‘Big Bad Wolf’ Book Sale Back With 3 Million English and Thai Books

Photo: Big Bad Wolf Books / Facebook
Photo: Big Bad Wolf Books / Facebook

BANGKOK — Dust off your bookshelves because massive piles of discounted books are returning to Bangkok this August.

The annual Big Bad Wolf discounted book fair is returning to its lair at Impact Muang Thong Thani convention center this August, with even more books to choose from than previous years.

More than 3 million books ranging from fiction, non-fiction, to children’s books will be marked down 50 to 90 percent. All books are new, but titles may be from years back as books are bargained from the excess stocks of international distributors.

For example, Hillary Clinton’s memoir “Hard Choices” will cost only 180 baht, compared to 1,035 baht at a downtown bookstore.

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In addition to the English-language collections offered in previous years, this year’s event will also feature Thai-language books. The organizer claims to also be the sole distributor in Asia for augmented reality (AR) books, which will be on sale for only 180 baht — so there’s even something for tablet-addicted children.

Don’t worry if there is not enough space in your tote for your haul, as the organizer has partnered with Kerry Express courier service to provide nationwide book deliveries that customers can arrange on site.

Surachet Worawongwasu, the director of the organizing company Ready2Read, said during a press conference on Thursday that he aims to make books, especially English-language ones, accessible to everyone — not just the wealthy.

Some of unsold books will be donated to remote schools and libraries across the country. Visitors can also contribute to the “Red Readerhood” scheme by dropping purchased books in collecting boxes.

The Big Bad Wolf Book Sale was founded by a bookworm couple Andrew Yap and Jacqueline Ng. The first event took place in 2009 in Malaysia, before coming to Thailand for the first time in 2016 with two million books. The regional book fair has since expanded to other parts of Asia including Indonesia, Myanmar, and Taiwan.

“Our event is almost the cheapest among Big Bad Wolves in Asia, as Thailand has no VAT or import duties for books,” Surachet said.

Surachet Worawongwasu showing an augmented reality (AR) application from a tablet during the press conference on July 18.
Surachet Worawongwasu showing an augmented reality (AR) application from a tablet during the press conference on July 18.

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The “Big Bad Wolf Book Sale 2019” will run from August 9-19, for 24 hours daily at Impact Forum Hall 4, Impact Muang Thong Thani. The venue is reachable by taxi, or Impact Link shuttle vans from BTS Mo Chit exit No. 4 and MRT Chatuchak Park exit No. 3.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the nationality of the Big Bad Wolf founders. The error has been corrected.

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