Thais And Books

[BKK90210]

Is it just me?...that just about every thais don't read much. I went to see many of my thai friends and their relatives too, all I can see are entertainment and fashion magazines on the table. Is it the furniture store that don't carry any bookcases or what? I found out most of the times it's so hard to strike up a conversation about the current affair or some intellectual debate without getting side track to gossiping about neighbours and friends!...and boy! then they can talk for hours....hours............

[johnh101]

Many, many Thais do not have sufficient command of the written Thai language to be able to read a book. Furthermore, from what I have seen, it is not something that is normally actively encouraged for children to do.

Edited December 8, 2005 by johnh101

[Soph]

"Thais and books" - should those 2 words really be used together in the same sentence?

[BKK90210]

I'm not talking about illiterated thais. These are people who had at at least a high school or university degree. Books - I mean other than text books.

If the thai culture is to discourage reading anything of substance why most thai parents, as I see, did spend lots of time searching for the right school and paid lots of money for the school. Seem to me by obsevation, like 1/3 of the population are working, another 1/3 are going to school, and the rest 1/3 - cooking for those who are either working or going to school.

[buadhai]

Ms. Buadhai (age 31 with a Bachelor's degree) is an avid reader. A few weeks back she completed the new Harry Potter book and the latest "Unfortunate Events", both in English. She also recently read a Thai translation of "Little House on the Prairie" and is translating parts of it back into English so I can check her word usage and grammar. She is also reading a couple of books translated into Thai by the Princess.

Her daughter, the evil pre-teenager "Pim" (age 11) is also an avid reader. While she prefers comics and anime right now, she also reads real books and recently came home with three new ones.

The bookshelf in our living room has about three meters of books; half in Thai and half in English including most of the Harry Potter series in both English and Thai, some Shakespeare (in English) and several volumes of the "Best in the World" series which is translations of world literary works into Thai.

Both Ms. B and I read the Bangkok Post daily. There's not a fashion or entertainment magazine anywhere in the house.

Careful how you generalize! Or, should I say that sometimes the exception proves the rule?

[Tippaporn]

Careful how you generalize! Or, should I say that sometimes the exception proves the rule?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If I could make a generalization it seems a general portion of farang on TV generally generalize. Coming from the U.S. I certainly can't claim to see a lot of people reading much of anything, especially younguns. With low attention spans it's always easier to sit in front of the tube.

Visit a Thai bookstore and you'll find quite a few Thais browsing. All in all I don't think reading is less practiced here as it is anywhere else.

[sbk]

Ms. Buadhai (age 31 with a Bachelor's degree) is an avid reader. A few weeks back she completed the new Harry Potter book and the latest "Unfortunate Events", both in English. She also recently read a Thai translation of "Little House on the Prairie" and is translating parts of it back into English so I can check her word usage and grammar. She is also reading a couple of books translated into Thai by the Princess.

Her daughter, the evil pre-teenager "Pim" (age 11) is also an avid reader. While she prefers comics and anime right now, she also reads real books and recently came home with three new ones.

The bookshelf in our living room has about three meters of books; half in Thai and half in English including most of the Harry Potter series in both English and Thai, some Shakespeare (in English) and several volumes of the "Best in the World" series which is translations of world literary works into Thai.

Both Ms. B and I read the Bangkok Post daily. There's not a fashion or entertainment magazine anywhere in the house.

Careful how you generalize! Or, should I say that sometimes the exception proves the rule?

Tell your wife she is lucky! My husband and all 3 of my staff love to read but there are no Thai language bookshops on the island (nearest is Koh Samui and expensive). We have found that amarin.com not only has fairly reasonable prices online but also ships for free (and we have ordered several times). Tell her she should come here and open up a 2nd hand bookstore with all her leftover books!

I think that the average Thai person would find the price of a new book to be prohibitively expensive ranging from 150-600 baht. Something to consider before leaping to conclusions.

