If your idea of a holiday includes browsing stacks of new paperbacks, Bangkok has you covered this week. The 31st National Book Expo, run by the Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand (Pubat), is on at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center until Sunday, and it's one of the country's biggest celebrations of reading.
This year's theme, "Unread Messages", frames every book as something waiting to be opened. Pubat president Nattakorn Wittawatchaitikul describes each title as carrying fresh stories and ideas that can shift how readers see the world. The fair gathers authors, translators, publishers and independent creators under one roof, with exhibitions, skill-building workshops, reading activities and contests spread across the halls.
The programme goes well beyond book sales. Authors' Salon in Hall 5 hosts more than 80 sessions with writers and experts. Booth A15, "Message Maker", is a showcase for independent creators; booth A13 looks at accessible publishing with the Thai Blind Association, including insights from visually impaired readers; and booth S10 invites visitors to write letters about the books that changed them, posted in a mailbox to their own homes. Families get a dedicated space too, with a picture-book reading zone at booth S20 designed to build parent-child bonds through shared storytelling.
The fair arrives after a rough stretch for Thai publishing. Recent flooding hit printing facilities and forced weeks of suspended operations, delaying new releases. But the association sounds upbeat: publishers are working to restock in time, and the show's six zones — general books, fiction and literature, children's and educational, comics and young adult literature, antiquarian and used books, and non-book products including board games — should give browsers plenty to choose from.
There's also a shift happening in what people buy. Physical books are increasingly treated as collectible objects, with publishers leaning into cover art, production quality and special affordable editions. Digital formats have expanded readership rather than replacing print, and romance-fantasy and mystery-detective titles from Thai authors continue to dominate. Younger readers are driving interest in e-books, yet print isn't going anywhere.
For travellers, this is a genuinely good reason to add a Bangkok stop to an itinerary. Entry-side extras include a souvenirs selection, purchases that support the "One Read, Million Awakenings" foundation supplying books to schools in need, and sessions on turning book-inspired stories into TikTok content. Celebrity guests — including national women's volleyball team blocker Kanarya "Bow" Kuanha, who spoke about how books help her stay grounded — underline how woven reading is into Thai pop culture. Bring an empty suitcase; used and antiquarian books are their own zone for a reason.
