At TIBE in February, the Thai pavilion attracted 250,000 visitors.
Thailand’s big book fair last month was disrupted by the earthquake that struck Myanmar and rocked Bangkok. No-on was hurt at the fair but the event was briefly closed for structural assessment of the building, before resuming on 29 March
I’m still looking for updates on the Bangkok fair, but meanwhile wanted to share a post in Bangkok Biz News that caught my eye and gives us the TNPS headline for this item.
Historically, Thailand’s book industry has lacked international influence. However, in 2025, the Subcommittee for Driving the Book Industry set ambitious goals to penetrate global markets by leveraging the unique appeal of Thai books as soft power.
According to Thiraphat Charoensuk, Chairman of the Subcommittee, this initiative involves transforming Thai narratives into internationally recognised stories that resonate across multiple formats—books, films, series, animations, and documentaries.
Four Strategies to Drive Global Success
Thailand’s vision for becoming a world book hub revolves around four key strategies:
Showcasing Thai Books on the Global Stage: Funding translation projects and creating characters and stories that reflect Thai identity to promote international cultural exchange.
Building Networks and Expanding Markets: Collaborating with organisations like the ABPA and IPA to position Thailand as a centre for book sales and copyright in Southeast Asia and beyond, targeting regions such as South Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Revitalising Reading Culture Domestically: Creating a new ecosystem of readers, enhancing industry personnel, and establishing a book institute to foster development.
Elevating Book Fairs to World-Class Events: Transforming book fairs into platforms that celebrate Thai creativity, knowledge, and wisdom, offering international visibility to Thai authors.
Milestones Achieved at TIBE 2025
At the Taipei International Book Exhibition in February (TIBE25), Thailand presented its literary soft power under the theme Mystical Thailand. With the character Bloody Bunny symbolising the genre of mystery and thriller, the Thai Pavilion showcased the cultural richness and unique storytelling of the nation.
Highlights of the event included:
Participation by 27 Thai publishers and over 20 specially selected books.
12 activities and seminars that promoted cultural exchange.
Sales exceeding 1.3 million baht (approximately $37,600), a remarkable 174% up from the previous year.
270 business negotiations, up by 76.47%.
A record 250,000 visitors, marking a 400% rise in attendance. TIBE itself pulled in 570,000.
This success underscores the growing demand for Thai books in global markets. Thailand is scheduled to be Guest of Honour at TIBE 2026, hence the special effort made in Taiwan this year.
This post first appeared in the TNPS LinkedIn newsfeed.
