- Creating new ways for the book world through reading and writing activities organized by 430 publishers with 947 activity booths under "read, read and read" concept, aligned with the master plan of reading culture promotion for learning society of Thailand 2017-2020.
- First time of Finland joining the event as 'Guest of Honor' with "The Joy of Reading – Key to Lifelong Learning" activity in order to celebrate the centenary of Finland's independence.
The Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand (PUBAT) will be organizing 45th Nation Book Fair and 15th Bangkok International Book Fair 2017 during Wednesday 29th March to Sunday 9th April 2017 (12 days in total) at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center. Only on Wednesday 29th March 2017, the event will be open from 10.00-13.00 hrs. and 19.00-21.00 hrs. The concept of this year is "read, read and read" initiated by Mr. Charun Homteinthong, President of PUBAT, Mrs. Suchada Sahassakun, Vice President of Domestic Department of PUBAT, Miss Kanok-on Sakdadet, Director of National Library of Thailand who organizes the exhibition, "Books for Remembrance of Funeral: Cultural Heritage of the Nation" and her excellency Satu Suikkari-Kleven, Ambassador of Embassy of Finland in Thailand.
Mr. Charun Homteinthong, President of Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand (PUBAT) states that the book fairs have been receiving attentions from the public and especially this year, "45th Nation Book Fair and 15th Bangkok International Book Fair 2017" will be another big event of the year as there are not only 430 publishers and 947 activity booths organized on 21,000 square metres, but Findland also joins the fairs as Guest of Honor to celebrate the centenary of Finland's independence with "The Joy of Reading – Key to Lifelong Learning" activity. A variety of books for this activity will be imported directly from Finland in order to educate about the literature and design knowledge of Finland which will broaden Thai people's reading perspectives from different reading culture from another part of the world.
"On behalf of PUBAT who has important missions to promote reading, I realize that books and reading are parts of building a strong country and leading to 'Thailand 4.0' which is the current policy of Thailand's economic development or economic development model of the government. Reading builds and makes quality people and people are the best resource to develop the country. If Thais read more books, we will be educated, have visions, analytical and critical thinking" says Mr. Charun.
This year, the concept of book fairs is "read, read and read" which is aligned with the master plan of reading culture promotion for learning society of Thailand 2017-2020 initiated by Ministry of Culture. The plan targets everyone in Thailand to have strong reading culture and within 5 years, it is aimed to encourage Thais to spend quality reading time for 300 percent more. As for the highlight activities of this year, the exhibition "Books for Remembrance of Funeral: Cultural Heritage of the Nation" will be organized by the National Library of Thailand, Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture to exhibit the royal funeral remembrance books of King Rama V, King Rama VI, King Rama VII and King Rama VIII including other royal family members of the Chakri Dynasty, government officers and other individuals. The funeral remembrance book of King Bhumibol Adulyadej or King Rama IX will also be included, with the official endorsement from His Majesty the King.
It is also the first time we will have a chance to see the memorial book at the late King's funeral. Death does not bring only grief and loss, but it also inspires creativity among people in the community. Especially in Thai society, "funeral book" or "ghost-conceived book" can be traced back during the reign of King Rama V, and is considered a particular genre that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Often containing interesting content together with the deceased's biography, the book's publication is intended only for a funeral, distinguishing itself from other regular books. Moreover, apart from having special cultural significance in Thai society, a funeral book has much historical value for scholars, who have been paying close attention in analyzing its contents, bringing relevance of the past to the present. National Library of Thailand will be conducting an academic seminar on the same topic as the fair, on March 30th, with many honorary guests such as Professor Thongtong Chantarangsu, Asst. Prof. Dr. Peerasri Powathong, and Mr. Teera Kaewprachan as main lecturers.
Mr. Charun has revealed that, apart from the highlighted fairs, there are several expos worth visiting: such as the 60th-anniversary media exposition celebrating in honor of Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and her initiative on creating effective instructional media for small schools in remote areas and schools with multi-age classes; National Book Award 2017 ; the 2017 Phan Waen Fah Award, an annual literature contest that promotes political-genre literature; and "9 Decades of Chatchaipracha" an oil-paintings exhibition by Piak Poster (Somboonsuk Niyomsiri), a 2015's national artist in performance arts (films and dramas), where the Entertainment Critics Association will be selling art collection books, each consisting of 13 paintings reprinted on drawing papers, and the profits of which will be given to Piak Poster without any deduction.
Another fascinating project is "One Reading Waking Millions" (๑ อ่าน ล้านตื่น) for which the Association has been campaigning relentlessly. This year, the campaign "Read for the South" has invited everyone to participate in helping buying books to school libraries in the South, which have been affected by the floods. By only posting a unique reading pose on social networks (Instragram, Facebook, Twitter) together with the hashtags #สัปดาห์หนังสือครั้งที่45 (bookfair45th) #อ่านเล่นท่า (readingpose) #อ่านช่วยใต้ (readforsouth) and setting the picture for public view, the participants can help contribute to the donation funds as each post will be given a worth of 10 baht by the Association. The project starts on March 23rd and lasts until April 9th, 2017, with all its proceeds going to purchasing of books for the school libraries affected by the floods.
Even if the overall economy has been in recession, more than 350 books are debuted in this book fair, inspiring the prediction that not less than 1.7 million people will be attending the National Book Fair. This creates confidence and much expected revenues for many publishing companies, especially for the small-and-medium-sized publishing houses that are mostly run by book-lovers. Considering the present state of publishing, it can be said that in the future the quality of books will be put more emphasis on, rather than just quantities. If able to keep the quality increasing gradually, books made of paper may still be profitable, but the quantity of books is likely to decrease, since the price is no longer a deciding factor for readers. At present, the most marketable books are young-adult novels, educational novels, and supplementary textbooks. The last is, however, growing at an astounding rate, a reflection on how a failure Thai educational system is. Therefore, everyone should attend the Finnish seminar with its 1-day open educational workshop that aims to decode successful learning, and how reading can lead to an effective education.
"The 45th Nation Book Fair and 15th Bangkok International Book Fair 2017 will be held from Wednesday, March 29th to Sunday, April 9th, 2017, for a 12-days period. On Wednesday, March 29th, the fair will be open from 10.00 to 13.00 hrs. and from 19.00 to 21 hrs.; and between Thursday, March 30th, and Sunday, April 9th, the fair will be open from 10.00 to 21.00 hrs., at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center," Mr. Charun concluded.
Be ready to bring happiness and knowledge back to your home.