effective reading programmes and promote reading among residents.

You gotta love em. 

Has anyone ever seen a Thai read a book for the sheer enjoyment of it? - comic books do not count....

World Book Capital my @ss....

Actually, yes I have. My husband loves to read as do all three of our staff (all females). The difficult part here is finding books in the first place and then being able to afford them (the average price for a new book seems to be at least 250baht, kind of expensive for the average thai worker). Our little island doesn't have any books in Thai at all so if we buy any it is usually at the SE-Ed in Tesco Lotus in Samui.

my Thai boyfriend also reads voraciously... books are one thing i don't mind buying him at all. he can't afford them himself. actually SBK, i wonder if we could get someone to donate thai books to koh phangan...?

There is a public library apparently, over near the Amphur, but it is just texts and agriculture books. Can't imagine who we could interest in donating books, big corporations in this country don't seem that philanthropic. That said, according to Bambina there is a lot of second hand Thai book sellers across the street from the Weekend market. If you go to Bangkok it would be worth a check.

I'm so glad that they're finally going to be taking a step up from this creaky old 'knowledge based' society that we all know and love now to a....what was that? a wisdom based society? Jeez, I never knew there was any money in wisdom......

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Unesco’s World Book Capital in 2008?

I have to laugh my a55 off, too.

8002, perhaps.

Why don't they just work on "one hub" at a time? They're spreading themselves way too thin.