Ricks Bookshop On Charoen Phratet Road

[PostmanPat]

This is just a tip off/ heads up for everyone......I have no axe to grind, I am just a customer!!

Anyway, Ricks Bookshop, the one where all the books used to be 99 Baht, closed a couple of months ago, but has now reopened and its nothing short of a Goldmine for book lovers and historians!! I called by today and Rick explained that he has bought up the entire contents of what seems to be some kind of Historical Book Shop in California I think!!

Apart from a whole load of really interesting books, including, I kid you not, a whole bunch of genuine first editions, some dating back to the 19th and early 20th Century, he also has a whole lot of magazines from the 60s.....yes, the 60s.....and earlier, Life Magazine, Time Magazine, The New Yorker, Sports Illustrated, Rolling Stone, Look Magazine...etc, really, really interesting stuff, all seem to be in perfect condition, collectors items in fact!! Amazing stuff and well worth a visit!!

A genuinely interesting place to visit in Chiang Mai, heaven knows, we have few enough of such places for us grumpy old foreigners!!!

[anto]

Thanks for the tip .

[PostmanPat]

Sorry, one more thing I forgot to mention, Rick has a ton of motorcycle magazines dating back to the 60s, I know theres a fair number of biker dudes out there, so you might find magazines there that will be of historical interest, very collectable I believe!!

[hellodolly]

Sorry, one more thing I forgot to mention, Rick has a ton of motorcycle magazines dating back to the 60s, I know theres a fair number of biker dudes out there, so you might find magazines there that will be of historical interest, very collectable I believe!!

I am not going to thank you. I believe you should have PM me and not let the others know now they will get some of the goodies.

[DaBloodyMess]

Would you mind filling in this not so grumpy and old foreigner in on where on Charoen Phratet this place is.... I love history books, but I haven't been in town long and have never seen this place before.

[PostmanPat]

Sure. Charoen Prathet Road is parallel to Changklan Road (the night bazaar road), but closer to the river. If you can fing the Porn Ping Hotel (one of the highest buildings in Chiang Mai), Ricks bookshop is very close to there. Well worth a visit!!

[DaBloodyMess]

Sure. Charoen Prathet Road is parallel to Changklan Road (the night bazaar road), but closer to the river. If you can fing the Porn Ping Hotel (one of the highest buildings in Chiang Mai), Ricks bookshop is very close to there. Well worth a visit!!

Thanks, I will head over today if they are open as I am in need of a good book.

[anto]

Sure. Charoen Prathet Road is parallel to Changklan Road (the night bazaar road), but closer to the river. If you can fing the Porn Ping Hotel (one of the highest buildings in Chiang Mai), Ricks bookshop is very close to there. Well worth a visit!!

Thanks, I will head over today if they are open as I am in need of a good book.

They were open at 10 am today Sunday .A small shop ,dont expect too much ,but i purchased a few very old US M/C mags at B90 .

[davehowden]

It's called BOOKSHELF, open 10:00 to 17:00, closed on Mondays. Te: 053-234-767, Lady's name is SOAM.

73/1 Charoen Prathet, just before you get to PORNPING HOTEL, it's on your right.

Not sure but I don't think they do the 50% return on their books as LOST BOOKS do for example. An interesting selection of books.

[hellodolly]

It's called BOOKSHELF, open 10:00 to 17:00, closed on Mondays. Te: 053-234-767, Lady's name is SOAM.

73/1 Charoen Prathet, just before you get to PORNPING HOTEL, it's on your right.

Not sure but I don't think they do the 50% return on their books as LOST BOOKS do for example. An interesting selection of books.

That is if you are coming from Loi Kroh On your left past the Porn Ping if you are coming from Thai Pai road. The river side of the street. Even before he closed down and restocked it was a good book store all books 99 baht and in decent condition.

[anto]

It's called BOOKSHELF, open 10:00 to 17:00, closed on Mondays. Te: 053-234-767, Lady's name is SOAM.

73/1 Charoen Prathet, just before you get to PORNPING HOTEL, it's on your right.

Not sure but I don't think they do the 50% return on their books as LOST BOOKS do for example. An interesting selection of books.

That is if you are coming from Loi Kroh On your left past the Porn Ping if you are coming from Thai Pai road. The river side of the street. Even before he closed down and restocked it was a good book store all books 99 baht and in decent condition.

.

THE MAGS ARE B90 EACH IF YOU BUY A FEW ,and yes mostly in good condition .

.

Edited July 1, 2012 by anto

[Thakkar]

I didn't even know the owner's name till now, but I'd been to the place often. I only stopped going after finding it closed on several visits. Nice, clean, air-conditioned place. Decent selection with most books generally in good condition. Glad to know it's open again, hope to swing over there soon.

