Things To Do For Book Lovers In Bangkok

Photo: Courtesy of FB @bbwbooksthailand

Starting this week on August 9 is the 11-day long 24-hour mega book sale, Big Bad Wolf. With over 3 million English titles on offer, from children’s books and novels to collectable non-fiction hardcovers, this is an event Bangkok booklovers wait all year for. Discounts start at 50 per cent off and go all the way to 90 per cent off, so bring your SUV and the whole family because you certainly won’t be leaving this festival empty-handed. 

Hall 4, Impact Forum, Muang Thong Thani

August 9-19, 24 hours

bigbadwolfbooks.com, fb.com/bbwbooksthailand

Photo: Courtesy of FB @bkkabf

In one month, the Bangkok Art Book Fair returns to Bangkok Citycity Gallery. Having become a staple annual event amongst the Bangkok art scene in the last three years, the Bangkok Art Book Fair caters to mostly independent Thai publishers and artists but also features select and usually very niche international publications. There’s something for everyone and every budget here. You may go home with a Sebastiao Salgado photography book or a hand-drawn zine from a Thai art student. 

Bangkok Citycity Gallery, 13/3 Sathorn Soi 1, South Sathorn Road

September 6-7, 1-9pm; September 8, 1-8pm with after-party until 11pm

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The newest kid on the block comes to us from power siblings, Nat and Sivika Prakobsantisuk. Nat, a famous fashion photographer who happens to be responsible for our cover this month, and Sivika, an acclaimed author who loves to write about travel, have together turned a classic wooden house in the Old Town area into an ecclectic bookstore for the purpose of inspiring the community to open their mind to the world and all the ideas that are out there beyond the boundaries of Bangkok and Thailand. 

Soi Mahannop 1

Open Friday-Sunday 10am-7pm

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Photo: Courtesy of FB @fathombookspace

Suan Phlu is like a unique self-sufficient village in the middle of the city. It’s got bars, restaurants, hair salons, cafes, a fresh market, hardware stores and even an amazing hub for readers and thinkers. Fathom Bookspace is one of the most engaged and personal small, independent bookstores you’ll come across in the city. They host a workshop weekly where community members are encouraged to speak out and exchange ideas. There are a few English books here, but their focus is more on making great Western works accessible to the local community of Thai readers.

572/3 Sathorn Soi 3 (Suan Phlu)

Open Thursday-Tuesday 10am-8:30pm

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Photo: Courtesy of FB @tcdc.thailand

There’s no end to intellectual resource in Bangkok if you know where to look. The Thailand Creative and Design Center has an extensive selection of quality reference and design books for creative entrepreneurs, but there’s an admission or membership fee if you want to access this treasure trove of ideas. A one-day pass costs 100 baht, and there are several different annual membership packages. 

The Grand Postal Building, 1160 Charoenkrung Road

Opening Tuesday-Sunday 10:30am-9pm

tcdc.or.th

Photo: Courtesy of FB @booksandbelongings

A favourite little indie bookstore amongst arts and humanities students and alumni, there’s a surprisingly good selection of quality philosophy and art books from Europe, Asia and American at Books & Belongings. The in-store coffee bar serving drip makes time further dissipate once you step into this place. For late visits, they’re open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. 

2281 Sukhumvit 91

Open Sunday-Thursday 11am-8pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-midnight

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Recognised as “The Most Beautiful Bookstore” by The Asian Bookstore Forum, Open House at Central Embassy contains just as much substance as it does beauty. As we’ve mentioned several times here on Thailand Tatler before, Open House’s curation of books does not mess around. They manage to get a hold of some of the rarest art books in the world—like a 70-centimetre tall Murals of Tibet, signed by the Dalai Lama—as well as out-of-prints and niche publications you won’t find in general bookstore in Bangkok. Located at the heart of Bangkok, in a lifestyle hub connected to the BTS, this is the easiest source of great inspiration to frequent. 

6th Floor, Central Embassy, 1031 Phloenchit Road

Open daily 10am-10pm

fb.com/openhouse.ce

Related: Meet The Man Behind That Stunning Bookshop at Open House

Photo: Courtesy of FB @neilsonhayslibrary

Despite its age—Neilson Hays Library is 150 years old this year—this place never gets old for Bangkok book lovers. If you believe in the beauty of aged, preloved books, Nelson Hays is a haven full of them, complete with an architectural charm to match. The wooden library still uses a physical cataloguing system (hello, Dewey Decimal System) to organise its 17,000-something books, including magazines and rare editions. Follow them on Facebook because the Neilson Hays book sale pops up randomly every now and then and is always such a weekend treat. 

Fun fact: A Neilson Hayes librarian was this editor’s first “job” when she was a teenager. 

195 Surawong Road

Open Tuesday-Sunday, 9:30am-5pm

neilsonhayslibrary.org