[buadhai]

I guess we're lucky that Korat has a good selection of bookstores: Se Ed and B2S both have several branches. And, we've had good luck ordering from Asia Books. They charge a little bit (25 baht?), but the books get here in three or four days, all beautifully wrapped in brown paper and string with nice covers.

And, yes, I can see that cost is a barrier to many. For the price of one book you can subscribe to Korat City Cable TV for an entire month.

If I could make a generalization it seems a general portion of farang on TV generally generalize

Was that from the Department of Redundancies Department?

[bkkmadness]

I read a fair bit, and thinking back, though my family all read a fair bit too I would think the great public libraries in the UK helped encourage the habit.

They seem to lack them here, a real shame when a goivt has to buy a private jet whilst it hasn't the cash to fund basic educational resources.

[Tippaporn]

If I could make a generalization it seems a general portion of farang on TV generally generalize

Was that from the Department of Redundancies Department?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[GuestHouse]

My wife is an avid reader, whenever we get over to Thailand she spends hours in bookshops and returns with her bags full of books.

She offers these to Thai friends who we know overseas, lends them out to anyone who is interested.

Our experience of this however does tend to demonstrate what the OP says is in many ways true. Very few Thais we know overseas are interested in borrowing her books, the range of books is extensive from Thai litterature, through translated international classics to translated chick-lit.

Our Thai friends are as varied, from people with virtually no education to a couple who have their doctorates. Virtually non of them want to borrow books, they have no interest in reading.

All want to borrow Thai movies, all want to borrow Thai magazines.

And to add to the whole question, the most avid reader among our Thai friends is a woman who works in a local laundry, she is a very ordinary person who I understand has little education - she'll read anything and everything.

I think its about personality, and the failing of Thai education system to instil a curiousity and a habit of reading...... but hey, we're off again.

[robitusson]

Thais and books? Chalk and cheese. A fish and a bicycle.

[chownah]

I think that MOST Thais really don't have enough dispable income to be able to easily afford books. When my wife was a small girl they didn't even have electricity at her village and she says that was typical for all the villages around here. So, do you imagine that her mother or father read for recreation? HA...they were kept busy keeping rice in the bowl and the bamboo construction house upright. I think that many people who read don't realize what a luxury it is to be able to indulge in this habit.

Buadhai, With all due respect...what is the deal with all of you "be careful how you generalize" vigilantes? Generalizing about a population of people is what demographers do for a living as well as historians, psychologists, psychiatrists, sociologists, physicians,....the list is almost endless. Generalizing about populations of people is a wide spread and mostly accepted (and even encouraged) activity in most educated circles. It is true that many people (even a few on TV....) make inappropriate generalizations...and these people should be cautioned about how wrong they are...but....there seems to be certain individuals who think that the mere act of making a general statement is like an act of pedophilia (thought I'd rile up two groups of people at once). And....actually if you read the original post carefully you will see that he IS being very careful about how he is doing his generalizing and qualifying it with it being drawn from his experience and in fact he is making this post (I think) to try to see if his generalization is incorrect....I say, "Good job, OP, keep up the good generalizing!!" I think that it is more outrageous for you to mention a couple four Thais who read as a foil to his generalization!!!!

Respectfully,

Chownah

[stevehaigh]

Thais and books? Chalk and cheese. A fish and a bicycle.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Chris Rock has a great line, "Books to niggers are like Kryptonite to Superman" . He said it, not me and he's black so don't get on my case.

[buadhai]

Buadhai, With all due respect...what is the deal with all of you "be careful how you generalize" vigilantes? 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It was just a set up for what I hoped was the joke that followed.

Generalization is what enables us to survive and which, in large part, what makes us human. Generalization enables us to go beyond the information given. You don't need to analyze each and every tomato to know that it is good to eat. You generalize based on past experience and other knowledge you've acquired and dig right in.

Next time I'll be more careful about my rather lame attempts at humor....