Just wanted to recount the nice thing that happened when once my daughters visited. They'd been given a budget to stick to and after making their selections found they were over the budget. As they haggled over which of the few extra books to return to the shelves, he came over and let them have everything for the money they had. When I come to pick them up and offered to pay the balance, he refused. I stayed and selected some books for myself as well. Nice guy.

I assume this is the same shop that used to be called "99 baht" where all books were 99 baht. I used to wonder what would happen when inflation made it impossible to price the books at 99 baht.

T

[TheVicar]

As a book lover, I'll check this place out. I've moved here from Bangkok about 2 months ago and am surprised in general at how expensive the used book stores are here (and how unpleasant most of the staff members/owners are). Yes, everyone has to make a living but I just priced Patrick O'Brian's Master & Commander out and found that most places were selling it at between B 230-260 per copy! That's a lot for a used book and I can buy it new with a 10% discount from Asia books for not much more. Nor would any of the shops I went to (4 at least) bargain, unlike most in Bangkok. I'm not impressed by the buy back terms either since that really favors the book store (otherwise, they wouldn't do it). In contrast, in Penang, where there are numerous decent priced and well stocked used book stores, I found another book in the O'Brian series, in good condition, for 13 Ringit (or 130 baht; that's about 100 baht less than the used shops here are asking and Malaysia is a more expensive country for rents and the like). I could also bargain the price down! The Neilson Hayes Library in Bangkok also has terrific book sales at least twice a year and you can pick up even hard cover books of good quality for about B 100. So what gives with the used book stores in Chiang Mai?

[Mousehound]

Next to Vanilla Place and a couple of doors from Antique House if I remember right.

[uptheos]

As a book lover, I'll check this place out. I've moved here from Bangkok about 2 months ago and am surprised in general at how expensive the used book stores are here (and how unpleasant most of the staff members/owners are). Yes, everyone has to make a living but I just priced Patrick O'Brian's Master & Commander out and found that most places were selling it at between B 230-260 per copy! That's a lot for a used book and I can buy it new with a 10% discount from Asia books for not much more. Nor would any of the shops I went to (4 at least) bargain, unlike most in Bangkok. I'm not impressed by the buy back terms either since that really favors the book store (otherwise, they wouldn't do it). In contrast, in Penang, where there are numerous decent priced and well stocked used book stores, I found another book in the O'Brian series, in good condition, for 13 Ringit (or 130 baht; that's about 100 baht less than the used shops here are asking and Malaysia is a more expensive country for rents and the like). I could also bargain the price down! The Neilson Hayes Library in Bangkok also has terrific book sales at least twice a year and you can pick up even hard cover books of good quality for about B 100. So what gives with the used book stores in Chiang Mai?

Mr newbie vicar, this ties up nicely with your other thread.

Wouldn't happen to have an interest would you?

[isanbirder]

Yes, Bookshelf is fun. Expect what you get.... you may find nothing, you may find a gem. I've had both experiences. But you'll be made to feel welcome for sure.

[hellodolly]

As a book lover, I'll check this place out. I've moved here from Bangkok about 2 months ago and am surprised in general at how expensive the used book stores are here (and how unpleasant most of the staff members/owners are). Yes, everyone has to make a living but I just priced Patrick O'Brian's Master & Commander out and found that most places were selling it at between B 230-260 per copy! That's a lot for a used book and I can buy it new with a 10% discount from Asia books for not much more. Nor would any of the shops I went to (4 at least) bargain, unlike most in Bangkok. I'm not impressed by the buy back terms either since that really favors the book store (otherwise, they wouldn't do it). In contrast, in Penang, where there are numerous decent priced and well stocked used book stores, I found another book in the O'Brian series, in good condition, for 13 Ringit (or 130 baht; that's about 100 baht less than the used shops here are asking and Malaysia is a more expensive country for rents and the like). I could also bargain the price down! The Neilson Hayes Library in Bangkok also has terrific book sales at least twice a year and you can pick up even hard cover books of good quality for about B 100. So what gives with the used book stores in Chiang Mai?

Mr newbie vicar, this ties up nicely with your other thread.

Wouldn't happen to have an interest would you?

He fancies himself a expert on Lo Khro also.

A man in desperate need of a kindle.

He won't last another month and he will be back in Penang.

As for Bookshelf I drop in every so often and purchase more books to put on my to be read pile. While the shop may be small they have a lot of books still in the boxes from their last shipment and are constantly bringing new ones out. Besides that they are nice people and Soam speaks excellent English.

[nivram4491]

He fancies himself a expert on Lo Khro also.

A man in desperate need of a kindle.

He won't last another month and he will be back in Penang.

A classic case of the pot calling the kettle black!

This is just too much from the song tell man! I don't think there are many topics that escape input from this "expert". One would think that with all the reading he does and all the posts to Thai Visa that he makes and his "expertise" on almost everything related to Chiang Mai he would learn to spell.