Bye Bye Bookazine

I got a sundae hot fudge yesterday and noticed that the Bookazine at CP Tower across from Pat Phong was being mowed-over by the retail giant Asia Books (now with AB signs, etc) . I was surprised a month or two ago, I guess after the time Bookazine was bought, that in a visit to that Bookazine: 1) I couldn't find the "lifestyle" section and 2) the religion section (Buddhist) books had definetly gone way downhill in its selection. I asked the person at the check-out what happened to that "lifestyle" section. He said 'scuse me'. I said the GAY section and he laughed saying that "we don't have 'those kinds' of books here sir. I was kind of shocked and wondered if I was in fact back in Thailand. Well, I never did buy a book at AB and certainly still never will. I am hoping to hear of better bookstores in Bangkok soon.

[TrongpaiExpat]

The Emporium on Sukhumvit have several new very big book stores. Not sure what floor, you'll have to look around. Not chain book stores. There also a used book store on Suk but I can recall the exact location, somewhere south of suk 15, I think?

Dosa Books between Soi 20 and 20 near the Emporium. Owner travels extensively in Cambodia and Burma so is a good source of info.

I got a sundae hot fudge yesterday and noticed that the Bookazine at CP Tower across from Pat Phong was being mowed-over by the retail giant Asia Books (now with AB signs, etc) . I was surprised a month or two ago, I guess after the time Bookazine was bought, that in a visit to that Bookazine: 1) I couldn't find the "lifestyle" section and 2) the religion section (Buddhist) books had definetly gone way downhill in its selection. I asked the person at the check-out what happened to that "lifestyle" section. He said 'scuse me'. I said the GAY section and he laughed saying that "we don't have 'those kinds' of books here sir. I was kind of shocked and wondered if I was in fact back in Thailand. Well, I never did buy a book at AB and certainly still never will. I am hoping to hear of better bookstores in Bangkok soon.

Does anyone really enjoy those crappy, badly written, 'Gay Books' that Bookazine used to carry?
Not in the top 50 paperbacks and definitely not in the literature section either.
BTW ... I had a hot fudge-packer on sunday too :cheers:

But there are gay books in Asia Books. Quite recently I bought a couple of erotic gay fiction from their branch at Discovery Center.

[Sen Yai]

I am hoping to hear of better bookstores in Bangkok soon.

Have you tried Kinokuniya? It's a Japanese chain, but more than half the books are in English. There' a great store in the Paragon on the 3rd Floor and there are smaller outlets in Central World/Isetan and Emporium.

[sjaak327]

I am hoping to hear of better bookstores in Bangkok soon.

Have you tried Kinokuniya? It's a Japanese chain, but more than half the books are in English. There' a great store in the Paragon on the 3rd Floor and there are smaller outlets in Central World/Isetan and Emporium.

Yep very good store, I usually go to their Emporium branch.

There' a great store in the Paragon on the 3rd Floor

Well, you got me to take my first step yet into the great Paragon, today, on my way to try and track down a DVD of Bangkok Love Story enh. edition (a failure even for the already released ed). And yes that Kinokuniya was quite impressive. It is much like the Emporium store that I have been to before, bigger, grander, with certainly now the best selection of books in Bangkok, including the religious section. But I missed the alternative section it seems. Can anyone tell me which alleys to go down, where to turn?

Sad to see Bookazine swallowed up by Asia Books. The former owner has open a new online store with many of the old selection, but unfortunately I cannot remember the name of the website.I think we're talking "bye bye A branch of Bookazine", aren't we? Has Adenoids tried the Bookazine a few metres down Silom Rd, at Silom Complex? Heavens, even I can waddle down Silom Rd that far

[Sen Yai]

.......certainly now the best selection of books in Bangkok, including the religious section. But I missed the alternative section it seems. Can anyone tell me which alleys to go down, where to turn?
Ignoring any hints of sarcasm, I took a (virtual) cruise around Kinokuniya for you to find the 'alternative' section. First I found Is Your Cat Gay (http://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/guest/cgi-bin/bookseaohb.cgi?ISBN=0743264088&AREA=07&LANG=E) but realised I was in the wrong section. Then I came across Gay Astrology (http://http://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/guest/cgi-bin/bookseaohb.cgi?ISBN=0446677396&AREA=07&LANG=E) so I thought I was on track, but backed off when I came across The Path of the Green Man : Gay Men, Wicca, and Living a Magical Life (http://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/guest/cgi-bin/bookseaohb.cgi?ISBN=080652653X&AREA=07&LANG=E) - too scary!

When I found Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys : True Tales of Love, Lust, and Friendship between Straight Women and Gay Men (http://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/guest/cgi-bin/bookseaohb.cgi?ISBN=0525950176&AREA=07&LANG=E) I thought I was getting closer, and on the next shelf I found The Joy of Gay Sex (http://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/guest/cgi-bin/bookseaohb.cgi?ISBN=0060012749&AREA=07&LANG=E), but above it was My Guy : A Gay Man's Guide to a Lasting Relationship (http://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/guest/cgi-bin/bookseaohb.cgi?ISBN=1570719675&AREA=07&LANG=E) , so I thought I was getting closer still. On the next shelf up was Larry Cramer's Faggots (http://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/guest/cgi-bin/bookseaohb.cgi?ISBN=0802136915&AREA=07&LANG=E) , Hot Gay Erotica (http://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/guest/cgi-bin/bookseaohb.cgi?ISBN=1573442399&AREA=07&LANG=E) and Inside Him : new Gay Erotica (http://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/guest/cgi-bin/bookseaohb.cgi?ISBN=078671722X&AREA=07&LANG=E) . I was sure I had found the 'alternative' zone you were looking for when I looked at the top shelf and found Going Down in La-La Land (http://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/guest/cgi-bin/bookseaohb.cgi?ISBN=1560235977&AREA=07&LANG=E) and Roughed Up : More Tales of Gay Men, Sex, and Power (http://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/guest/cgi-bin/bookseaohb.cgi?ISBN=1555837204&AREA=07&LANG=E)

Sorry, I didn't find the Bangkok Love Story DVD but maybe if you ask, they could order it for you.

Hope that helps,

The Gay Detective (http://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp/guest/cgi-bin/bookseaohb.cgi?ISBN=1573441694&AREA=07&LANG=E)

Has Adenoids tried the Bookazine a few metres down Silom Rd, at Silom Complex? Heavens, even I can waddle down Silom Rd that far

I don't spend much time at the Silom complex javascript:emoticon(':blackeye:') but I assume that branch will eventually be mowed over as well.

The CP Tower Bookazine branch just seemed to always have any titles, gay, religion, fiction, etc. I was ever interested in already waiting for me, which is certainly not something found at Asia books. Their just spreading a bland brand. It's a power issue. It's too bad so many corporate takeovers have nothing to do with merging business cultures. But there is Amazon and I usually can wait for my trips back to pick them up.

just for your information, asiawolfie proudly announces the website of that above mentioned new online-bookstore, managed by the founder of the BOOKAZINE-chain. it is www.megabooksthailand.com (http://www.megabooksthailand.com)