[chownah]

Buadhai, With all due respect...what is the deal with all of you "be careful how you generalize" vigilantes? 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It was just a set up for what I hoped was the joke that followed.

Generalization is what enables us to survive and which, in large part, what makes us human. Generalization enables us to go beyond the information given. You don't need to analyze each and every tomato to know that it is good to eat. You generalize based on past experience and other knowledge you've acquired and dig right in.

Next time I'll be more careful about my rather lame attempts at humor....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry, then. I guess I should have directed the comment to someone else....I think I'll remember where this rant of mine is located and unload it on the next unsuspecting suspect! Also, nice paragraph on Generalization....I usually will thrash around for a long paragraph and a half trying to express what those four simple sentences do so clearly!!

[buadhai]

I once took a course in cognitive psychology called "Going Beyond the Information Given". It was all about generalization and how it is essential for survival. It had a great impact on how I look at the world and think about the way our minds work.

[greenwanderer108]

Many, many Thais do not have sufficient command of the written Thai language to be able to read a book. Furthermore, from what I have seen, it is not something that is normally actively encouraged for children to do.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Last time I checked the literacy rate in Thailand was one of the highest in the world...I think it was something like 95% for those over 15.

Many Thais consider reading novels and books too 'serious'. I think it has a lot to with the forcing manner of their teachers, forced to read/write, etc. hence reverse pscyhology

And I don't think it's a (lack of) financial issue mainly...Cause if you walk into any Thai household, you're likely to find stacks of magazines, and even more, the wretched cartoon books! They spend thousands of baht a month on these 'comics', it drives me crazy. I give my gf crap all the time when these 'comics' start piling up all over the house (her and her brother read a new one every night). I just can't understand why she doesn't save her money to buy real books. She says it's a stress reliever to read these funny comics...

The marketing/market plays is large factor too. I bet for every book store, there is 4 or 5 magazine stands / comic book shop here...that's my observation anyway.

200 baht can go to...

10-40 comics with lots of pictures to look at

or

one book with little/no pictures

Thais are all about the visuals and face

Edited December 8, 2005 by greenwanderer108

[otherstuff1957]

I was recently teaching a class full of Prathom teachers. Assuming that they were more literate than the average som tom vendor, I asked them what was the latest book they had read. After some embarrassed head scratching, the P4 History teacher admitted to reading the latest Harry Potter book and a couple of others had read comic books. I quickly changed the subject!

[Bryan in Isaan]

I once took a course in cognitive psychology called "Going Beyond the Information Given". It was all about generalization and how it is essential for survival. It had a great impact on how I look at the world and think about the way our minds work.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Good comments on generalization. We don't necessarily mean any harm by, nor do we intend to degrade anyone by generalizing. And some good comments from other posters about some of the reasons for lack of reading in this country. My wife and I returned to her home village after living for many years in America hoping to do some good and improve life for people if we could. In doing so, we had to ask questions such as this - why don't more people love to read? And in the process of trying to help the village and schools, had to do some generalizing, of course.

I am wondering if there is a lack of the love of knowlege here. It sometimes seems like students do what they need to do to get their diplomas, but many of them don't really have a hunger to learn. Love of knowlege would result in more reading and students would get better grades as well. I'm thinking more of non-fiction; topics such as science, technology and history.

I don't think it is because books cost too much money either. An earlier poster said that new books cost 200 - 500 baht or something like that. Maybe the poster was talking about the novels or best sellers. I have been teaching myself to read Thai and most of the books I buy are more like 60 - 100 baht. I think most Thais, other than the poorest of the poor could afford a real book once in a while.

Bryan

Edited December 8, 2005 by Bryan in Isaan

[sbk]

There was a thread about this a few months back and one poster brought up what I found to be a very valid point. Besides the cost and lack of free time rendering books unavailable to Thais there is the solitude factor. Many (if not most--generalizing a bit here) Thais are group oriented and prefer to take part in activities that involve more than themselves. Reading is a very solitary pleasure (unless you are like me and like to read the best of the funnies out loud--annoying I know. Its my only real flaw ).

