New and Used Bookstores in Bangkok
Bangkok, it is said, has more bookstores selling books in English than any other Southeast Asian country.
Here, you’ve got major companies like Bookazine and Asia Books, with stores seemingly everywhere, to small used bookstores brimming with personality.
Here are a few:
Stores selling new books
Asia Books (many locations in Bangkok).
Asia Books focuses on best sellers, Thai culture, and generally has a decent section on Bangkok Fiction.
They will place books on order.
Bookazine (many locations in Bangkok). Bookazine has best sellers, Bangkok Fiction, books on Thai and Asian cultures.
Books@53, 25 Sukhumvit Road, Soi 53, Bangkok. tel: (02) 258-7747. This store, located a few blocks from the BTS Thong Lo skytrain station, also offers onsite parking. They specialize in Western classics, literature, and children’s books, but are almost completely devoid of books written by Bangkok Fiction authors. The Bangkok Book Club meets here on the last Wednesday of each month.
On the web at www.nibondhbooks.com
Kinokuniya (two locations in Bangkok).
Many people have said that Kinokuniya’s shop on the top story of the Emporium complex at BTS Phrom Phong station is the best bookstore in Bangkok.
It’s beautifully laid out, with lot of art, culture, fiction, and computer books. Kinokuniya’s other store is in the Isetan shopping complex, in the Central World Plaza building, one block from the BTS Chitlom skytrain station.
Stores selling used books
Dasa Book Cafe, 710/4 Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok. tel: (02) 661-2993.
Located between sois 26 and 28, just southeast of the Phrom Phong BTS skytrain station, via Exit 4.
Dasa is well-organized and books are sorted in alphabetical order, and grouped intelligently.
There are roughly 10,000 books on two floors and while 90% of them are in English, they also stock second hand books in many of the European languages.
Dasa also serves coffee and desserts. On the web at www.DasaBookCafe.com
Elite Used Books, 593/5 Sukhumvit Road (between sois 33 and 35), Bangkok. tel: (02) 258-0221. Located just northwest of the BTS Phrom Phong skytrain station, via Exit 5, Elite buys and sells used books, including fiction, travel, and history. They also stock European language books, and books from China and Japan.
Merman Books, 4th Floor, 191 Silom Complex, Bangkok. Located adjacent to the Sala Daeng BTS skytrain station, this shop focuses on rare books and collector’s items.
