Bookworms sign off at Bangkok fair

"The event proved to be more successful than last year. There's an increase in the book industry, with market growth of 10 per cent," said Thanachai Santichaikul, president of the Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand.

Consumer behaviour remained unchanged, he said, with different readers opting for various types of books.

Mystery novels such as "The Da Vinci Code" and fantasy books such as the Harry Potter series still influence publishers' choices, with many best-sellers having the same themes.

Although there are a few shining Thai authors, many readers still prefer foreign books translated into Thai.

Amarin Printing's best-seller is "The Last Templar" by Raymond Khoury, a mystery with a Christian theme. Every year, Amarin promotes a new suspense series, which is quickly grabbed by fans of suspense books, including teenagers and working people.

Nanmeebooks' best-seller is a fantasy genre called "Septimus Heap" by Angie Sage, the seventh book in the series that has a witch or wizard theme. Fantasy books also remain a long time favourite at Sataporn Books.

Teenage girls prefer chick-lit from Jamsai Publishing like the best-seller "Jab Nai Wai Rai, Ma Rab Chai Yai Khun Noo", a puppy-love story about a spoiled rich girl.

Teenage boys like reading Nationbook comics, said Thanachai, but they also prefer mysterious novels like Bliss Publishing's best-seller, a Japanese detective series called "Kindaiji".

"It's normal that new books will be best-sellers," commented Bures Longsomboon, senior market sales director of Bliss Publishing.

Meanwhile, Matichon has latched on to the environment and printed a translated version of the "Inconvenient Truth" by Al Gore - and sold 6,000 copies.

Lisnaree Vichitsorasatra

The Nation