[chownah]

Good comments on generalization.  We don't necessarily mean any harm by, nor do we intend to degrade anyone by generalizing.  And some good comments from other posters about some of the reasons for lack of reading in this country.  My wife and I returned to her home village after living for many years in America hoping to do some good and improve life for people if we could.  In doing so, we had to ask questions such as this - why don't more people love to read?  And in the process of trying to help the village and schools, had to do some generalizing, of course.

I am wondering if there is a lack of the love of knowlege here.  It sometimes seems like students do what they need to do to get their diplomas, but many of them don't really have a hunger to learn.  Love of knowlege would result in more reading and students would get better grades as well.  I'm thinking more of non-fiction; topics such as science, technology and history. 

Bryan

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You are a brave soul. The second paragraph is likely to bring out the Generalization Vigilantes in full force!!!....but....I've experienced what you're talking about too. When I think about the average American (I must be careful here because my friends mostly have alot more education than the average American) I really wonder if they display a greater love of knowledge than the average Thai.

But to comment on the situation in Thailand...

First, the Thai educational system, as near as I can tell, is sort of a brutal establishment where a wrong answer is often ridiculed and students are actually slapped on the wrist for poor performance...not sadistically (usually). Humiliation is rampant...students by enlarge (in my opinion) end up hating school and all it stands for.

Second, the Thais that I have met all seem to be fairly practical people and learning something for enjoyment takes up time, effort, and resources and doesn't really provide much in the way of return. In practical terms it is the well connected student that traditionally has had upward mobility and not the smart one. Doing well in school has not been perceived as a realistic way to better ones life...but...this perception is rapidly changing or has already changed in that the parents I see now are seeing that opportunity is being spread through a larger portion of society and the pressure on many kids to perform is increasing as the rewards become more obvious and more real.

Education for enjoyment is a luxury which only develops in a leisure class. While more Thais are having leisure time and discretionary spending these same Thais will use these resources in ways already sanctioned by their culture...a culture based on povery for most Thais...so it will take a generation or two for the new leisure class to develop the sophisticated tastes for refined luxuries that Westerners often take for granted.....in my opinion.

[Kathe]

Is it just me?...that just about every thais don't read much.  I went to see many of my thai friends and their relatives too, all I can see are entertainment  and fashion magazines on the table.  Is it the furniture store that don't carry any bookcases or what?  I found out most of the times it's so hard to strike up a conversation about the current affair or some intellectual debate without getting side track to gossiping about neighbours and friends!...and boy! then they can talk for hours....hours............

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There are still LOTS of thai who loves to read. For Bookworms, we know the places to visit and places to find good bookSssSSSS to read and to borrow. Try to hang around at Chula Book shop or Library, or our National Library, you will see also thai who likes to read and keep searching his good books.

As we speak thai, we like to read thai book , novels or litterated stuff in our languag in order to absorb more of the beautiful meaning. For discussing with English native speaker, might have a problem with the communication too. It is not that we cant discuss, but we would rather discuss in our language. Would you like to discuss in thai language with us ?

There are many interesting websites talking about good books, novel up to world literation. We are trying to translate (if possible ) all the world literation in this world into Thai language too. We even need volunteers to visit Wikipedia to translate into Thai.

Ok, it is not what you see, there are still LOTS of thai people who likes things like you and me. Visit www.fanwanakam.invisionplus.net, or www.pantip.com/cafe in literation and Library group, from there , they are discussing about newest books , newest literature too, not only thai book but many english book too. You see , how hard to interpret other languages to our language, but we still do.

We want our children in the best school, in order to get a good and well paid job like others too. Learning thai language and come back to discuss with thai again, but in intermediat progress level, in order to be able to discuss with us too.

[richb2004]

This is something I find very frustrating. Most of the Thais I know, and all of them are educated to some extent, either read gossip mags or nothing. My wife has started to read actual books, but almost all of them about the lives of Thai cellebs or Thai people that have done something marginally impressive.

Even the good sized Thai book shops don’t seem to stock too many books other than IT manuals, self help books, comics or Buddhist offerings. The small second hand English book shop I use has five times more books in it than any Thai book shop I’ve ever been in, and I consider that second hand store to have a poor offering really.

My limited experience of other ‘developing’ countries is similar. Arab citizens that I have encountered don’t read unless it offers some immediate financial reward. They look at me with bewilderment when they see me reading a book, I guess in the same way that I look at them when I see them pray.

[vjoe]

Hi,

I was educated at Mongford in Chiangmai from 1st to 7th grade, then continue education in the US public school.

I find Thai newspaper extremely boring and difficult to read. When I go through a column, there are so much extraneous info that I can't get through it. It seems to me like they could have convey the news with 1/2 or 1/3 the space. The excessive use of TLA (three letter acronym) and the long names is confusing to me.

As for books I read Thai fiction, cook books, comic books, and travel books. These are much easier to read. I guess my reading comprehension level is pretty low compare to other Thais.

I read a lot more English than Thai books since I live in the US.

example below, very boring to read, too many details, it goes on and on and on...

พ.ต.อ.ฉัตรชัย ศิริทรัพย์ ผกก.3 บก.ปส.จ.พิษณุโลก ผู้เสียหายให้การว่า เมื่อกลางดึกคืนที่ผ่านมา พ.ต.ต. จักรกฤษณ์กลับจากเที่ยวสถานบันเทิงมาถึงบ้านพัก ด้วยอาการมึนเมาอย่างหนัก ได้ก่อกองไฟบริเวณบ้านพร้อมกับเปิดเพลงเสียงดังลั่น จึงออกไปเตือนให้เบาเสียงเพราะรบกวนเวลานอนหลับพักผ่อน แต่ พ.ต.ต.จักรกฤษณ์กลับไม่พอใจจนเกิดการโต้เถียงกันขึ้น และ พ.ต.ต.จักรกฤษณ์ ใช้ปืนยิงขึ้นฟ้าข่มขู่หลายนัด ก่อนขับรถออกไปดื่มเหล้าต่อที่ร้านอาหารในตัวเมือง กลับมาอีกครั้งตอนใกล้รุ่งเช้า คาดว่ายังไม่หมดความแค้นจึงลากปืนออกมายิงถล่มใส่บ้านตน ก่อนที่ตำรวจจะมาระงับเหตุดังกล่าว โดยก่อนหน้านี้เพียงวันเดียว พ.ต.ต.จักรกฤษณ์เคยขอหมายค้นจากศาลจังหวัดพิษณุโลกเพื่อเข้าตรวจค้นบ้านตน แต่ศาลไม่อนุมัติ คาดว่าอาจเป็นอีกหนึ่งสาเหตุที่ทำให้เกิดความเคียดแค้น

ต่อมาตำรวจควบคุมตัว พ.ต.ต.จักรกฤษณ์ไปสงบสติอารมณ์ที่ สภ.อ.เมืองพิษณุโลก แต่สารวัตรปืนคลั่งยังไม่สิ้นฤทธิ์ เอะอะโวยวายอาละวาดไปทั่วโรงพัก จึงต้องสวมกุญแจมือ ก่อนนำตัวไปกักขังไว้ภายในห้องควบคุม ผู้ต้องหา นายตำรวจเพี้ยนยังตะโกนด่ากราดไม่ไว้หน้า แม้กระทั่ง พล.ต.ต.ขัตติยะ อนันตวงศ์ ผบก.ภ.จ.พิษณุโลก ยังโดนหางเลข ถูก พ.ต.ต.จักรกฤษณ์ด่าว่า “จับมาขังใน ห้องขังโดยไม่ได้ตั้งข้อหา จะขอแจ้งความกลับจับผู้การตำรวจ”

ด้าน พล.ต.ต.ขัตติยะ อนันตวงศ์ ผบก.ภ.จ. พิษณุโลก เปิดเผยว่า เบื้องต้นพนักงานสอบสวนได้แจ้งข้อหา พ.ต.ต.จักรกฤษณ์ว่า ยิงปืนในที่สาธารณะโดยไม่มีเหตุอันควร ครอบครองอาวุธปืนโดยไม่ได้รับอนุญาต และพยายามฆ่าผู้อื่น พร้อมทั้งประสานไปยังสำนักงานตำรวจภูธรภาค 6 พิจารณาให้ออกจากราชการไว้ก่อน เนื่องจากกระทำความผิดในข้อหาฉกรรจ์ และยังใช้อาวุธสงครามในการก่อเหตุอีกด้วย ส่วนอาการเมานั้น พนักงานสอบสวนต้องส่งไปให้แพทย์ตรวจว่า ผู้ที่ก่อเหตุมีอาการทางจิตประสาท เกิดจากการเมาสุราหรือสารเสพติดหรือไม่ เพื่อใช้ประกอบสำนวนการสอบสวน โดยต้องให้ความเป็นธรรมต่อทุกฝ่ายด้วย

ส่วน พ.ต.อ.ต่อศักดิ์ สอาดพรรค รอง ผบก.หน.ศสส.ภ.6 ผู้บังคับบัญชาของ พ.ต.ต.จักรกฤษณ์ เปิดเผยว่า จะประมวลเรื่องทั้งหมดรายงานให้ พล.ต.ท.ยุทธนา ไทยภักดี ผบช.ภ.6 พิจารณาตามระเบียบต่อไป สำหรับนิสัยส่วนตัวของ พ.ต.ต. จักรกฤษณ์นั้น ไม่ทราบ เพราะเพิ่งย้ายมาได้เพียง 1 เดือนเศษเท่านั้น อย่างไรก็ตาม ตำรวจทุกคนต้องมีระเบียบวินัย หากผิดก็ต้องว่าไปตามผิด ส่วนการลงโทษนั้นเป็นเรื่องการพิจารณาตัดสินใจ ของผู้บังคับบัญชาระดับสูง

[bkkmadness]

I think the demon TV ruins things as well. My GF goes on holiday, no TV, she reads a book or two. But comes home from work and the TV is straight on.

I can compare it with myself who for a while didnt read many books at all unless I was out of Bangkok, then I cancelled my UBC and reading loads now, its fantastic. And whats more, dont miss the TV one bit!

I think I used to read a lot as a kid because only 4 channels of TV, so need other activities. I bet the western kids with all their games consoles and mobiles and that don't read as much as a few generations before them.

The Great Gatsby tonight!

[bkkmadness]

Actually, whilst on the subject, I wanted to get her some decent books, some modern classics but they need to be in Thai language.

She reads English ok, but give her an English language classic book and suddenly its a whole new world of words and I don't wanna be disturbed from my hammock sleep with 'whats this mean? whats that mean?" all day.

So where can I find them? I'm thinking, Orwell, Kerouc etc. Any chance to find them in Thai language, or something similar in Bangkok?

[BambinA]

Is it just me?...that just about every thais don't read much.

i think it depends on the base of family .. my family love to read(ok we are Th-Chinese)

me, myself .. i love to read badly ..anykind as pocket book, text book,science,entertain, ..etc ..

i believe that reading make people smarter ..

and its not limitted only in book ..we can read something in internet too

nowaday i dont paid much for book ( the chemist baby sister always buy books)

see.... how good i am

[BambinA]

oops i dont read porn story

[girlx]

my boyfriend love(d) to read...like me he pretty much devours books when he can get them. newspapers, magazines. he can even write pretty decent, well no pretty horrible but honest english. i wish sbk would get together with me and make the library get more thai books, but maybe no other thais would be interested sitting in the bungalows all day waiting for farangs???